The Bracken Woods There will come a soldier,

tags for references.

The trio of Célnes, @Cenric, and @Fréobearn stayed near a waterbank the found in the forest. They were wounded from the fires of their home, and the long journey they all took to find each other. She hadn't had a good sleep in ages, as the elk travelled for days to end in these wilds. She was alone however, and now that she was at peace with finding her brother and sister, the nightmares were slowly fading. But not completely. Not until they find @Kendrick.

She felt rejuvinated, while her sides still had burns, her fur was starting to recover, and hide what had happened. Occasionally she would wonder around, calling out for her little brother in hope he would come. She continued wishing, and praying to the High Elk he would still be alive, and soon would be reconnected with them all.

But, neither did she see any of the High Elk's apostles, or her brother.

Célnes assumed because the rest of them found each other in these woods, perhaps he would come to. It was unnerving however, how unfamiliar it all was. They were as large as their previous home, Kingsled, yet it wasn't. It was unwelcoming, bristled all around and cold to the core. She wanted to move on eventually, but not without him.

you shouldn’t wander, she called. freóbearn stepped away from the thorny rose bush, her mouth full of blooms, and began walking toward célnes. your wounds need time to heal, which they cannot do if you won’t allow it. she’d since dropped her collection of buds for favor of speaking, though tiny cuts around her mouth still left her decorated with red.

kendrick still hadn’t returned. they all knew of his continued absence, so freó avoided mentioning it, despite its painful presence at the forefront of her mind. instead, are you in pain? cénric’s regimen could be adjusted, if need be; luckily, most of their injuries were focused on the surface.

"It's fine," the elken woman coo'd to her sister and smiled, "I'm taking it easy." Her sides were more painful due to the fact she simply ignored it, and walked for miles without rest, without water, and a mind of tension. Now there was ease knowing some had escaped the fire, and gained a proper rest in the last few days. The fur was already starting to return to her side, but there was still the marks that remained. 

"I'm alright, how have you been? I know you miss Kendrick." The triad were all siblings, but they were of different litters. @Cenric and Célnes were the eldest, only two amongst their litter. Though she couldn't say they were exactly close, but siblings nontheless. She always felt he kept an arms-length away from them all. 

Then following a while after, their parents gave birth to another two, a similar pair to them. The largest difference was the eldest were of dark terms, while the youngest remained on the light tones. She expected the two were closer. All were siblings, but there was still a generation gap.

she grazed gently against her sister’s shoulder, being careful to avoid any open or irritated wounds. you’ll never heal, she scolded, which is an inconvenience to me, because it means i’ll never have a break. fréobearn enjoyed her trade; domestic pastimes, such as healing the hurt, were her connection to a femininity otherwise easily lost.

fréo sighed an exhale, using the temporary silence to compose her thoughts. kendrick still hadn’t returned to them, and despite her praying that he was alive, she knew that there was a chance he— i’ve prayed for him. that helps.

to avoid dwelling on the topic, fréobearn tried to shift their conversation. what are your plans for today? i’m assuming it isn’t anything too strenuous, since you’re ‘taking it easy’. she twisted her ears for air quotes and rolled her eyes, trying to make the sarcasm more obvious.

"You should look after yourself as well." She did not the extent of her brothers wounds, but Célnes had only prominant burn marks on her sides. Perhaps it was due to her dashing through the fire, as the blaze was throwing itself around. Her face and the rest, in-tact, but she was still weakened. A smile upon her face, but a glance to Fréobearn's, now gone tail. Perhaps she has suffered the most.

"We haven't seen any signs of the High Elk- surely he had moved from Kingslend." The god with a thousand antlers, their diety, and their savior. He who provides a bountiful land for the wolves to hunt, and the prey to be fruitful. The whole family had left, and since the forest was a blaze, and now of ashes, surely he too, gone.

They would need to search, then sylph thought.

"Not too much today. You know what Cenric is up to?" She asked.

you should look after yourself as well. — there isn’t any time, fréobearn laughed, but i appreciate your concern. her external wounds were well into the healing process, and her inner trauma was surely close behind.

célnes’s comment about the high elk’s migration brought a nod of agreement. all of this, the destruction of kingslend, could have only been for the purpose of leading his people to a better path. 

and as for cenric, i’m not sure. fréo’s opinion of her brother was one ever-changing, today being one on which she didn’t necessarily want to see him. is there anything you want to do? she asked, not wanting to sidetrack the conversation too much.

"It's important the doctor cherishes herself." She also wished her sister to simply treat herself before them, as she was the youngest, and needed it the most. Not to mention she thought a doctor not caring for her own being was comical, because what would happen if she was far more injured then them? Neither of elder siblings knew of healing ways.

Their brother always tended to be isolated- but she supposed wasn't different. Célnes  enjoyed her time of wandering and exploring, but she had a sociable touch, "Perhaps we should explore the forest a bit. Maybe see any signs of our wolves." Even if they could not find Kendrick, perhaps any else from the Déorwine family could be around.

fréobearn grinned and lifted her snout to sniff the air. i’m not opposed, she replied, then began leading the pair toward the east. while célnes enjoyed the scenery, fréo would be actively looking for herb patches which she might forage from at another time.

she turned to her older sister, raising an eyebrow to ask, so, you’ve been socializing? what are these wolves like? fréobearn couldn’t imagine how different it might be from their home, but hoped that some similarities might persist.

She followed, feeling the sunlight breezed against her smoldering pelt, while silently watching her sister look into the herbs. It gave a refresher to what once was, but this wasn't home, and she didn't want this cold place to be, "well," Célnes started, "I haven't seen anyone yet. But, I imagine they would not be Déorwine." 

The biggest characteristic for their family was the brown, warm and chocolate pelts. They came in light and dark shades, but rarely did any stray too far from it. She remembered those who were of completely different shades who tried for the initiation, was turned away.

"These lands will be much different then our own."

fréobearn glanced at her sister from a lowered side-view, then nodded her head in agreement. it makes me uncomfortable, she admitted with a sigh, knowing that our homeland has been destroyed. remembering was no longer painful, but the wound ached with remnants of grief.

moreover, and praying, without knowing where he is, it feels incomplete. wherever the high elk grazed, it was far from this land, and she could feel the distance growing. but, we still have each other. i’m grateful for that. soon, she prayed kendrick would return, too.

The comfort of home had been lost, but so has the secrets she kept within there. It was unfortunate, especially with how large their family was the forest they lived in- she couldn't imagine how many got away, and how many have fallen. There wasn't tears shed, or a grand sorrow toward what had been done.. Only, reminiscent.

"We will find a new home, a place where the High Elk graced us. And we will leave, together."

wrap?

hopefully, célnes was correct. the déorwine wolves were not meant to roam these lands, which each of the siblings knew, and while fréobearn would have preferred they try their luck elsewhere, she understood her sister’s need for rest. 

with a nod, she continued walking in silence, content to contemplate these things alone.