Blackfeather Woods but now the rains weep o'er her hall

set directly following this thread

@Sakhmet! @Sobek! @Anansi!

She shrieked their names as she rushed through the forest, sniffing around all of their favorite haunts, checking everywhere they could have hidden. This was not a game, not a game, they needed to come— But they were obedient, weren't they? Sweet Sakhmet, intelligent Anansi, Sobek—

Sobek is wily. Sobek is cunning. And his scent was stalest of all.

Maegi let loose another howl, skittering down the path to Spiderlings' Glen, hoping to find them there. She shouted their names again, bicolored eyes darting wildly as she scanned the clearing. Her nostrils flared wide, sides heaving, like a horse after a long, frantic gallop.

Sobek, damn it, where have you gone?

Sakhmet. . .Sobek. . .Anan-s-si, she whimpered, crumpling into herself, the hysterical sobs overcoming her. Falling Star was gone, and so were her babies. She had failed to keep them safe, keep them here. Just like everyone else.

First Mou, then Ramsay, now Sobek. . .and the others? And everyone else?

When would they all leave? When would she be alone, with not a soul to hear her cries?

SOBEK! Maegi bellowed, head thrown back. The ravens in the trees above her scattered, flitting to quieter, more peaceful haunts.

Anansi lingered a second longer at the edge of the clearing, teetering on the tips of his toes, then turned away to heed ena's summons. Another time he might have disobeyed, content to sit and watch the poisonous tree as he often did. Anansi did as Anansi wished, after all. But there was an urgency to her voice that even he couldn't ignore, so off he went.

It would have been impossible to find Maegi if not for the explosion of wings over her location. The pale cub pricked his ears and turned his gaze to the distant canopy, where raucous cries and flapping wings indicated a mass take off. Agile little paws carried the small pup toward his caretaker, weaving effortlessly through the trees in spite of his young age. He expected to find her with another lesson, but instead he found her more or less on her knees, hysterical.

The sight shook Anansi, who stopped some distance away and pressed his flank to the dark trunk of a tree. He was silent for a long time, or what felt like a long time to him, before he asked in a small, but formal voice, why are you crying? Sobek's disappearance wasn't lost on Anansi, but he had assumed his brother was just off doing other things, and Anansi slept away from Wolfskull often enough that this didn't seem out of place to him.

It was rumored that some twins felt what the other did. Their pain, their emotions, their being.

She had felt nothing in Sobek's absence. An emptiness — a coldness perhaps — had been all she could tell of. But that was not his, it was her own. A part of her had broken off and drifted away. Had he taken her vision with him? She could not see him in the woods or the caves. She could not spot his form slinking in places they shouldn't be.

But she could still see — her vision had not been stolen in the absence of a twin. She knew she could as she witnessed the crumpled form of her mother. Then her ghost asked a question that churned some inexplicable guilt within her gut. The thought that she had, in some way or another, possibly played a role in her mother's sadness ebbed and flowed within her mind.

Selfish she was to think of herself as her mother laid weeping.

A selfishness that had bloomed from love.

Why are you crying?

It was like the first note of a sweet symphony. Played by a clarinet, perhaps, or an English horn. Maegi turned to see Anansi standing there, gazing at her in query. She hiccuped as she tried to compose herself, quelling the sobs. If she were human, she'd be hastily wiping away trails of mascara, dark rivulets against her pale cheekbones.

Ñuha tresy, she whispered, rising to her paws and hobbling toward the pale boy, her voice suffused with some relief. Then she saw Sakhmet, and beckoned the girl close, too, with a trembling dip of her muzzle. Ñuha tala. If they'd allow, she would gather them both close, as tightly as she could given her small, slight frame.

Where is Sobek? Maegi breathed, still trembling. I haven't seen him in so long, and his scent has g-gone stale. . . Where has he gone? Do you know? If anyone were to have any idea of the youngster's whereabouts, it would be his siblings. But perhaps they weren't as close as she and her brothers had been. . .

To be as close as Maegi and her brothers had been required no small amount of neglect and abuse to drive them together; Anansi felt close to his siblings, but couldn't begin to understand the tight bond ena had had with hers. He couldn't even understand the twin bond that Sobek and Sakhmet shared, or at least he thought they did. He was something of an outcast in his own family, unable to feel these bonds of love as strongly as the others ... not that he would ever admit to it.

The answer, therefore, was a simple, no, as he stepped closer and was swept into Maegi's embrace, pulled in next to Sakhmet, whose chin he offered a gentle nudge of his nose. Sobek went where Sobek pleased. Anansi's brother was a wild entity, free as a stallion on the great plain of life. Perhaps the daedra had plans for him and had summoned a wind to carry him away to fulfill them. Somehow, he knew ena wouldn't appreciate that explanation.

Her body moved without her mind's command, swept into the frame on Maegi. Although she was buried into her mother's comforting form it was her brother's touch that grounded her in the moment. Perhaps she had the bond that most twins had with Sobek, but she could not fathom the woods without her ghost. Unwavering and ever present. She could only see him as strong. Even in this moment when loss was among them. If allowed, she would aim to brush her nose through his fur. She needed to know he was real — that he was here with them.

No. The simple answer, the same Anansi gave, tumbled from her lips. It was all she could muster.

Two "no"s, and her heart split down the middle. She choked back another sob, a hitch in her breath, and bowed her head, eyes closed tightly shut. What to do, now? She couldn't just let this disappearance go unanswered, could she?

No.

I need to find him, Maegi said firmly, then lifted her muzzle and opened her eyes, staring at her pair of present children. Will you help me look? she asked solemnly. They had grown so fast, but they were still small. . .were they ready? It means going outside the forest. Do you want to go with me to look?

Maybe it was time. They needed to know that Blackfeather was only a dark blotch on the map of the world, and other places were more different than they were similar.

Anansi closed his eyes and crooned low in his throat when Sakhmet's nose glided through his fur, sending a pleasant shiver down his back. For just that second or two, he took comfort from his sister and nearly forgot about their missing brother. Maegi's sob returned him to reality. Tilting his muzzle up and drawing his dark brows down, the boy reached out to touch their adoptive mother's snout at the corner of her mouth, then pulled away.

I need to find him, said Maegi. Anansi nodded, agreeing completely. Sobek was wild at heart, untamed, and likely would break their ena's heart in various ways throughout their childhood, but being family, they could never leave him out there by himself. Blood stuck together, and there was no forsaking them.

Yes, said Anansi, who was not bothered by the prospect of leaving the forest. Unlike many Melonii before him, he didn't feel any particular attachment to the place besides believing that it belonged entirely to Maegi and her family, while others were simply fortunate that they were permitted to stay. The prospect of a trip was far more exciting than leaving the woods was frightening.

"Do you want to go with me to look?"

"Yes."

It seemed her answer had been decided before she had even uttered a word. She could not fathom being left behind or, heaven forbid, something happening to her family without her being there for them. Of course. She was nervous about the things that laid outside of the woods but she was not scared. As much as she adored the woods and caves she called home, a part of her yearned to know what laid beyond. What was the unknown hiding from them? Perhaps they could find joy or excitement on such a somber trip.

Easy enough to settle; Maegi sighed with relief, the grief that had clouded her face dissipating somewhat, like clouds after a tremendous storm. She had two children still with her, and with any luck, a third back in her arms soon. And they would be all together, and remain together.

That was all she wanted. That was all she could ask for.

We'll leave in a day or two, she said decisively, nodding. We won't be gone for long, I promise. They would be back within the shadows before they knew it. It was a vow meant not only to soothe her children but herself as well; she was loath to leave Blackfeather at this time, even under the circumstances.

That being said, not looking for Sobek was not an option—and three pairs of eyes were better than one. She rose shakily to her paws and gave Anansi and Sakhmet a watery smile, sniffling. Come, tell me about all of your recent adventures, she offered, striving for some levity. Maybe we'll be able to find some exciting things on the road.

last post from me -- feel free to post once more; i'll archive in a few days. <3

There were no adventures to tell of, unfortunately. Anansi's life followed a carefully structured routine that often resulted in him watching the tree for great lengths of time, trying to work out exactly how its poison functioned and how it could be used to his advantage. The rest of his time was spent skulking about the woods, shying away from adult strangers and peering across long distances at the other children, whom he rarely engaged. One could say it was a lonely life, but Anansi was simply an extreme introvert.

One whose cogs were always churning, thinking of ways to gain the upper hand when he did have to come face-to-face with others, but nevertheless one who was shy. So as he followed ena, he allowed Sakhmet to be the one to share her adventures, listening eagerly but having nothing of his own to contribute.