Stone Circle One more body to bury

The call rang clear through the air, yet despite the source, it almost felt haunting. Whatever Arlette wanted it seemed urgent, so West would not spare a second more as he swiftly made his way to his family. At a quick glance, the woodland boy noticed three bodies gathered, his sister and mother tense as always around one another as they had been and another. He was older with a raven esque pelt that couldn't help but strike a chord of familiarity within him. Another moment would pass until a name clicked into place to match his face, Merrit.

The last time West had seen his older brother he was but a kid and one day he just stopped seeing him, but his disappearance slipped past his gullible child mind. Honestly, they never really spent time together when he was here it surprised him that he recognized his kin at all. For a moment, he liked to believe that this was good news, that Arlette wanted to call to reunite their family, but the tone she urged them with suggested otherwise. As he neared, it soon became apparent the true reason for their summoning.

There was a body, disfigured, and gone slumped upon the cold earth. At a glance, there was no telling who it could belong to, not with the way the face was sunken in and chunks of flesh ripped away leaving holes as hollow as the soulless body. Though there was one detail that even amongst the charred flesh refused to go unnoticed by the woodland boy. Scars. Deep and crawling like the branches of a tree that had snagged the hindquarters and left a trail of ruts.

West felt the world sway from under him, his heart now hammering against his ribs as his mother's voice seemed to fall underwater and turn to static. His mouth felt dry yet sticky at the same time and all he could do was forced himself to swallow. To any onlooker, it might appear as if he had seen a ghost...and perhaps he did. He only knew of one wolf with scars like those and with what was left of the body along with the urgency in Arlette's voice...there was no denying it, Clay—

Instinctively, he had taken a step back, though something rooted him to the ground keeping him from fleeing. He wanted to deny it. There was no way. It wasn't possible! Clay had come home only a few months ago, sure he left again, but he was fine. As fine as Clay ever was at least— Fire filled him, burned him, his chest too tight to contain the flames that laid waste to his insides. He was confused as his mind ran wild with too much freedom. What happened? Why Clay? Where was his face? Could he have stopped it? How?

Who did this— what happened? His brother— he failed him.

He didn't stop him.

He should have followed.

What happened? Why?!

It's your fault.