Verdant Basin Partners In Crime

for @Emory <3 The pups are, obviously, welcome to come with him and meet their Aunt Emory! :D

Today seemed a particularly clear and mild day for early Winter, and though @Aspen and Rowan were headed out for their own walk somewhere, Alder would be left with Tigerlily, @Rose and @Hawthorn and a lust to wander. Turning to the three, he gave each the option of what they could do. 

                         "Follow Aspen, follow me, or stay in this den. Understood?"

They were old enough now that they could be left alone for brief periods of time, and Alder trusted that the tunnels and Glade were protected in the chance they didn't obey his command. 

Turning, he left the den first, chuffing for those who wished to follow him to do so, and leaving the others in the paws of their mother. The King even stopped outside of Heartha's tunnel to call for @Tulip or @Bramble, inviting them on the adventure as well before breaking into The Post and heading off.

He padded leisurely through the barren and snow-dusted Court, aiming a path in his mind to the basin that would be easy for any pups that were at his heels. He went on at a slow pace, keeping senses alert for even the littlest of threats to his children or even his closeby territory. Tail flagged and head held high, the proud man made his way to the basin, dipping his head to take a drink and finally looking back to see what children had followed.

Emory had wandered quite a bit of Tuktu, unknowingly right underneath her nose was the pack her beloved brother had created, and lead alongside an entire family. Every day for the months of her disappearance she regretted adventuring on her own without the company of either Reek or Charley. Not a day passed without her thinking of him, without scolding herself for growing too independent. Winter was awful, and long, and cold, and just plain terrible. To wake up in the bitter cold, without the warmth of someone you've had you're entire life was maddeningly depressing. 

Her paws stung, her nose was cold, her eyes were dry, every last centimeter of the vixen was freezing, and she couldn't even distract herself with her favorite passtime; conning. Mainly from the lack of wolves roaming about freely in this season. Most have joined a pack by now, or at least roamed somewhere with another by their side. Though Emory wouldn't dare to replace her dear brother, nor stoop to the level of lowest rank in a pack she didn't wish to be in. So, she was stuck to continue her days wandering the winters snow, searching for a questionably hopeless sibling. 

It wasn't until the wind brought a scent to her nose, it twitched, dissecting what it could from the smell. She unfortunately wasn't able to recongnize it as her brothers, since it'd been tainted so much by children and a mate. Though it still got her attention, she quickly altered herself to look as femininely as possible, perhaps someone she could con into a place to stay.

The King turned to look back at who'd followed him, but it was then the wind whipped forward a heartbreakingly familiar scent, and the Pryor's attention was at once on it. 
Prancing forward on his tiptoes, Alder's neck craned to look as far as he could for the owner of said scent with a stiff chuff to his eldest daughter to stay close. A lot of things could come from a scent he knew: enemies, family, old conners, previous-packmates, ex-girlfriends.... There was one at the front of his hopes, of course: Emory. The King would bow before Raas and pray for his twin back if he thought something would change that she was gone. 
The worst part was not knowing where she was, or why she'd gone. Locusts had just wiped out the Wilds -- he remembered fighting the storm to find her agouti pelt, snapping at the bugs to land on her and leading her to Reek's cave for safety -- and she just vanishes? What could she have been thinking? Why didn't she come home to him? She would have been given the title of his Duchess, without doubt. He wanted her beside his side, always. 
He still did. 

He didn't have to go many paces down the water before the slim, clearly feminine frame of another broke the horizon, and Alder was struck still in disbelief, suddenly too wanting to wonder if it could be his twin sister's frame. Too many females I could know. It's not her. Can't be her. 

But she got closer. 

                                                       And closer.  
 
                                                                                                              And closer. 

                                                                                                                                                              "Emory?"


Alder's hackles were raised in sudden fear, nails digging into the earth as he stiffened. His ebony mask fell from stoic and king-like to purely heartbroken, his singular carribean eye staring at her like she was a corpse walking. 

               
            
                                           "EMORY?!"

Her name coming out in an excited roar, the cream and ginger mass that was Alder Pryor galloped forward, howling in joy as he bulleted forward without a doubt in the world. 

He didn't once think that the changes he'd undergone would be a surprise for her: he might've been scarred before, but he sported many new noticeable ones that weren't the halved ear and the missing eye, not to mention the smell of a new home, children and another woman all over his coat -- he didn't even remember that she wouldn't remember his new name.

Emory had spotted the male, her eyes gleamed with interest until he...said her name? Shit. She must have already taken this wolf under her seductive eye and conned her way into something, and now they recongnized her. She tried to remember who it could be before they said-no, yelled-her name again. She lowered her ears in regret as they began to bound towards her like a puppy chasing a butterfly. She wasn't fit to fight, and to have a scar on the body she toiled over to keep perfect was terrifying. The woman let out a sudden yelp, her eyes grew wide and began to back away. "Who are you?!" She shouted, her body cowering somewhat. 

There was almost no way for the agouti wolfess to recongnize him, he looked almost nothing like her beloved brother, he was bigger, full of new scars and smells. In this moment, all she could think about was the protection her twin could have provided, he would have ripped this strangers throat out already if she'd shown any fear of them. Damnit, why'd she have to get lost? If she just stayed,her being pumbled down by this beast would never happen.

Thrilled as he was to see her, yipping and whining in pure happiness as he galloped closer, Alder just couldn't figure out why her reaction to him seemed to be fear. 

The agouti scrambled backwards, cowering in the King's shadow and demanding his name -- this, of course, was a blow to the Pryor, who had slowed suddenly with his face falling in disbelief.

                      "Em.... W-What happened to you? Don't you recognize your twin?"

Trotting forward with his jaw nearly brushing his paws, tail low and ears slicked back in surprise, Alder chuffed softly as he closed the distance. Right now, he didn't even care that she'd abandoned him, that she'd left him alone in the Grotto without the know-how to live without her. Sure, he always knew he could survive, but there had been a time where he didn't know if he could live without the presence of his twin there -- there was an even more brief time where he'd resigned to following after Reek as a subordinate for the rest of his life: surviving, but not quite living. 
But Aspen had enamoured him away from that edge, kept the fire of his soul ablaze and now here they were, the King and Queen of Royal Fire Court. Alder wanted nothing more than to beg her to come home and give her the title of his Duchess, but only one of those things were possible. 

                                                                             "Emory, I did it -- I'm a KING. I've got a wife, kids, a beautiful glade to call my own.... Come home with me, Em -- meet your nieces and nephews. Come home with me. Live like royalty with me, sister."

Emory grew more confused as the wolf slowed, a drastic change in mood occurred. She stared at him judgingly before she heard it. Her body froze, she listened intently to all he had to say, and at first she looked at her brother in disbelief. Suddenly a loud yip exited the girl's mouth and she launched herself onto her brother, tackling him like a puppy. Her tail was wagging out of control and her heart felt like it was going to beat out of it's chest. "Charley! Oh my god, I can't believe it's you! I'm so stupid for getting lost! Congratulations!" The wolfess continued bombarding him with words, her ramblings still going on. 

She abruptly paused, switching moods again and starving up at Alder. "I'm an aunt?" It was strange to think her brother managed to have the life she always wanted, though always ran away from. He changed, Charley was no longer the conning prankster, but a king...and she was still nothing. For a moment she felt like she was going to cry, he's made it so much farther than she could ever dream.

Finally, she recognized him, and Alder lit up in joy again as she lunged for him -- the brute fell to the earth with her, cackling and whimpering between his licks of affection to, well, wherever he could reach. 

                       "Em, Em I've missed you so much! I thought I'd never see you again. Where the fuck you been?"

His words weren't in the least angry or judging as he once was for her leaving, hurt as he still was -- she was right, he really had changed -- the King just wanted to know why, where she'd gone. Apparently, she'd gotten lost -- in the wake of the locust storm, it wasn't hard to believe -- and every fibre in the Pryor's body ached as they put their faith in her word. After all, conners as they'd been all their lives, she wouldn't ever lie to him. 

Instead of answering as he wanted her too, she seemed dumbfounded over the fact that he had kids: it was hard to imagine, consitering back then the only thing he'd wanted was to stay by his twins side and rule with her one day. There hadn't been a girlfriend involved, not after his first litter had died and Melodie left them. His first and only love before Aspen, between all the flings -- who knows, maybe he already did have other pups out there -- and one nights he'd used along the way. Emory had simply always been more important, and it was only in her absence that he'd been able to reach out and find such feelings. 
Now, however, he could have both, if only she would follow. 

                                                                                   "I'm called Alder now: it was the last change I needed with a new life, but I never dropped Dad's name. My kids have it and my wife, Aspen, took it too -- there are a lot of Pryor's you've gotta meet, sis. Come home."

Aspen woke to the sound of Alder's voice speaking to the children explaining they were either to follow their father or stay with the kids. Aspen was curious where Alder could be off too and perhaps this might be a good time to talk to him. 

She watched as he left as she began to nudge the pups closer to the wall. "Stay here," she stated. "I wish to talk to your father alone," she said emphasising the last word so as to make sure they understood. There would be consequences if they did not obey.

The silver queen trotted out of the tunnels  and stretched into the sunlight the sun warming her growing winter coat. Soon winter would be upon the land full force and fortunately the pups would be on meat soon so she could start hunting for the pack once again. 

She trailed into the forest following Alder's scent until voices could be heard. She watched as the two wolves, Alder, and another wolf interacted with each other. It seems the two knew each other though Aspen knew not how. She grew concerned but came to no immediate conclusions as to this wolf's purpose with Alder. In fact at first she seemed terrified but realxed as she realized who it was.

Aspen's ears twitched as the female exclaimed Alder's old name meaning they knew each other from before. Aspen took a moment to think, it had to be a wolf he knew before Larksong since the queen needn't recognize the female. But the only name that rolled into Aspen's mind was Emory. 

Aspen refused however to eavesdrop further waiting for the reunion to die down a bit before padding up to her mates side brushing into her flank as she did so, dipping her head in a small greeting to the apparent non threat. The queen did however remain silent of any judgement or comments for now.

Hope you don't mind

She truly felt skeptical of this new life, of this large shift. Would she like a life under her brother? It was strange to imagine them no longer equal, causing her to shudder somewhat. Maybe it was time to let go of the past, just like Reek did. No, she was too afraid to change, joining her brothers pack would be the most, but to end her ways was ridiculous. Emory took a deep breath, staring up at Charley  Alder. "Y-yes, of course." The wolfess was confused, she finally had found her brother, she could get a life again, but it seemed to hard. All the change hell, Charley wasn't even Charley anymore. "I'm so sorry for leaving, I such a fucking idiot, I got lost." It was difficult for her to admit, she hated to show any sign of stupidity, but he deserved an explination.

Her hazelnut eyes landed upon a woman, and she instintivley stepped back. Emory gave a reluctant nod. "I want to meet my nieces and nephews." She insisted, hoping they would pull her out of this strange funk.

As Alder pulled himself back to his paws, he could see the strain on Emory's mind -- it was a lot to take in, this change, but he was hurt to think she didn't want to follow him like she used to -- and wished to quell it. Em blamed herself for leaving and while it technically was, Alder couldn't think of it that way. 

                         "Shit happens, Em, just.... Please, please don't leave me again? I need you, Emory -- I almost lost myself when you left, and if it wouldn't have been for Aspen I'd still be following mindlessly after Hir-Reek."

His voice dropped to a rumble as he begged -- yes, begged, even if he'd never admit it to anybody else -- his twin not to leave. A whine broke his lips as she agreed, and as he stepped forward to press his face into her shoulder, he missed the pale figure of his wife approaching. All the King knew is that Emory backed away, and instinctively the brute swung around with a curl of his lips and a sharp snarl of warning, hellbent on defending his twin as he used to. 

Only, there was no threat. Once his eye fell on Aspen, his face morphed into a wide smile and he jerked his head over his shoulder to introduce her. It wasn't a decision, really, to allow her into the Inner Circe, but something Alder would not allow to be contested. She was more family to him than anyone in the Glade, selfish as the thought was, and she wouldn't be left out in the Winter without the shelter of the tunnels. 

                                                                      "Aspen, this is Emory.... Our new Marchioness, and my twin sister."

Aspen was slightly startled when Alder turned to growl though if this was a wolf he cared about...not a wonder that he thought it could be a threat. Mind you...they were in pack lands...who the hell else would it be.

Aspen smiled softly as Alder introduced the female as Emory confirming Aspen's thoughts all along. Twas true this was in fact Alder's twin sister. Though she was surprised how fast he forgave her, perhaps that would be a concept she would never understand not being close to her siblings like he.  She ignored the fact that he had already placed her into the inner circle figuring it sorta made sense based on the fact he knew her and was apparently beyond close to her. 

Aspen took a moment to briefly analyze the female before figuring she was safe. "Welcome to the court Emory, my name is Aspen, as you might have heard," she spoke warmly. "It's a pleasure to meet the girl I had heard about when Alder and myself resided in Larksong," she stated and to answer the females prior information and curiousity she would be welcome to meet her nieces and nephews under supervision.

"You're more than welcome to come and meet our lovely children. There are two girls and two boys," she stated smiling widely. She was proud that she had the privelege of mothering four amazing children each with their own special personality.

Emory smiled at her brother, nodding her head. Keeping her gaze directly on his eyes, in hopes he could spot how genuine she was. "I will never leave again." She insisted, it felt as though a bat just hit her in the chest to hear what he went through because she was just so fucking dumb. The Pryor caught on to his stumble of Reek's name, she tilted her head to the side in confusion, before Alder raised his guard. The vixen couldn't help but smirk when her brother growled at the stranger, not because she wanted them hurt or disliked them, just because it showed he still truly cared and they could, in some sense, be who they once were. 

Aspen seemed kind enough, and Emory tried her best not to be judgmental of the woman her twin decided to claim as a mate. Any other time she would point out all the flaws of anyone that tried to gain a relationship with her brother, as he only deserved the best, but she missed her opportunity to do so with the ivory wolf before her, so instead she would find all the best qualities of Aspen (#1 She was pretty), she had to trust he made the right decision. It was also a relief to know Alder still talked about her when she ignorantly wandered off too far. 

Emory smiled again, glad the woman was so accepting of her already. "I'm sure they're amazing." She insisted.

Aspen nodded as Emory spoke adding that she was sure they were amazing. "Ah yeah, my little bundles of joy," she mused as she began to turn tail flicking for Emory to follow her knowing alder would on his own. That or he would go on a patrol or something while the girls chatted.

Aspen wanted to get to know this chick for herself. She saw no reason to distrust the girl. Any family member of his was a family member of hers now.  And so they walked. And talked. 

Last post from me. Sorry it was short. Idk if you wanna throw on one more or just archive. :)