Swiftcurrent Creek let the rain wash away the pain

For @Bazi, @Scimitar, and maybe @Kieran (if you want.)

It had taken longer to get home than Kaskara had anticipated. The group that had left had gathered another member and the four wolves walked much slower on the return trip. Because of this, Kaskara had no spare time to look for a new land, though she wasn't sure they would want to leave now that Bazi was returning. The journey had taken nearly five days and Kas would be glad to finally rest her head on familiar soil. She knew that Falwasi, Kieran, and Bazi would be happy for that, as well.

When they reached the borders, Kaskara nuzzled Falwasi with a tired smile and bid her to rest. She also nuzzled Kieran, though only for a short moment, and welcomed him to stay, if he wanted. If he wanted to go rest, she would not hold that against him. Then she turned to Bazi and gave her a warm nudge, wondering how she felt about this. Getting here was hard enough, but seeing Scimitar again would bring both joy and pain for the white dove. Kas would be there for as long as her friend wanted, either to act as a buffer or a referee. Whatever Bazi needed, Kas would do.

After a moment, she lifted her muzzle to call for Scimitar. They were home, and he would need to meet them at the borders. She let the howl die down without mentioning Bazi. She wanted it to be a surprise, though she didn't know if that would be a good or bad one. Either way, she seated herself next to Bazi and waited for Scimitar's appearance.

Kieran had kept an eye out for land on the return trip. However, he wasn't sure entirely what to look for. So instead he merely kept track of what he was seeing and filed it away to speak with those who wanted to know later. He wasn't too concerned about leaving at the moment. One because they couldn't until spring now. Two because Bazi was home now and she may be against it.

Kieran took the nudge without comment and settled his body to it's haunches and he waited. Ever the guardian, he would not end the mission yet. He was here to see it to the end and that was just what he would do.

Kieran furrowed his brow as the howl rang out, but there was no mention of Bazi. He just shrugged assuming it was to be a surprise and then he waited quietly.

@Maera and @Njal - I assume it's OK for me to assume Bazi said goodbye, and that the SC wolves left before Tuwawi returned!

It hurt to leave the Glacier - mentally as much as physically. Bazi cried the entire way through her goodbye to @Maera, and was no more dignified when she bid the girl's father farewell.

Her parting words to Danica, the ones that had sounded so deliciously cruel at the time, tasted bitter. Whatever, Bazi shot back at the brain cells responsible whenever the thought returned to the surface. I apologized! There was nothing else she could do. Five days of travel separated her from the Duskfire wolves now, and it was likely that Danica had long since moved on to pastures new.

The journey itself was hard, to say the least. For five days, the four Swiftcurrent wolves trudged at the pace of the group's weakest link. Bazi hated bearing the title, though neither Falwasi nor Kieran, and certainly not Kaskara, ever chastised for for stumbling or stopping to rest. Her leg could bear weight, at least, and her fur was making a mercifully quick recovery. By journey's end, her rail thin frame was partially disguised by a fresh, downy coat of winter white.

By the time they reached the Swiftcurrent border, she owed them her life several times over. And still, after all of that, they remained to see her through the most difficult part of the entire journey: the reunion with Scimitar.

It was only when when they stopped walking that Bazi allowed herself to feel the weight of the moment. Her heart thundered in her chest, and she pressed herself close to Kaskara's warm body, waiting with bated breath for the howl to yield result.

I'm confused -- is Maera at the Creek..? Also.. Worst week of work ever + rising temperature. Pretty sure I'm crashing now that it's the weekend.. sorry that my post is crap.

Kaskara's howl resounded across the Creek, and relief flooded the male at the sound of her voice. With Paarthurnax's return and Shadow's looming presence, the tawny regal desired more bodies upon the border. That, and he had been waiting for their return to summon the pack together for another meeting -- the others could not be left out in the dark for long on the matter.

His strides were quick as he pulled himself up and moved to locate her without hesitance. He would give them a day to rest or so, and then they would need to formulate a plan. A small part of his mind nagged at him -- wondering if he was ready for whatever details would be provided to him with the original intentions he had sent his trio out -- but things had changed so much in the shorter time span they had been gone, that he could not dwell on those matters now.

Until they practically slapped him in the face with it. He came upon them, his jaws opening to utter a warm but urgent greeting, and as he made to close the distance between himself and his pack mates, his gaze fell upon her. It caused him to stop mid-stride -- for his jaw to snap shut with a sharp click once more and his muscles to tense.

He did not know for how long he stood, but he could not think of a single word to say to her. "I'm glad you're all back, safe and sound," he began carefully, his eyes scanning Falwasi and Kieran, before finally settling with question upon his sister.

I don't think she is. I have no idea why she posted here. Kas > Kieran > Bazi > Scim?

Kas felt Bazi settle beside her as Kieran did the same some distance away. The dark warrior was glad to have him there, though she knew that her brother would not need the presence of the protective Irishman to keep him at bay. Kas was certain Scimitar would not harm Bazi, whatever his personal thoughts or feelings were concerning her. Soon Scimitar appeared, and if the situation hadn't been so serious, his reaction would have been comical. He paused nearly mid-stride, his jaws opening to emit words, and yet he was silent for a long moment before he was finally able to speak. He was glad they were home, though he had said which wolves he was most glad to see. Kas would have smiled, but she knew her brother wouldn't appreciate it.

As his turquoise gaze settled on her, Kaskara felt the weight of the moment shift to her shoulders. Clearing her throat and standing, she nodded deeply to the alpha and motioned toward the small white creature beside her. "When we arrived, we were greeted by Danica and a wolf named Malachi, their current alpha." She would go into Tuwawi and Njal later. "He explained that Danica found Bazi half-starved only a few days prior. She had fallen down a ravine and broke her leg." Let him make of that what he would, but the evidence was clear. Though Bazi's coat had lost most of its yellow color, she was still weak and gaunt, a mere wraith of her former self. "We remained for a few days to allow her to gather strength, and when she was ready, we came home."

Kieran wasn't thinking to protect the girls at the moment. No he was just thinking that his job wasn't over yet. So he was staying until the end, until he was dismissed. It was the way he had been taught. You finish the mission no matter what.

Kieran was surprised at the reaction of Scimitar, but he supposed if he had assumed Kiva dead without knowing and then she shown up he would have been floored. Though he would have greeted her much more enthusiastically than the wolf before him did. Even if his beautiful Kiva had left and then came back, he would have been happy to see her, for Kieran loved her so much it hurt. But she was gone he had seen her cold dead body, had laid beside it for days. He shook his head quickly forcing himself to dispel the terrible images that danced in his mind's eye. So he waited patiently and watched the three in front of him.

Maera isn't participating, no - it's a "meanwhile.." post prompted by some assumptions I made.

When the moment was upon her, Bazi forgot how to breathe.

She stared wide-eyed at Scimitar, whose own gaze flickered past as if the very sight of her burned him. Bazi vaguely registered Kaskara's summary of events - sensed the anonymous swell of emotion in Kieran, that he shed with a brisk shake of his head.

Scimitar has nothing to say to her - probably because she thought her a deserter, or dead; both valid assumptions but neither one true. It irked Bazi that he did not address her. She wanted - needed some indication of what he was thinking.

Slowly, Bazi dettached herself from Kaskara, resting her weight uneasily on her own four paws. Watching Scimitar for any sign of, well.. anything, she took a shaky step towards him.

To say he was surprised would have been an understatement – and while one skim of his eyes over her petite frame was enough to indicate she had encountered trouble during her trip, the regal could not push himself to close the distance between them, to sweep her in to his embrace and erase the past months of pain she had left him in.

Because she had left. Against his wishes.. and without truly seeking his guidance or opinion on the matter. They had agreed to test the waters, and begin to court one another.. and then the next day she was gone, making it very clear where he had stood in her decision of importance.

She was home now, but that did not mean that life picked right back up where it left off. They would be pack mates – that was all he could muster now. She took a step toward him and his ear twitched, his own muscles tensing. He would have taken a step back, but caught himself before doing so, his eyes drifting back to Kaskara. “Kieran,” he finally uttered, deciding to move forward with his original plans. “I’m sure Bazi is tired. Perhaps you could take her to seek out Esperanza, the pack healer? Or to her old den.” There was a small pause as his bright eyes fell upon the rugged male. “I need to discuss something with Kaskara quickly – but a pack meeting will be held very shortly. Thank you for everything.”

With that, he waited for the brown cloaked wolf to escort the ivory female to a more restful place – the potential of Shadow’s lingering presence was the most forthright on his mind at the moment.. and he could not afford to explore the torn pieces of his heart just yet.

While she knew Scimitar would be slow to accept Bazi back into his heart, she had never expected him to be so cold toward her. Kas had half a mind to berate him right then and there, but his words to Kieran stopped her in her tracks. He needed to talk her? About what? She turned to Kieran and nodded, indicating that it was alright. Then she turned to Bazi and gave her cheek a gentle nudge. "I'll come check on you in a while. Bring you something to eat, hm?" Kas tried to give her a reassuring smile, but it faltered slightly on her lips.

She was worried about what her brother had to say to her. What could have gone wrong during their time away? The search party had been gone for a little over two weeks. Surely nothing drastic could have happened in that time. Kaskara looked back to Scimitar, her two-toned eyes searching his face for any indication of his intentions, but found his thoughts barred from her. Her tongue remained silent, however, as she waited for the others to leave, so her brother could speak plainly about what was troubling him, for clearly something weighed heavily upon his mind.

Kieran was actually disgusted with the way his leader acted, but he didn't show it. He wanted to say something to him, but knew it wasn't his place. He understood being heartbroken and upset, but it did not mean you could ignore the other wolf or speak for them. How did he know she was tired? Did he even ask no he just assumed, which she probably was, but it was beyond the point. A little bit of his respect for the leader went down a notch. He disliked those who were rude to a lady it just wasn't done. But he nodded regardless at both Kaskara and Scimitar.


"Wud yer loike ter cum wi' me miss bazi? git yer somethin' ter ayte an' a nice place ter den up yea?" He touched his muzzle gently to her shoulder, hoping to steer her away from all the negativity around her. He felt for her he really did.

Bazi's lower lip literally wobbled, but she managed to keep her cool. Patience. For all intents and purposes, she had taken Scimitar's heart and left with it. It had never been her intention to stay gone, but that wasn't the reality of the situation. Now Bazi would pay for the nerves and fears that had driven her to the Glacier - to see Tuwawi, who was lost. Stupid girl! What was there to be afraid of?

It didn't stop Bazi from feeling like a disease that had come wandering into the packlands. She wilted away from Kaskara with a sad look and a grateful nod, hobbling around to face Kieran. "OK," she croaked, and started to walk on raw, hot paws in the direction of the den that Njal and Tuwawi had left behind.

He tightened his jaw as he avoided her eyes – he could see the dark cloud he had seemingly placed over his scouts on their return, when they had probably expected a joyous reaction. He could not pay heed to that now – there was other business to deal with, and casting Kieran a grateful look (completely oblivious to how annoyed his companion was for him) he waited for the two to be from sight, withholding a wince as Bazi hobbled by on sore paws.

He waited a few moments for them to be from ear shot, and casting a swift glance to Kaskara, he did not wait for her to erupt in to a lecture – instead, he needed to direct the conversation where it truly needed to go. “Paarthurnax has returned. Pregnant. With Shadow’s pups.” He was quiet then, awaiting a reaction – as protective as he was over the honeyed desert beauty, he also was full aware of the dangers her presence could place the pack in.

Kaskara held her tongue as Bazi and Kieran left, though she wanted to wag and lash it at her idiot brother. She could see that Kieran was equally annoyed with Scimitar as she was, and was wise enough not to say anything in Bazi's presence. As soon as they were out of ear shot, Kaskara opened her mouth to unleash her thoughts on him, when he interrupted and dropped some harsh news on her instead. Paarthurnax was back in their ranks, pregnant with Shadow's pups.

"Shit," she cursed, feeling her anger at him deflate in an instant. "How long has she been back? Does Shadow know she's here? Will he retaliate?" Kaskara wasn't sure if allowing the woman back was a good idea, but it hadn't been her decision to make. Scimitar was wise and had probably pondered that decision for many days now, or at least as long as she had been back. Kaskara only worried for their safety, now that they had a potential war on their paws.

It would seem his words held her attention now – the click of her jaws stirred a direct stare from him, and his expression remained grim, waiting for her to realize just what this could all possibly mean. But she caught on quickly – of this, he did not hold a doubt, and her question only stirred a shrug in return. “The Shadow I know would. She claims she does not think he will do anything.” There was a small pause as a snort escaped him – he did not trust the silver snake, and would have thought that Paarthurnax would have learned better by now as well. “She’s been here for about a week.”

His tongue smoothed across his lips in quiet contemplation, his brows furrowing as he finally cast a glance in the direction Bazi had gone – this was certainly hell of a time for her to come crashing back in to his world once more. Swinging his muzzle back to his sisters’ darker form, he gave a small shake of his muzzle. “I need to hold a pack meeting. Everyone needs to be on alert about this.” With another pause, the male moved forward now, tipping his creamy muzzle to brush his nose to Kaskara’s cheek. Relief gripped him that she was finally home – especially now. “Kas.. I need you to step up to Beta. I wanted to let you explore and do your scouting thing.. but now I need a second hand. Will you do it?”

"Even if that is the case, we should prepare. Warn the others." Kaskara couldn't imagine a worse time for this to happen. With the coming of winter, the return of a decidedly weak Bazi, and their failed hunts piling up week after week, Kaskara knew that their pack was beginning to weaken. They still had strength in numbers, but their lack of food would soon take its toll on them. Perhaps that's what was staying Shadow's paws. The pause between them was not long, but it was heavy.

The weight of the world was settled on Scimitar's shoulders, and in an instant, with a few words, half of it shifted to her. Beta? She coughed, not expecting that type of responsibility at all. Scim had let her do her scouting thing, had let her wander all over kingdom come for these past months, and now she had to repay his patience with her support. "I had never excepted to take on the role of leadership, not after growing up under my father." Kas sighed, her gaze flicking upward to meet her brother's eyes, so like their mother's. "But this is not Dal Riata, and you are not anything like Gladius."

She stepped forward and pressed her nose against his cheek, lending her physical confirmation to back up her words. "I would be glad to be your second, brother."

Her brush of reassurance released some of the tension from the male – he released a sigh of his own, his nose pressing to his sister’s cheek and inhaling sharply – gathering comfort from her. He knew little of the man who had truly raised her – his own family love had been spared only to his mother and siblings, though he had always respected Gladius. Scimitar had never known his own father, nor had he any true figure of such in his life – he did not feel it had hindered him in anyway. It did only inspire him more to be there for his own children, if the day ever occurred.

“Thank you,” he uttered, releasing a second sigh and pulling back. “I will call a meeting in a few days – I might need to meet Shadow beforehand. Apparently his greasy hide is lurking around somewhere.” There was a small pause as he snorted, giving his muzzle a shake. “You should rest now, though.”

Kaskara's stomach twisted at the thought of being beta, of having some sort of responsibility greater than before, of owing her life to more than just Bazi and her brother. But she was willing to give that to the creek, because it had given her refuge when no other place would, and aside from a few fluke wolves, everyone inside their ranks was, for better or worse, part of her family.

"If you need me with you for that, call on me," she offered. It would do no good for her brother to get hurt if he did meet with Shadow. Kas nodded and nudged his cheek again before readying to leave. "I'll go check on Bazi. You should speak with her. Sooner rather than later, brother." She laughed softly and turned to leave, knowing he would understand her meaning.