Honeyed Pasture quoth the raven "swag galore" freestyle rapping at my door

AW but tagging dear brother @Floki if you're interested!

The grasses were tall enough to hide Ragna, which suited her well. She did not need to startle the grazing herd and trigger a stampede. Her only interest was in watching, as one wolf could not hunt such large pray alone. The pastures were too far from the Malkaria to be a suitable hunting location. Too far from home and too close to other packs. She did not wish to strain the herd. There were other hunting grounds nearer the Copse.

The sun was hot and high and there was no shade but what the grass afforded. Ragna grew thirsty and left her post to find one of the small streams that fed into the pasture. Once she found it, muddy and shallow but water nonetheless, she drank long and deep of it.

:D

He wasn't ready to travel too far from his nieces just yet, but the urge to venture was growing unbearable. His injured leg was healed, save for the hitch in his stride that would always remind him of the fall from Nocturne Summit, and he promised himself only a quick expedition that would have him back by nightfall. Floki traced a familiar route towards the ocean, though he knew that his paws wouldn't touch the sand on this trip.

The grass elongated around him, their dry stalks brushing against his sides as he moved. His tongue lolled from his mouth; it was hotter than he had anticipated, and the sun was relentless. He prepared to turn back towards Moonspear and seek the shade of its forested slopes but a swaying of the vegetation drew his attention and he paused; from his vantage point, he couldn't see the she-wolf taking a drink, but his hackles lifted nonetheless.

ragna eats dirt for fun, pass it on. also lol i cheated by making her upwind

When she tired of the feel of mud and grit in her mouth and throat, Ragna pulled away from the stream, her mouth slightly muddied. She rubbed her muzzle against her foreleg in an attempt to wipe away the dirt, but only partially succeeded. She was interrupted by a sudden breeze carrying the scent of another wolf.

Though her true reason for wandering away from the Malkaria was to seek out her brothers, she also wanted to try her hand at recruiting more warm bodies for the nascent pack. Eshamun would have to be pleased if more wolves starting arriving at their borders. So, upon scenting another wolf, Ragna began to shoulder through the grass to find him.

She came upon him quite suddenly, and nearly stumbled in surprise and disbelief. There he was, and though he had grown, there was no denying the color of his coat and the blue of his eyes. My brother, she gasped, and though a moment ago she had tried to put distance between them. Now she drew closer, boldly sniffing at him. Whether this was Floki or Jorunn she could not know, for they had been identical in childhood and she had been gone for so long. Perhaps if they were together, side by side, she could pick out their differences as easily as she once had.

<333

A head emerged from the tall grass, followed swiftly by a pair of shoulders. Floki couldn't quite catch her scent, as the breeze carried it away from him, but he stiffened as the pale she-wolf began to move towards him. Had it not been for her exclamation -- "My brother!" -- he likely would have greeted her with bared teeth and a growl of warning, but those two simple words were enough to stop him in his proverbial tracks.

"Brother?" he inquired aloud even as she began to examine him with her nose at a very close range. It couldn't be anyone but Ragna, and as he craned his neck to get a good look at her, he realized that he was face to face with his estranged sister. "Sister," he said, ears sweeping forward with excitement and relief. Many questions flooded to the forefront of his mind, but all he could manage to say was, "Ragna!"

Satisfied by her initial examination and by his words, Ragna circled back around to face him, but not before bumping into him affectionately. Sister! Her heart sang, for even though the word had never felt quite right, it meant that he recognized her. Again she looked him over, from his socked legs to his broad shoulders. He was taller than her, but she found she didn't mind.

I found you, she said, voice fevered with excitement. I had feared I would never! Now her tail whipped behind her, her mind racing with questions. It was at odds with her tendency towards tacit communication, but she let several tumble out. Where do you live now? What happened to our home? Are the others around? There was one she kept back, hoping the answer might come anyway. Which brother are you?

As could be expected, Ragna had a myriad of questions to ask. Floki's own tail swayed as he regarded her, taking in her petite figure and the unkempt nature of her fur. Although he hadn't recognized her immediately, it was easy to see that this was his playmate of days past, his tomboyish sister all grown up.

"We left Stavanger Bay last fall. Our pack was so small, there was no way that we would have survived the winter," he explained, his expression darkening slightly at the memory. He was happy to call Moonspear his home, but still felt a pinch of resentment when he thought of the wolves that now occupied his birthplace. "Long story short, we merged with another small pack and moved to Moonspear. Charon is there, but everyone else is gone." And by "everyone else," he meant Thistle Cloud, Jorunn, and Kaylan. They had all been a part of his life at Moonspear, but had since each moved on for one reason or another.

With that out of the way, he was eager to find out what had become of Ragna in her time away. "What about you? Where have you been?" he asked, blue eyes brightening with the question.

There were not words enough to describe her relief at seeing him well. She was elated, her tail sweeping along the tall grass with each pass. Ragna searched for similarities. His eyes were her eyes. His nose was her nose.

Her brother solved one mystery for her, one that had been weighing heavily on her. Stavanger Bay had been abandoned for good reason, and though it still irked her that other wolves now squatted on her land, she no longer had to feel betrayed by her own kin. Gone? she asked, voice haunted. Are they...? she trailed off, fearing the worst. While she was gone had her family died, all but this brother and Charon? She could ask no more questions, overcome by this fear.

Assuming that that was cleared up, lmao, she then answered his question. I lived where father was born. Odinn's Cove, she told him. It was there that she had spent the majority of her absence, though for a time (when she was too young to travel alone) she joined a group of nomads in their wanderings.

He grimaced at Ragna's reaction, realizing that he could have chosen his words better. "Gone" sounded so dire, although it was the closest description of the truth -- aside from Jorunn, he had no idea where the rest of his family had disappeared to. He didn't even want to think about the possibility that they might not be alive.

He quickly assured her, however. "No, no. Jorunn actually lives nearby -- he took up with a pack on the coast called Saltwinter," he said; there wasn't really a reason as to why he was referring to his twin by his birth name, but in Ragna's presence it somehow felt right. "Kaylan was around for a little while, but he eventually left. And Mom...she went traveling, but I'm not sure where to." He bit his lip. It still bothered him that Thistle Cloud had left without notice and that he had no idea where she was.

Ragna then answered his questions, speaking of Ragnar's home. Floki's ears pricked, but his brows furrowed slightly. "You did? Where is it? How did you find it?" he pressed, feeling simultaneously curious and envious.

Floki's quick response dispelled her fears, and immediately she calmed down. It was disappointing that Floki didn't know the whereabouts of their mother or wayward brother, but where he was concerned, Ragna was only relieved. In this she was certain: Kaylan and Thistle Cloud were alive. After all, she had left and then returned and she was fine. Her only regret was that she had never said goodbye. Her heart ached for the comfort of her mother.

Saltwinter, she repeated. It was a good name, and immediately she resolved to see it. I will go on, then, and find him there.

Ragna looked back at her time in Odinn's Cove with mixed feelings. It was there that she had met her half-sister, Gyda, if only for a time. And it was there that she had learned of her culture, her role as Shieldmaiden, and of her father, the good and the bad. It is far along the coast, she told him, her brevity lending a lack of detail. I was found by rangers. They took me there. Truthfully, she and the wolves that had been caring for her were captured, and only her parentage saved her from thralldom.

She spoke with a confidence that brought a smile to Floki's face. Her visit to Jorunn was decided upon in a simple and determined manner reminiscent of her bold nature as a puppy. Even just being in Ragna's presence was enough to transport Floki back in time, and his tail wiggled in a subconscious display of his happiness.

He nodded as she explained how she had come to call Odinn's Cove home for a time. Despite his reluctance to believe in the traditions his father had touted, he couldn't help but believe that there must have been some divine intervention that had guided Ragna to the Jarl's birthplace. How else would rangers have happened upon her and taken her there? He was dying to know more, but something made him hold his tongue.

Instead, he asked, "Where are you staying now? You must come back to Moonspear with me." His insistence was eager and childlike; he couldn't imagine that she would say no.

The circumstances of her arrival to Odinn's Cove no longer troubled her, and she would have been happy to explain had he asked. But Ragna was not one to volunteer information if not asked for it, and so the words were left unsaid.

Instead he asked her to join Moonspear's ranks, and she frowned deeply. It would be almost exactly what she dreamed of, to have her family together again! She could live with Charon and Floki again and have the comfort of close kin. Had her sense of loyalty, duty, and honor not been so strong, so unwavering, she would have said yes in an instant. She would have turned around and told Eshamun that she could not be one of the Malkaria.

Instead she said so to her brother. I cannot, she said softly. I have pledged my strength to another pack. They need me, Floki. They need a warrior to protect them. Most of them are smaller than I, can you believe it? she laughed a little, breathy laugh at the thought, for she had gotten her mother's slight frame.

His ears fell to the side, expressing his disappointment when Ragna admitted that she had already joined up with another pack. But he couldn't begrudge her for the choice she had made -- she had made the decision before even knowing that Floki and Charon were in the area, and from the sound of it, her new group did truly need her. He smirked -- though not unkindly -- at the thought that the other wolves were more petite than Ragna herself.

"Well, if you ever find yourself without a pack -- come to Moonspear," he invited openly, knowing that Charon would be glad to see his adopted sister as well. Then, his ears straightening once more, he pressed with a grin, "Tell me about these tiny wolves! Where do they live?"

The invitation made her happier than he could have imagined. Finally she found all of the belonging she had ever sought! The Malkaria and her family valued her, and that knowledge had irreplaceable value. Ragna realized she needed to see Charon, now, too. Knowing that he was alive and well was one thing, but visiting him would be another. Her heart stuttered in excitement, and she was seized by the desire to start a play fight, but it was a desire she tamped down. They were serious adults now, after all.

He asked about the Malkaria, and though her knowledge was still limited, she told him all she knew. With uncharacteristic verbosity she said, we live in a copse in the Hinterlands. It isn't far. It's on the other side of the mountains. They worship a many-armed god of fire named Molech. I do not worship him, but I think that his teachings are not dangerous. They are peaceful. They're a m-matriarchy, and I do not know how to feel about that. But I like them.

Floki was skeptical, but still listened attentively to Ragna's description of her new pack. In some ways it sounded similar to Ragnar's beliefs -- and yet, there were also stark differences. He was somewhat relieved to hear that Ragna was not actually worshiping this Molech, but he didn't say anything about the topic. It wasn't his place to judge; not outwardly, anyway.

He was more interested in the physical location of the group. "The Hinterlands," he repeated with a nod, putting a name with the expanse of land he and Aria had traversed. Neither had known what to call it when they traveled there. Already, he was eager to explore and pay his sister a visit. "I will come see you there in a few weeks," he promised, his eyes brightening with excitement. He would postpone his trip until Charon's children were a bit older -- which reminded him that Aria didn't know yet that she was an aunt.

"I've been sticking close to Moonspear lately because Charon recently became a father! His mate gave birth to four girls," he shared with a grin.

You will come to visit? she asked and once again her tail set to whipping excitedly. She wanted very much to show him where she lived now. To walk with her brother beneath the cedars of the sweep, to introduce him to any of the women of the Malkaria. I will await it eagerly. Pride swelled in her chest, pride and love for her brother. Indeed she felt fit to burst, and this was before Floki's latest news.

An aunt! The reaches of her family had grown. She wanted to go, wanted to visit them at once. She wanted to see Charon, see his children, see the woman he had fallen in love with. (To Ragna, love was still a requirement for reproduction. She saw no reason to have children if it wasn't with a wolf one loved.) Four girls, she breathed, smiling as though she had been given a gift. Would I be allowed to meet them? It would mean crossing into the territory and being given access to Charon's children. She was a near stranger, and they would have every right to turn her away. She hoped they wouldn't.

Ragna's excitement was contagious, which only cemented Floki's plans to visit her. Sooner rather than later, he promised himself; after all, it was important to maintain his relationships with his remaining siblings, even if they were scattered across the proverbial map.

Naturally, she was curious to find out if she would be allowed to visit Charon's children. "Maybe once they're a bit older," he said, although he knew he couldn't speak for Charon or Amekaze. He couldn't see why Charon wouldn't be happy to see his little sister, and if the young Alpha was anything, he was proud -- he would be excited to show off his brood, Floki imagined. "You'll have to come see Charon sometime soon. I'll let him know you're back in the area. And then, once you've reconnected with him, maybe you can meet the girls. Their names are Alya, Lyra, Hydra and Korei Julia," he added happily.

Though disappointed, Ragna understood why she would not be allowed to see them so soon. It had been too long, she was practically a stranger. She would need to reunite with Charon first, regain his trust as she had with this brother. Thanks, she said, smiling softly. Knowing that he would at least let Charon know she was back was enough of a first step for her. Her brother (she would have to bite the bullet and ask him his name) gave her the names of her nieces, and she treasured each name. Will you give him my congratulations? she asked. Then, awkwardly, she added. And... will you tell me which brother you are? Her ears flattened in discomfort, worried he might get upset with her.

Want to wrap up? I totally plan to send him for a visit soon!

His sister's first question was met with an affirmative nod of his head. Of course he would be happy to share Ragna's sentiments with Charon. But her second query, spoken in a bashful tone, brought a crooked smile to Floki's face.

He could have been mad -- he was her brother, after all! -- but while he and Jorunn were very different in personality, they were identical in appearance. He briefly considered teasing her or misleading her by taking his twin's name, but gave her a good natured smirk and replied, "I'm Floki, of course."

thanks for the thread <3

Floki! she exclaimed, ducking her head in embarrassment. Then she looked him over again, making an effort to pick out features that might distinguish him from Jorunn, who she wanted to find next. She spent a little while longer with him and found parting difficult, but with the promise that she would see him soon, she departed. lmao peace out