Silver Moraine Now your life is out of season

Everyone might hate him, but Atreus hated them all even more. He hated this entire place. When he’d told @Ancelin he would leave, it had been a bluff. But Atreus only grew saltier in retrospect and decided he would make good on his threat.

He made it as far as the moraine. Atreus dropped wearily to his haunches, his overworked muscles ticking despite the cool weather. Hunger pinched his belly. Regret rolled through him, though Atreus feared he was past the point of no return. Ancelin, @Aventus and Aunt @Avicus would never forgive him for this.

With no choice but to deal with the consequences of his own childish, spiteful actions, Atreus steeled himself and began crossing the treacherously rugged terain.

Tags are for reference to tell on myself.

I can delete this if you didn't want him found out!

The boys were 3 months old, and not a fraction as clever as they believed themselves to be.

Aventus had been taking advantage of his dark coat and his light build from a younger age even than his sons. He considered himself a master of stealth and spent much of his time watching either his sons or his packmates from hidden alcoves and shadowy corners. He was rarely noticed unless he wanted to be. Following Atreus beyond the borders was child's play.

He kept his distance and stuck to shadows and patches of tall grass, tailing his son from so far back that Atreus was a mere speck in the distance. The boy left a conspicuous trail in his wake so that even if Aventus could not see him, he could easily follow. He did this for some time, hoping that Ancelin remained back in pack territory, if only to ensure Atreus was not snatched up by some bird of prey or wandering coyote, though he grew less and less impressed with his son the further they went.

Eventually, Atreus stopped. Aventus approached smoothly then, his gait a rolling prowl on quiet paws, until the boy began to move once more. Where do you think you're going? he boomed, straightening up to stand tall and stern.

He didn’t get much further before his tired legs began to tremble and he was forced to stop again. Out of nowhere, Atreus was overcome by a desire for his mother. He could hardly remember Arielle and her face was abstract in his mind’s eye, yet he yearned powerfully for maternal comfort.

His father’s booming exclamation caught him entirely off guard, causing Atreus to jump. He stopped just short of cowering, turning to face the man… and the music. Perhaps it wasn’t too late to beg for forgiveness.

But Atreus was young and dumb, his tongue wagging before he could stop himself as he retorted, I’m running away! I’m going to find mom! As the words left his mouth, tears pricked his eyes, much to his angry embarrassment.

The kid had guts. Aventus had to give him that. He arched a brow at his son's explanation even as his chest pinched with guilt. Of course. Arielle's absence likely had a lot to do with Atreus' terrible attitude. He was not the warm, loving parent that his sons needed, and there was no one in the pack to Aventus' knowledge who could fill that role for them while she was away. There had been no comfort for Atreus following the situation with Masquerade.

He had only to think how much harder his childhood would have been without Astara to understand his son's wish to run away and find his mother.

I see, he said placidly, maintaining a stoic mask despite his inner turmoil. How he missed his mate. How he wished she was here to flourish as a parent where he always failed. And how do you intend to find her by yourself?

He was too busy swiping angrily at his damp eyes to worry about his father’s reaction, at least for a few seconds. But soon the creeping dread arrived. Atreus sucked in a breath, holding it, eyes bright and blinking.

But Aventus didn’t react the way Atreus expected. Rather than feel reassured by this, alarm bells started going off in the back of his mind. He was in very hot water right now, he suspected, only a degree or two away from boiling.

It was never more important for Atreus to say the right thing, but all he could manage was a lame, By… looking everywhere. Just like the last time, the act of speech itself seemed to trigger his tear ducts, which began leaking now in earnest.

Mmm, Aventus rumbled, giving the impression he was putting some serious thought into his son's ridiculous suggestion. He had a general idea of the direction Arielle had gone, but even Aventus had no hope of finding her with only that to guide him, and he was a fully grown wolf with experience traveling.

Sensing that his son would not respond well to being told "no" as opposed to coming to that conclusion himself, Aventus asked, and how far do you think everywhere goes?

Atreus didn’t know whether it was a good or bad thing that Aventus appeared to ignore his tears. He ached for comfort but loathed the thought of anyone being able to see that need so plainly. His skin flushed hot beneath his pelt. He felt exposed, vulnerable and weak, which in turn made him furious with himself.

He felt cornered by his own decisions and it was beginning to rile him. And like any trapped rat, it was only a matter of time before he lashed out, a desperate measure. He didn’t pose any real threat to Aventus, so Atreus was only a danger to himself.

Leave me alone! he spat childishly. Just leave me alone!

Evidently, allowing Atreus to work out how idiotic his plan was was not the best way to handle him, for he began to pitch a tantrum rather than using his brain.

Aventus' gaze hardened immediately, and he was flooded again with dislike for his own child. Was this his curse, then, to father children whose disrespect knew no bounds, whose wild blood could not be turned to productive pursuits? Atreus' temper had Merrick written all over it, when he was in the throes of his grief and madness. Aventus couldn't stand it.

Very well. Aventus' voice was cold. If you want to act like a baby then you will be treated like a baby, and will be placed under the direct supervision of an adult at all times. You will require a chaperone if you wish to leave the rendezvous. You will not so much as shit without someone watching you.

Or, he said, you can smarten up, come home now, and we can talk about what to do about your mother. Me, you, and your brother. The choice is yours.

He pinned the boy with a long look, then turned to leave. Atreus would follow or he wouldn't. Aventus had no interest in forcing the boy to do anything; it would only result in more insolence, and he was at his rope's end with his son's acting out. You will be home before dark either way, he warned over his shoulder, or else.

His father mocked him. Atreus flushed with humiliation, rage and an acute sense of despair in turns. His chest heaved and his skin tingled. He didn’t know whether he wanted to cry or yell. It didn’t matter. When he opened his mouth, he found his throat corked.

Aventus gave him some options, told him to make a choice, then turned and began walking toward the rise. Atreus’s mouth clapped shut and he gazed after the retreating man. He hated him. The last thing he wanted to do was follow him home.

But he was exhausted and weak. He hated to admit it but Atreus knew he wouldn’t make it out here by himself. And he knew he didn’t really have a choice. Fighting anger and shame with every step, he trudged after Aventus, always maintaining a short distance as they traipsed back toward the rise.

He wouldn’t have much to say about Arielle once they got there, because Atreus didn’t actually care about her specifically. All he wanted, deep down, was for someone to give a damn about him. But even Atreus himself couldn’t recognize it.