Stone Circle until the ashes of Eden fall

He finds the sacred ground of Stone Circle overturned, and with the hitch of a breath he rushes forward, nostrils flared. But a draw of the air brings no memory of Stark, only of Greyback and mother, tangled with the earthly soil and the snap of the coming winter. Now that he sees the ground, he realizes the patch is not big enough to hold his father.

Merrit doesn’t know whether to feel disappointment or relief... if anything, he is confused, both at who is buried here, and why Greyback’s is the only scent that is as strong as his mother’s.

There is a hollow feeling inside Nunataq's heart that she has no name for and that she cannot tell anyone about. It is like hunger that cannot be satiated by food and that can only be kept at bay by doing something and physical exertion. Yet no matter, how hard she has tried, nothing really helps, it keeps coming back and tormenting her. For a while she blames Piper and everyone else in Bearclaw valley, who is so wrapped up in their own misery. Who are infected by this horrible disease, this demon that just does not let go and makes every day in the pack worse than the other.

But laying blame on someone does not make Nuna's situation any better. She is a plant that has been kept too long in the shadown and is starving for sunlight. And recently her albino friend had been able to give her just that. Therefore today Nuna is meandering near Easthollow's borders, their usual meeting place, waiting for her friend to appear and hoping that for a little while she will be able to keep lonliness away.

He stands beneath the shadow of the stones with a lowered head and searching eyes, their hazel sea a reflection of his mother, while the rest of him only spits back the image of Stark. His eyes sting with fire as the scent of Greyback swells again. He isn't supposed to be here; his father is, but he isn't in the ground, and he's not in Easthollow, and he isn't coming back - and he just wants his father to be here. Dead, alive - anything -

But Stark is gone, and Merrit turns away.

And that is when he sees her - a lanky girl of russet and earth loitering along the fringe of Easthollow, and he is reminded of the man he met a few days back. She is someone he doesn't recognize and doesn't care to meet right now, but she is too close. Everything is too close, and Merrit descends the hill with the intent to push her back. He just wants everything - everything to go away, and he bristles while his eyes blaze with a firm demand as he presses forward, ears cupped and stature tall - a demand to get away.

Someone is coming, but it is not Arlette - it is a black and white young male, who she does not recognize, but who does not look much older than herself. Nunataq stands tall and is about to greet him in a confident manner of an older child on the playground. But as he draws closer, his unfriendly demeanor does not escape her attention and makes her wary. Though she realizes that she is standing on a borderline between two packs, her encounters with Arlette and other Easthollow members has made her think that this is simple door between the fences of the two properties. And all you need to do is to knock and open it, to get inside.

She tries to smile and calm the other one down by looking away and wag her tail in a friendly manner, also lowering her posture and taking some steps back.

She seems to understand, and as Merrit catches her smile, he feels guilt douse his fire and his step catches and slows. What is he doing? There is an ache in the empty cave of his heart, and he is once again torn between the need to keep charging and the deep want to simply collapse right here, curl up and sleep. He can't do that, and his legs shake to middle ground as his shoulders buckle beneath the strain.

Please leave. he says, and his voice is strained, tired. This girl is no threat - now that he is near, he recognizes the scent of their allies to the South - but whatever she wants, he can't deal with right now, and he waits, sunken in neutral and oblivious to the energy that climbs through his chest.

Sorry, no fight this time. Last one from me.

Something about the young wolf tells Nunataq that she is not welcome, which confuses her, because so far every encounter with Easthollow wolves has served as means to escape her own sad reality at Bearclaw valley. But apparently this sadness, this demon has infected these wolves as well. And exorcism had not helped, therefore it was useless to try.

She lets out a quiet growl, as if to warn the guy not to come any closer, and then she backs off step-by-step her eyes never leaving the other's face, until she is a safe distance away within Bearclaw valley's territory, can turn around and run.

No worries! <3 Thanks for the thread!
Also paging @Valette as we discussed <3

She takes warning and draws away, and he finds himself agitated with the way she moves. But she is doing what he asked, and eventually, she turns around and flees completely, and all he can think of is good. Good for her sake, and for his - because he finally feels the fire crawl into his mouth, and this time, he can't contain himself. This is not about her - it really never was - and he is frustrated because this doesn't make sense!

The adrenaline sparks through every inch of his body and he lowers his head with the clench of his teeth - he is angry, and he has never felt something as vicious as this. He is angry, and it takes hold of him; the darkness explodes and he swings his head skyward as everything he's bottled cracks through his voice in a deep and frustrated shout, dispelling his anguish as far as his voice can reach. And just like that, it is over. Silence falls against him. His throat stings with the pain of tears that will not surface, and the darkness crashes in to drag his body back to the ground.

Valette liked to think she had a good sense of how her children were taking the loss of their father. Arlette seemed to have no problem with it but with Keen and Merrit she wasn't completely sure. She knew Merrit didn't like it but she hoped that he would take it well. Same for Keen, of course. Valette could only tell with time and the help of the pack, to see if her children were fairing well with the ordeal.

When the mother heard the loud shout, she was first confused what it was. But only seconds later her instinct kicked in and rushed towards the sound. That was her baby's cry. Valette never ran this quick in her life as she sped towards the sound, especially when it stopped. The silence unnerved her. She rushed to her son, who had been close to the border. There was no one around which was suspicious. "MERRIT!" She called out worriedly when she saw him lying down.

She rushed to her son's body and instantly started to nudge him to get him back on his feet. What could it be? Had he been attacked? He was not bleeding? Maybe a snake bite? Valette didn't want to think of that. She couldn't lose a child. "Merrit. Mommy is here," she tried and nudge him harder.