Sunset Valley II

Stag lowered himself to the ground, panting alongside the inimitable form of his brother. How Ego had grown! Much as his brother subtly measured Stag, Stag was subtly inspecting Ego -- that winsome ruff of fur around his nape, the darkening of bladed brown along his near-black fur -- Ego had grown into his own, and looked every bit the basilisk he had sprung from.

Listening with ears bent towards Ego, Stag took in the news of relatives with a mix of interest and surprise. Relatives nearby, a sister? At first, Stag wondered why their father had never told them -- but then he realized, Stigmata never had the chance. He bitterly reflected on the theft of his father's life while he inspected his paws, wondering who and what Martyr was like, and failing to see the familial connection (Stigmata, Martyr -- clever). Prompted by his brother to speak, Stag reluctantly shared the news. "Mother is well -- she's with me, but our siblings are gone. I ran into Monarch -- she calls herself Simmik now -- a month or so back, but she has found her own life." Without us. Without me. Stag unfurled a clenched paw and observed the impression it left in the soft ground. "After dad died, Diaspora merged with another pack and Mahler took over. We moved to Sawtooth, and now we moved again because of enroachment of neighbor packs. We're at the Peak now -- the pack is called Sagtannet." Stag's eyes were dark with sorrow and unspent frustration. "What did you learn about dad? And.." Stag crossed one leg over the other and looked at Ego levelly. He had made a mistake not insisting Simmik come home with him -- he had learned from such mistake. When he spoke again his tone brooked no quarter and was firm as a glacier's edge: "You're going to come home with me and see it."