Morningside Cuesta Perched alone he sits there broken

He counts the sands of time, remembering days gone by

it's seemed like yesterday before it washed away.

The loner's heart began to pound some within his chest as large paws guided the agouti male carefully toward the Cuesta. Stepping lightly, the stranger came to a gradual halt at the edge of the territory's marked borders, his pale gold eyes gleaming in the warm, luminous glow of the early rising sun as he peered out across the familiar lands before him. Morningside. His home. (or at least it was before he disappeared.) It was the place where his family lived and a place in which he had left. Why? He wasn't sure exactly, for game mostly, but deep down he knew that part of it had been in hopes of finding his daughter, Sorrel. He was aware that he had failed in finding any trace of the girl and half of him had known she was gone completely all along. But what Sylvas hadn't foreseen was his lengthy time spent away from home and the damage it had caused on those he'd left behind. 

The agouti wolf couldn't recall all of his journey, the vague memories of fights and snarls, but mostly the brute knew he wasn't quite the same after it all. And so, the bulky, scarred wolf stared silently across the horizon for a while longer, a messy, dirt covered tail swaying behind him as he slowly averted his gaze away from the land to the ground at his paws. Why did he roam? How had he been so careless? 

Slowly, a low rumble brewed within his throat as the loner cursed himself silently for his stupid actions, having allowed himself to stray from those who had needed him. He stood, lost in guilt and his chocolate ears suddenly flicked backwards, resting flat against his skull as a long-drawn-out sigh escaped his lips instead of the howl he so wanted to release.

Hey don't wait for me there, just find your own way

Hey don't wait for me there, I'll be there soon enough

Sylvas returns! @Grayday @Kieran Adrien and other's are welcome! :3

He wasn't sure what to do with himself at the moment. He just felt so alone. The disappearance of his father had been unexpected and after hearing nothing of him, Kieran assumed the worst. He hated doing that, but he supposed it was better than having high hopes and being disappointed. But his father had been the only one he had left - he couldn't imagine growing up and living the rest of his life without him.

But still the boy hung around the borders most of the time. Waiting, hoping. Just a sign that his father was still out there - that was all he needed. Just to know he wasn't going to be gone forever, like Mama. And maybe Sorrel. Kieran's memory during his earlier days was very much faded and although he could remember his mother and some of the many good times they had spent together - she had become somewhat of a blur in his mind. The same went for Sorrel. He would never forget them, nor everything they'd done together, but he had moved on since then. He had accepted that Eden was never coming back, and Sorrel was most likely not either. 

The young hunter was by the borders again when the 'sigh' reached his ears. It was nearby. The voice... it was one he recognised. And it sent a flicker of hope, excitement, and worry through his heart. He jogged to the source of the sound, holding his thoughts to the back of his mind. Perhaps this was not who he hoped it was - he must not get over excited. Just in case. Upon arrival, Kieran shot up at the sight of the man. It... he's back. He's back! His expression immediately lightened and his ears perked. The boy leapt over, tail wagging harder than it ever had, and his smile brighter than ever before. "Dad!" He exclaimed, pressing himself against his father's front. 

Then he stopped, backing away a few steps and glancing at Sylvas with a small frown. "Where did you go? I was so worried..." He shuffled his feet, not knowing what to do. His heart was soaring but he had to know what had happened... why had his father left in the first place? What was he doing?

Grayday had been looking for Kieran, wanting to check in with the boy. They'd noticed his father's absence not too long ago, and Day knew that he was probably taking it pretty hard. There was no way he wasn't deeply hurt by the disappearance, especially Day was pretty sure his sister had gone missing in a similar fashion.

He caught the boy's scent soon enough, and set about following it at once. He preferred to seek out his packmates rather than call for them, not wanting to interrupt their activities or burden them with the task of finding and approaching him when he was the one wanting to talk. He trotted briskly along the boy's path, only to slow down as a familiar scent hit his nose. It was true that father and son looked very similar, but their scents had always been unique to the male - until now, when he was suddenly thinking he could smell Sylvas instead of Kieran.

"Kieran?" he called, beginning to get a funny feeling. He hurried along, catching sight of the dark smudge of the boy on the horizon - only to have it split into two as he got closer. "Sylvas!" he barked, tail wagging as he bounded forward, heart soaring at the sight of the familiar wolf.

Sylvas dared not move from where he stood, the warmth of the morning sun still caressing his fur as he remained unmoving, standing silently on the outskirts of the land. He gazed out across the landscape, uneasy, with a mixture of emotions spiraling within his core as he kept his ears and head low, a dirty, unkept tail swaying shamefully in the summer breeze behind him. The male's mind tried to grasp at fragments of memories, things that had occurred during his time away, along with the faces of those he'd stumbled upon, but mostly, where he had been and what had happened to him. But for now, Sylvas could only think about what he was going to say to the others when they asked the same question, that, he, himself was already asking..

His jaw clenched as he continued to allow the ever growing guilt inside, consume him. Closing his eyes momentarily, the agouti male hadn't noticed the distant figure of his son, not until the boy's voice suddenly rang out to him, causing the brute's eyes to snap open. Instantly, Syl's lean head lifted and the male suddenly found himself watching the young wolf approaching and soon embracing him with a loving hug. And then came the question, ”I-uh.” He stuttered some, but before he could even think of a reasonable answer to begin with, his brown ears swivelled forward as another familiar voice called out from across the borders. 

The mercenary ducked his head slightly, offering a light wag of his tail and a polite bow to his silver hued friend, ”I'm sorry I wandered.” He said softly to them both, tired eyes peering between the pair as he gradually let out another sigh, ”I'm not sure where I went, all I know is that it was somewhere South from Morningside..” He began, slowly falling into thought as he attempted to piece vague parts together, before bringing his attention back to Grayday and Kieran, his expression apologetic, ”I'm so sorry, I never meant to leave you all for as long as I did.”  He finished as his posture slunk. 

I apologize for the wait and crap post, RL is still being a bit of a bother for me lately x3 

Sorry for being late on this reply!

His father didn't answer the question at first, but to be honest Kieran wasn't sure if he really cared. He was just happy that Sylvas was back. Kieran, though almost one year, wasn't sure what to do without his father. He'd never been alone before. It was just he and his father, and if his father was gone... he'd never been without his pa. It was something he didn't even want to imagine. His attention was drawn again as he heard the voice of Grayday, after which he turned and spotted the grey male rapidly approaching. The young hunter grinned, tail thumping wildly against the ground as he sat. 

Kieran listened, then, as Sylvas finally gave an explanation for his absence. He just wandered...? The boy raised a brow, but still he was simply glad to see his father's face again. He touched his nose comfortingly to the older male's shoulder as his posture slumped. "Don't worry, dad. I'm just happy you're okay." He mumbled, smiling even with the little confusion he had. He wasn't sure why or where his father had gone, but honestly, did it matter? Did he need to know? Probably not. It seemed Sylvas wasn't quite sure himself.

Grayday's heart swelled with relief and gratitude. He'd feared they would never see Sylvas again, but here he was - safe and whole. "We were worried about you," the leader fussed, moving forward to place an almost motherly lick under the other male's eye. "What matters is that you're back, now. Why don't you come to the meadow and rest? Kieran can sit with you while I get you something to eat."

His brow was creased in poorly-veiled worry. Sylvas had acquired quite a few more scars than he'd left with, and Grayday wanted to be sure the other male recovered entirely from his time away.

Sylvas' lean head turned as Kieran's nose touched his shoulder and the male offered his son a weak smile of sorts as he spoke, still finding himself unable to shift the heavy weight of guilt that swallowed him from the inside. Though with Kieran's spoken words, Sylvas looked to the boy once again, a small whimper almost escaping his throat and passing his lips as he pressed his head against his son's fur for a moment. He didn't deserve them, not after abandoning them like he did.

Slowly, his head lifted from his son's shoulder and Sylvas' ears arched forward as he listened to Grayday's voice, the mercenary's hazel eyes shimmering, teary almost as his friend placed an almost motherly lick to his cheek, ”I never intended to make you worry.” He replied softly, a sigh slipping from his mouth as he glanced to the ground, but his gaze soon lifted, averting back to his silver friend as he suggested moving further into the meadow to rest. 

Clearing his dry throat, the male gave a smile and a grateful nod, ”Please, usually I would turn down the opportunity for a rest, but this time... I think it's needed.” Sylvas replied sheepishly, tail twitching behind him as he gradually hoisted himself up onto all fours, allowing a slight uncomfortable groan to escape his muzzle as he did so, ”I ache in places I never thought I could.” He laughed lightly, offering them both a forceful smirk.