Northstar Vale I don't mean to be guarded, I don't mean to be rude

The cooler air, and the small misting rain fell atop his pelt, and despite that it was colder than usual. Reyson found a cleansing freshness in the way it fell upon him in small icy waves. There was much to be going on and his brain was still in overdrive, but it was slowing.

He found the nearest tree and with a loud huff, he hit the dirt and stretched out. The canopy of leaves blocking the rain from falling atop him, and the ground slowly warmed with his body temperature. He pressed his toes forward, stretched out completely, making a soft grunt when he back and shoulders and the rest of his beaten battered body cracked like a glow stick (not that he would know what this is, but danni does it works)

Then he lay still with eyes at half mast, enjoying the day.

Beneath a tree, in the dirt, there was a large ginger wolf with many battle scars upon his body.

Antigone watched from a short distance. His eyes were fixed on the man, the way his muscles moved, the way he stretched himself out in the dirt. The young man was uncomfortable by the ability. He wasn’t fond of dirt, of grime, or mess. He saw no reason for this behemoth of a wolf to take peace in the earth upon his belly, messing his coat. Antigone’s tongue felt dry and heavy in his mouth.

The young wolf drew nearer to the man. He kept a reasonable distance. There were some similarities with his father. Arsenio was handsome, though. This man was… not.

Who are you? the young Galanis asked sharply of the peace-seeker.

A noise nearby and Reyson immediately lifted his head, and looked around. Big blue eyes staring and assessing. There was a youngling nearby.

Tan body with red hood. And Reyson shifted and moved to standing then settled on his haunches. He was at a disadvantage laying down like that. And even though he doubted the youth would do anything. He also couldn't quite kill the years of training at the back of his mind.


I'm Reyson Ebonywood. Arche Arsenio allowed me entry a few days ago. Was his answer.

He would offer no more if the child didn't. There was such a thing as respectful kindness and thus far this youth didn't have it, but he was new in the territory and he couldn't blame him, so he'd just wait. Not to mention he wasn't sure what else to say.

Like usual, her immediate response was to seek her brother out at the appearance of boredom. He was always busy it seemed, joining in on his antics always kept her entertained. He wasn't alone this time, staring from a distance she slowly approached, a blank stare fixed on large wolf settled into the ground. She heard his words, ears perked as he spoke his name and the mention of her father.

❝Are apart of Epoch now?❞ She quipped into the conversation, oblivious to whether or not she was welcome into the conversation.

Their father had let this man in?

Antigone looked to his sister with gaunt features. Zulema asked if this Reyson man was part of their home, now. The young, red-hooded wolf didn’t want to imagine that their father had let such a dangerous man into their home. His appearance suggested that he had seen the worse end of more than a few fights. Wouldn’t that be a risk to Epoch?

Unsettled by the news, Antigone clapped his mouth shut and waited to hear what Reyson would say in response to Zulema’s query.

The dark blue of his eyes traced the lines in the man’s fur. He almost looked like a monster. Antigone planned to ask Meadow about how to treat such wounds, later.

The young wolf stared at him and then there was another. And Reyson was unsure what to do or what to say, but he would try. He nodded at her inquiry.

Yes I am a retired soldier. I've been accepted into your home. I'm Reyson if you didn't hear me telling your sibling.

He offered a small smile. Unsure in his movements. He knew that his scars were not the prettiest things. And he imagined quite frightening to younglings. He briefly wondered if he and Meadow had children if his features would scare them, or would they grow accustomed to it?

❝A soldier?❞ Zulema's blank expression shifted to a rather excited one.

She had forgot all about manners. A welcome was lost on her tongue as curiosity had taken over instead. Her tail swung behind her a steady pace. Perhaps it was a cliche thing for the young wolf to be interested in, but her eyes traced over the scars that spanned across his body. She wondered who had left them, how intense the situations must have been? What did the wolves on the wrong end of Reyson look like?

A soldier? Zulema asked.

Of course this monstrous man was a soldier. Antigone’s dark eyes were shrewd upon him. He was a stranger who claimed to have been accepted into their home. The boy’s sister did not seem too bothered by his presence or the sight of his ghastly scars. Antigone could not say that he felt the same. The features of this soldier – Reyson – made his skin crawl.

Antigone, he offered his name coldly to the man. The red-hooded boy stepped closer to his sister in hopes that her familiarity would soothe his ruffled feathers.

He gave a soft nod, with a sharp toothed smile. Yes miss. A soldier.

She gazed at his scars and he let her didn't bother him much. he was used to them by now. And every wolf that had given him one, if it wasn't a spar, they were were probably dead. The lynx that gave him over his eye was, so was the porcupine.

The boy though. He already felt the coldness from him, and it irked a little, but he didn't outwardly show it. Just returned the boys sharp cruel gaze. And then with a wave of his tail, he stood.

Excuse me. I think i'll go see about a patrol.

The girl felt the air shift as Antigone had found a place beside her, noticing the cold gaze from Reyson. Zulema knew it wasn't directed at her, but she leaned against her brother as the man had excused himself. She was fascinated at first, but her brother's discomfort wasn't unnoticed by Zulema.

❝You okay?❞ She asked Antigone when she assumed Reyson was out of earshot.

Perhaps there was something hooded boy beside her was thinking on that did not cross her mind. She continued to watch the beastly man until he was out of view, ears pressed forward.

The soldier excused himself with a gruff voice. Antigone watched the scarred beast turn and prowl away to tend to… whatever might need tending. He could not imagine there was much that Reyson could do other than throw his weight around.

He makes me feel sick, Antigone admitted to Zulema. The ice on the edge of his voice gave insight to the obsessive discomfort that wriggled in his belly. He couldn’t stop seeing the markings on Reyson’s flesh. He couldn’t stop picturing the pale pink of his body’s mutilation and how it had transformed him into a walking monster. Bile rose in the back of his throat.

She nodded, continuing to stare at the behemoth until he was out of view. Zulema thought back to how often Antigone would be around the man, Reyson was apart of Epoch now. It worried her, the stress that would fall on her brother. The initial fascination did not matter now to her now.

❝Let's go do something else.❞ Whatever would settle boy they would do.

She moved and stopped to look at Antigone, attempting to beckon him away.

Zulema was perceptive and careful with her suggestion. It wasn’t something that Antigone would recognize, in that moment. His feelings of disgust and discomfort were too overwhelming. The red-hooded boy couldn’t help but think of the man’s disfigured scars and mutilated flesh. He couldn’t fathom having pride in such a thing, such a hideous thing.

Alright. Let’s go find berries to stock in the medicine den, the boy suggested. His navy stare was still fixed on the place where Reyson had disappeared. His chest was tight and heavy. When Antigone turned away from the place where they’d met the soldier, he released a breath and walked with his sister into the shadows of the vale.