Stone Circle I have returned safely

@Stark but also @Steph (If you feel like it!!) and @Ezra and of course, others!!

Valette almost ran all the way home. Once she came from over the mountains she couldn't stop anymore. Normally she traveled at a paced trot but after she made it to the flat surface of the valley the female started to run to her home. Her tail was wagging while did ran as fast as she could manage. The female felt enlighted by her trip. It had been a long while since she traveled and had been away from home for so long.

Dawn had been hours ago, but the female had not rested through the night. She longed to be back home. As she came close to the borders she howled for her children and ... well... Also Stark. She howled to the others to let them know that their leader had safely returned. Valette was panting harshly but she didn't care. She ran over the border, instantly feeling home again. That scent. She missed all of them.

Stark had been holding down the fort, so to say, making sure that the children were alright. Especially after those...those things had torn across the sky and whatever it was had happened to Steph he was particularly protective. Probably overly so. But Valette had trusted him to keep an eye on her children, even with Nikai and Nanook present and able to help he wanted to make sure that neither wolf over extended themselves. Nikai was still healing and Nanook had the entire pack to look after and Stark split his time between checking the borders and caches and the children. He fell back into the routine of parenting without second guessing himself, but this was different. It was something he was almost welcomed into, even if there wasn't a conversation about it yet. 

When he heard Valette's call ring across the packlands he answered swiftly with a loud call of his own and made his way across the lands. He was sprinting fully, wanting to make sure that he arrived first to welcome her home. It was getting more and more apparent that his feelings were more complicated for her than he wanted to admit; no time to worry about that now. He had better things to do than worry. 

Valette was pleased to first see Stark. She yipped when she saw him running towards her. She couldn't help but feel her excitement rise when seeing him. She kinda missed him. She approached him and gave him a few kisses on his cheek. "Stark!!," she hummed excitedly. She was glad that everything seemed normal at first glance. She wondered if anything in particular happened.

"How are you? How are my children? Were they okay without me? Is the pack alright too?," her questions seemed to flood from her mouth. She was most curious about her children though. She felt that they were so little but nothing was less true. They were probably fine without her. She really wanted another litter of pups. Tiny babes that she could take care of once more.

Stark was so relieved to see her, knowing that the children would be along soon enough Stark felt selfish that he could steal these few moments with Valette before anyone else came along. His tail flagged behind him proudly, wagging as he approached her and nuzzled into her. The moment he was close enough Stark made sure that he pressed against her, rubbing as much of his scent onto her because it was faded, it wasn't lasting enough. "You took too long," He teased fondly, tongue dragging across her snout. He might have stepped back so he could clearly see her but this time he honestly didn't want to. He wanted to stay right there tucked close to her. 

WHen she asked about the children Stark gave a little frown, sighing softly. "Everyone is fine - I don't know if you saw the things flying but one of them got Steph. She's alright - she just has this....this thing around her neck. It isn't hurting her but I can't get it off her it's too tough for my teeth." Stark admitted. Otherwise, everyone seemed to be doing alright. "The pack has been quiet. I think Mawk intercepted someone on the borders and gave them a task, I don't know if they've returned yet." But that was just a rumor, Stark wasn't entirely sure about it. 

Valette's tail was wagging excitedly when Stark came closer to her. She was rather excited to see him again. She realized hearing about more Blackfeather attacks that she shouldn't have gone alone. It was quite dangerous and she didn't have any fighting skills. She leaned against his rubs and let out a satisfied hum. She didn't mind at all that he wanted his scent on her. "Oh yeah? Did you miss me?," she grinned teasingly. She kind of liked to know that he missed her.

Valette glanced at him when he started that everything was fine. "What things in the sky?," she asked with wonder in her tone. "Steph?!," she spoke. She pulled herself away from Stark and was instantly active on both feet. "But her neck is a weaker spot in a wolf. I should see her now," she spoke urgently and was ready to dash to the den. She completely missed the information about Mawk and that he intercepted someone.

 


Valette didn't reject him which only made him want to do it more - giving a low rumble as he rubbed against her and raked his teeth along her scruff. "Maybe.' Stark said with a little smirk, he'd play with her a bit but deep down, he knew he had missed her. It was dangerous. It was bad - and Stark wouldn't be able to tell her no, he hadn't. He drew in a deep breath of her scent and breathed out slowly - almost savoring it. The conversation turning to what had happened soured his mood a bit. 

"They were huge - and they didn't have wings. It was....it was like they were made of stone or something." Stark explained. He gave a soft sigh when she asked about Steph. "We can go - it's around her neck. She says it doesn't hurt but..." Still, Stark worried over her all the same. He frowned a bit and nodded towards the dens as they took off. Once they arrived at the den Stark gave a short call for Steph just in case the girl was off somewhere.

The call was not intended for him but Ezra answered it anyway, already having been on his way towards the den to meet up with his mother. He had missed her, not as much as he thought he would have, but he supposed that was just a part of growing up. If one thing was clear from this short trip though, it was that Ezra very much preferred his family here, at home. Ever since the death of Keoni the greyscale boy had come to realize just how precious time was and he wanted to enjoy every moment he possibly could with his family since he never knew if he’d get to see them again. 

The thoughts quickly fled from his mind when he spotted Valette and Stark, his usual smile found itself forming naturally on his face while he trotted towards the pair. Once close enough for physical contact, Ezra aimed to give a few licks to the underside of his mother’s chin, tail excitedly swishing behind him in a childlike manner. He pulled away to toss Stark a smile, one that lacked the same warmth he had shown to his mother but still held sincerity all the same. Having greeted both, Ezra took a step back to allow a bit more breathing room before settling at a comfortable distance. He tossed a curious glance at the pair, one that could easily be read as “what’s up?”.

Permission from Mary Ellen to PP @Steph

Valette hadn't seen these stone flying things but it worried her. She heard of attacks during her travels but Towhee had said that those were from Blackfeather, what if Blackfeather didn't do those attacks but they were done by others. Valette was on her way to the den when she met Ezra. Valette instantly whined in happiness of seeing him alive and well. She licked him back. "Your sister. Stark told me something happened to her, with her neck," she spoke worriedly.

Valette was super relieved when she saw Steph approaching them. Valette instantly dashed to her and licked her face before nosing over the collar. It was a weird material. Valette tried to bite it but it wouldn't budge. The mother let out a frustrated growl. "Why isn't it coming off?!," Valette let out to no one in particular. After Steph made sure to tell her mother she was fine Valette backed off a bit. "No one else has this?," she asked in wonder. She then looked at Ezra and couldn't help but lick her son again. How he managed to stay out of trouble was a miracle for her. Her other kids could learn from him.

 

Stark was happy to see Ezra approaching them, watching the pair for a moment before his eyes met Ezra's and he returned the smile. Once Steph showed up he gave Valette some space to investigate the collar, the Alpha coming to the same conclusion that Stark had. "No, no one else. When I spotted them I howled for everyone to seek cover under the trees, Illecebra told them the dens as well." Stark had been too preoccupied protecting Steph (in his eyes at least) to worry about who went where.

He came up next to the pair, gently nudging Valette's shoulder. "We haven't seen them since then." Stark was relieved for that, certainly. Everything else didn't matter about the time Valette was away - Steph was safe, even with that thing, and that was good. 

He barely had time to register his mother’s word before Steph came into view, his baby blues finding their way to the collar fastened securely around her neck. When he had first learned what had happened to her, Ezra’s initial reaction wasn’t to try and chew it off like his mother, but rather just let it be. It didn’t appear as if it were hurting her in any way and only seemed to cause slight discomfort at most, so until it threatened to hurt his sister, Ezra saw no reason to bother with it.

He closed his eyes when his mother came back up to him, happily accepting her licks while his tail brushed against his silvery hocks. When Stark began to speak up, Ezra’s attention shifted to the older male, ears swiveling forward to catch his words. He hoped that the rest of the pack was safe and sound and had managed to avoid whatever those flying demons things were but, in truth his opinion lied in line with Stark’s own, his family was safe and healthy and that’s what mattered most.

Valette watched her daughter and stopped chewing it. She glanced at Stark and frowned. She shouldn't have left! "Okay, well if Steph isn't feeling any harm from it," Valette spoke slowly and then moved her gaze to the skies. The next time these things were there she would try and chase them out of the territory. Of course, Valette had no idea that she could. But the mother would try. She would do anything to protect her kids.

She was glad Ezra was safe and Clary as well. She let out a soft sigh and then leaned against Stark. She didn't even realize it. She was tired of her travels and now with this happening in the safety of their territory, it worried her. "I'm glad you are all safe,' She spoke with a sigh. "Lets hope they don't return then," She said to all of them.