Dragoncrest Cliffs It's like some part of his heart has gone missing

sorry for any double tags

The minutes turned into hours, and the hours into days and he and @Suzu walked. He already missed rivenwood and @Druid and @Anselm.

He was still so messed up about @Heda and he hated the jealous feeling, it was most unbecoming. He also knew that this would possibly hurt Anselm more than anything he could do. But Anselm and Heda deserved a chance and Etienne.

Well he deserved a chance too. He deserved to find someone who actually loved him. Who didn't belittle and mock. Who was willing to tell anyone and everyone that etienne was loved passionately, fiercely, unconditionally. And Anselm had told him to leave. And for the first time he listened.

Etienne stared at the tall cliffs of home and the buzz of the ocean mere seconds away thrummed in his veins. Icy and frothy. She crashed against the shoreline, he could feel it. He lifted his paws and set them down in the rythmn that he heard, much like he'd done as a child.

There was a hesitancy as he reached the border line. It felt wrong to knowingly cross. When had he last been here to stay? How old had he been? @Chacal @Mireille

And he turned to look back the way they had come. How beautiful it was. He thought of sunset eyes and mountain born stubborness.

And he wondered if he could really ever let it go.

He lifted his nose to the sky and howled for whoever could hear him. Lyrical and beautiful, and achingly, achingly sad.

a voice sorrowed the high cliffs, drawing sapphique’s would-be guardian to its borders. 

a man; his physique thin yet athletic. were it not for suzu’s presence, sobeille would have received him coldly. 

she set silently near her sister’s flanks, gaze resting unflinchingly — and rather uncomfortably — on the man whose voice sounded so impossibly sad.

mireille cuddled @Jean-Heron, crooned over baby @Roux, nuzzled @Cheri, and sang a note to @Èlosie. @Shadess was beckoned closer, then @Lafayette, @Lucette surely not far off. @Jadou pranced nearby in scarlet shades, and mireille included him when she said, "now! be kind to your cousins! you cannae fight too much. one day you will inherit dis place, an' you must learn to live in trust wid one anot'er."
the obsidian left the den entire to @Svalinn and @Val. lucky men, she decided with an arch grin, before she spun and veritably raced to where etienne had called.
she dashed past sobeille, and threw her arms around him, and reached also for suzu; "t'ank de lwa dat you be home now, eti," mireille murmured, and then she craned her gaze toward her daughter; "sobeille! come an' meet your cousin etienne."

cameo'ing with chani <3

the girl sped after her aunt, but not before she left a bundle of fun rabbit-bone toys for the pups. so many of them! she leapt away before they could swarm her, mildly intimidated to see them gathered in one place.
etienne! she remembered his face even if their bond had not been so deep when he left; and came with waving tail and welcoming eyes, curious!

So this was one of his aunties babies who stared at him distrustfully and could he blame her? He was not only a stranger, but a man. They were no received well in his family unless born to it and even then.

He blinked golden eyes and titled an ear forward. Rocking backwards as his auntile engulfed him. He held her tightly.

'ello auntie.

He didn't tell her it was only temporary. He didn't say much of anything. He was tired. His heart hurt. He wanted to lay nesr the ocean and simply breathe.

But then his eyes cast over a sibling. He would know her dear face anywhere. Even if he had left as a youngling. He had carried her. Had watched her grow. Now look. A sharp stab to his chest.

Ello Sobeille and C'ani.

her maman's reception of the man was much warmer than sobeille anticipated. it was enough to singe off some of the frost-tips in her reception -- but not enough to melt the ice in her stare.

she licked her lips apprehensively, flicking her gaze to chani -- who like her, was curious but not too close. sobeille did not like to see her maman embraced by a man. touching a man.

the man spoke directly to her. 'ello, etienne. she parroted back, moving to stand alongside chani. maman had mentioned he was a cousin -- but who was his maman?

"your maman will be happy to see you. an' you have new brot'ers an' sisters, hmm? jean-heron, elosie, cheri, an' roux." chani piped then, lightly punching his shoulder, it will be good to have anot'er hunter! maman needs to eat a lot for t'ese ones, came the sisterly joke. "also, new cousins; jadou, shadess, an' de twins lafayette an' lucette."
something like hurt lay over etienne. "vini," she told him, told them all. "time to eat an' rest. you can tell us de rest after."

Etienne smiled sweetly at the mention of his maman. He would be happy to see her as well. But first he would need to calm his shaking limbs. And hold his heart a little closer.

He listened to the names of all his brothers and sisters. Unsure if he would remember without faces to names. So many. Did his mama even have room for him right now. Perhaps he would need to find a place to sleep away from her so he didn't disturb her.

HE nodded and followed behind his auntie with small steps. Keeping her in sight. Fiercely wanting ot grab her into a hug again and bury himself into her red furs and cry. He had missed home. He had missed family.