Stone Circle I took the stars from our eyes, and then I made a map

the matriarch pauses at the familiar borders, taking a moment to ensure @Juniper and @Winter know to remain close, and reminding them lightly of their manners (though her gaze remains on her daughter as she stresses being polite). planting a kiss on her son's forehead, and nudging her daughter lovingly, she straightens, calling for @Valette and @Alsek. 

it's been a while since she'd last visited the borders of their allies; a visit is long overdue. she does not fault the boy for wanting to come here, but is intent on making sure he's happy here — her visit to kaistleoki has made her more concerned for members of her family, blood or not, that remain scattered throughout the wilds. there is more on her minds, questions she means to ask, more places she ought to visit. but for now, her focus is on easthollow's matriarch and the boy she'd taken into her pack.

the fledgling left his lavender behind and made his way toward the border, eager to answer the call. there were whitebark wolves there (three of them!) and though his sister wasn’t present, he couldn’t help but feel excited. bouncing toward where dawn stood, alsek called, hi, dawn! there was a wide smile on his face shared with each of her children whom he greeted appropriately — hi, juniper and winter. — before asking, where’s artyom and pele?

a moment passed, one not quite long enough for anyone to have squeezed a response, and alsek continued speaking. sorry for not coming back. we were gonna come visit but easthollow is so much fun. that’s what this place is called! and the stones, that’s why they call it stone circle. at that point, he was moreso explaining things to his peers than his once leader, trying to fill the silence before the matriarch arrived.

The idea of seeing a world beyond Whitebark roused both excitement and uncertainty in the boy. He was eager to explore, naturally, but he didn't particularly want to leave Отец and his siblings behind. What if they were gone by the time he came home? His mother's initial demeanor suggested that their return would not be before nightfall, and her fond farewell to the other half of their family solidified his concerns.

He was quick to warm to the adventure, however, and each sliver of anxpiety was swiftly replaced by fresh enthusiasm with each discovery of new sights and scents. They would be fine, the boy decided at last - Storm, Frost and their father would eagerly await their reunion.

Staying close to матушка, Winter felt rather fatigued as she sent a call skyward to attract the attention of others. He settled to wait, just as his dam suggested with her body language, though he was quick to find his paws again as a familiar sight came into view. His tail swung to life and wagged rapidly at his rear; Alsek was not a boy he'd known particularly well, but he recognised him and was a welcome sight.

"Hi hi!" Winter swept forward to meet the other youngster, aandmoved to sniff enthusiastically at the new aroma that clung to his dark pelage.

Valette had recognized Dawn's howl. She had known the girl for so long now that she was familiar with her voice. The matriarch made her way to the border, where she found not only Dawn but also two others with her. They were younger. Did Dawn had pups this year? She had no idea! Valette approached with a friendly trot before stopping next to Alsek. She greeted him with a motherly nudge.

"Hi Dawn," she greeted. "Who did you bring with you?," she asked. Valette had not been aware that Alsek had come from her pack. It had not been brought up yet. It was good to see her doing so well, which probably meant her pack was doing well as well. Even though Valette was friendly and chipper, there was tiredness resting over her that she couldn't really hide. Lots had happened lately.

juniper was taking uncharacteristically good care of the rules laid out by her mother. she remained close, almost stiff, even though her legs bound to unfurl and launch her off into an adventure. she'd seen dozens of things worth investigating the way here; yet she'd remained close by her mother's side. were it not for the exhaustion brought on by the long journey, she'd be practically vibration with pent up energy. 

her tail began to wag when a familiar dark shape crested the rise before them. "hiya alsek!" she calls, following a beat after her brother to greet the boy enthusiastically. she's prepared to answer his question before suddenly he offers new information about this place that has the answer fade from her tongue just as fast. she glances over his shoulder, but from where they stand, the stone he mentions are hidden from view. behind him instead approaches another wolf, this one an adult. "can you climb 'em?" she asks, picturing some of the boulders that edge the riverbank, only, perhaps, a little bigger. climbability is a very important aspect of any stone.

smile curves her muzzle at the approach of alsek, a quick once-over ensuring he is healthy and seemingly growing well. there was a sting that came in knowing that he'd left them, though understood how the deaths of his parents might have driven him here. still, she knew she'd failed the duo, one more than the other. 

her heart seizes a moment when he asked of Pele — how could he not know? he left around the same time she'd vanished, yes, but had none told him before now? the approach of the matriarch brings her a moment's pause, dipping her muzzle in greeting. "it's good to see you, Valette." she summons a dampened smile as she gestures first to her son, and then her daughter. "my children; winter, and juniper. their siblings are back at the stream with artyom," she explains. she wonders where the matriarch's children are off too, but does not move to ask. she assumes valette's had a new litter this year, as with all those previously, but knows better than to do so aloud. 

"I was hoping to talk with you, and check on alsek," her gaze falls on the boy, and she moves to address him now. "alsek — your sister, she vanished a few weeks ago. I'm so sorry; we tried, but we couldn't find her." she could offer hope - she might find her way back, she was smart and could be fine, but she can't. just as with surya's disappearance, she could not bear to offer false hope. similar tiredness rings valette; one she does not miss despite the easy amiability of the leader. it is something she wants to ask about, but her attention now remains on the boy who's just learned that the last trace of his immediate family has vanished.

it was times like this where the girl wished she could just launch her chin to the sky and demand that the world simply fuck off and that in the face of such vehemence it would be forced to comply. but redoubtable forces cared little for the mewling of dejected vermin and so polaris did not scream her furies, did not curse at this near constant injustice snapping at their heels as she reached the little gathering just in time to hear the silver woman deliver her blow. alsek's sister, her sister, papa's daughter; gone. and there is a selfish needle that stabs at her heart, an irrational anger at she who provided this knowledge for the sole reason of what it would do to alsek. grief had only just began to loosen its greedy hold upon her heart and now...it was poised to latch upon poor alsek. and she couldn't...he didn't deserve any of this!! and she? her mind writhed and mourned that she would be put in a position of holding the hand of pain once more, even if only to help another escape it. how bloody selfish of her. 

jaw is clenched as she realises she has hastily stilled a few lengths from them upon hearing the words to loiter the air and with effort, spurs herself to motion to finish the approach and linger daintily at alsek's side as rounded eyes pressed upon the visitors. it is with surprise that she notices the sprightly girl she'd met only very recently and somehow, from where shock had warded off some of her self from steeled devastation, she drew up a weak smile of noted recognition. it falls slack as she focuses once more upon who she presumes must be their mother. she needs to say something but, what? what on earth could her tongue spin free that would do a damn thing, pele would still be gone and alsek's heart would still be assaulted. her tail whips anxiously at her hocks as she turns to the blackbird, ears leaning against her head as she wordlessly attempted to press herself to his side. she should say something, she really should but right now eyes sought only for her brother.

there were suddenly several wolves standing beside the border, but alsek couldn’t complain; he enjoyed the company of familiar faces because it meant more ears to be entertained. while the adults held their conversation, he continued explaining the intricacies of easthollow’s territory to the kids, using his best technique to make it seem more interesting.

the first moment of silence, alsek opened his mouth to ask: are you guys going to sleepover? that way, he would have more time to spend with juniper and winter, and they could actually go explore something without the adults around. 

actually, he corrected himself, can i stay over with you guys? if he went with them to whitebark, he could see artyom, germanicus, satya, and-

vanished?

alsek stopped talking. he took complete pause, in fact, moving only to settle himself beside polaris. what did dawn mean, vanished? as in, gone and never coming back; as in, gone like their parents? is she going to be in my dreams, too? he whispered to pola, hoping that her answer might be an immediate ‘no’ so that some relief might come of this conversation.

still, he wasn’t hopeful. the drunkenness of extended sleep deprivation and consequential exhaustion kept him from feeling most of the pain to come, but not all of it. he turned his face away from dawn, from her children, and from valette to hide his swelling tears.

"Woah," he answered, awed by Alsek's explanation of what Easthollow had to offer, and his dark ears pricked at the suggestion of a sleepover. He'd never had one if those before, but it sounded pretty self-explanatory. "Yeah!" Winter chirped immediately in response, and wheeled to face his mother, "can we, can we, can we!?"

The other youngster went on to reconsider this, and instead requested that he have a sleepover with them. That sounded pretty awesome, too! Maybe they could take turns having sleepovers with both packs! Winter beamed, happy with this consideration but as he turned his bright gaze once more to regard матушка, eveveryone's mood seemed to dampen all of a sudden.

Pele. The sad girl who his father had brought home, who'd stayed with them for a little while. Winter hadn't been close to Alsek's sister and her absence had confused him, but he'd barely thought about her since her disappearance. His parents had been pretty good at making their worry over the lost child, thus their own brood appeared rather unaffected. Still, he could sense the sorrow that spawned from his dam's words and he quieted, looked with silent concern in Juniper's direction to see what she made of it all.

Valette looked over the children and then dipped her head in greeting to them. It seemed that Dawn did have a litter. Good for her, but deep down Valette could feel a little jealous. She quickly tried to push it down, because that ugly emotion had gotten her in a lot of trouble with Arlette. Something she was still trying to fix if she was ever able to fix it. "Hello, Winter and Juniper," she greeted with a soft smile. "It is nice to see them," she added. Then Dawn turned to Alsek.

Polaris arrived as well, and Valette greeted her. She looked from the pups, who had such a playful and excitable interaction before, now grow sadder, especially Alsek. She appreciated Dawn being honest with the young boy, still, it was never a happy moment to see. She realized that this news would also affect Polaris who had already gone through so much. Valette nudged them both to tell them she was here for comfort. Valette also connected the dots that Polaris her family had a connection to Dawn's pack. "Hopefully they will find their way back to your pack, Dawn," she spoke then. To then look over Alsek and Polaris again. Such a pity.

valette greets her and her brother by name, and juniper offers a beaming smile. she's drawn back toward alsek when he mentions a sleep-over, and her tail lashes excitedly behind her. chiming in alongside her brother, the girl offers an excited, "please, матушка​? can we pretty please!?" 

abruptly, however, the mood shifts. her mother moves to talk to Alsek, and she is reminded on the pup that had been one of their littermates for a short while -- juniper had grown to be fond of Pele, in the short time before she'd vanished. gaze shifts to her brother's as he looks to hers, features rimed with uncertainty. something feels funny in her chest, and her tongue slips over her lips in nervousness. her silence feels wrong, as alsek turns away from them all. taking a few careful steps forward, Juniper tries, "sometimes I go on adventures and I don't always tell everyone all the time and maybe they think I've gone away but I come back! maybe Pele -- Pele's just an a 'venture too maybe, and, um," she falters, gaze shifting back to her brother, and then to her mother. too fast, too loud, words falling over each other and not at all expressing the funny feeling in her chest.

so sorry for the wait! I thought I'd replied to this one ages ago

"we won't stop looking for her," she promised, but it was all she could offer the boy. she longed to comfort him, to reach out and embrace him — but the pale girl already tended to him, and she had to remind herself it wasn't her place, not anymore. he'd been dealt a terrible hand at such a young age; she could not imagine losing all that she had before her fifth month. "and whitebark's borders will always be open to you, alsek." she'd cared for him as if he were one of her own, if only for a short time.

she swallows, and looks back to valette. "another of ours has gone missing, a few weeks back. his name is surya - about medium height, brown and cream. has he passed through here, perhaps?" any tidbit of information would satisfy the unrest that swirled in her chest; this disappearance, sudden and without any clear trail, the boy himself vaguely familiar in ways she did not want to analyze — seemed an echo of the past, and she was not going to allow herself another failure.

yeah, they all went on adventures, but this was different. all this time, pele had been his main concern with making the move to easthollow. and now, she was just.. gone? in alsek’s mind, this was a hurt none of them could understand.

dawn, though, she explained that whitebark would still welcome him, which did bring some comfort. it meant that he could go back to where his parents’ bodies rested to perhaps mourn when the time came; when he was finally ready.

for now, he would cling to polaris and valette, completely detached from their conversation.

skip him!