King Elk Forest taught him a lesson he wouldn’t forget

Cenric spent most of his days wandering the kingdom by himself. It’s a fact—a flaw he’d dare say—he did not take pride in. He’s never had trouble in social situations, but he never sought out to enage in them. It’s a habit that’s stuck with him since his youth, a habit that needed to be broken. Cenric was a king now, and a king must know his subjects.

He searched the forest for any sign of their youngest member. His sister had told him about @Kiyoshi, but they’d yet to be properly introduced.

Kiyoshi and Cenric shared that solitary tendency. The young boy had spent most of his time within Kingslend on the edges of the claim. His eyes were trained for any sight of Toshi, the Draconid boy had marked areas that had become familiar to him. He felt he knew the borders of the pack well, but not all of its members. The lady of the land had been his primary companion and he appreciated how welcoming she had been. The other members were left up to chance. 

Luck found the boy that day, as his nose caught the scent of Cenric. He turned his sights just in time to see the older male step into the picture. Kiyoshi frowned thoughtfully, knowing he had not met this male before but curious as to his role within the pack. Hello, he stated plainly.

He found the boy along the outskirts of the territory, staring out at the land beyond their realm. Cenric wondered what he was looking at, if anything. His eyes followed the boy’s gaze as he approached, but returned to his face when the King was acknowledged.

Hello, he returned with a dip of his head. You must be Kiyoshi. Another name that sounded strange on the tongue. My sister’s told me about you.

The voice of the male was unfamiliar too, and Kiyoshi knew that he had never crossed paths with this earthy wolf of the forest. There were certain similarities that could be noted between Cenric and the lady Deorwine who had taken the boy in. He wondered if they were related in some way – if the male at his side could understand why he spent most of his days on the edges of Kingslend in search of the bouncing figure of his younger brother.
 
“I am Kiyoshi Draconid, yes,” the child confirmed to him with a stoic nod of his young head. Young as he was, Kiyoshi had grown considerably in his time in the forest. He was already seven months old and growing quickly into his adult frame. “Is your sister the lady Deorwine?” he inquired, fixing his burgundy stare on the tall frame of the male beside him.

There’s a distinct maturity he recognized within the boy. It’s seen by the way he held himself and the way he spoke. Nothing like the bubbly Primrose, he noted with relief. His mother must’ve raised him well.

Célnes? Ah, yes she is, he replied. We rule this land together. Surely he knew that already.

On a different note: Might I ask what you’re doing out here?

The earthy male wanted to know what Kiyoshi was doing out there. The boy's brow creased slightly at the center. Warm burgundy eyes traveled to the male's face to study for just a moment. It had been a considerable amount of time since he had last seen his brother, but after days and days of search... it had become habit. Seeking a sign of Toshi was part of his everyday life. 

I am looking for my brother Toshi. He has been missing for months now, the stoic responded in his even tones, a thin-lipped expression having found its way onto his face.

Brother you say? Célnes never mentioned the boy having a brother. If she did he had forgotten (a rare occurrence indeed). Despite that Cenric says, Oh yes, I believe I’ve met him a few months back. He was almost certain of it. How could he forget that obnoxious little boy who hollared at the meeting? The two were similar in appearance, but not in personality. Thank the High Elk for that. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen him since.

Have you found any sign of him?

“I haven’t. I’ll show you the places I’ve searched if you will follow,” the boy answered and then offered with a small nod of his head.
 
Kiyoshi did not wait to see if Cenric would trail after him. He set his sights toward his usual course and started his journey. The habit of tracing the borders had been one that he had grown into, but it had turned into a staple in his life. He only wished that his work would reap more reward. All that time and he still hadn’t caught any signs of his brother. He hoped that wherever Toshi was, he was safe.