Gilded Bay The Shadow In The Background Of The Morgue

Set at late afternoon - early evening of December 12th. :D

Thoughts of his family and Arthendal long behind him, Vassago decided to fully enjoy his time out here. It'd finally occured to him that maybe his family wouldn't allow him home -- would they really let their anger at him go that far? That, Vass decided, would be the ultimate show that they didn't love him: Pyro got to cross the river, so why couldn't he? 

Stalking forward excitedly, Vass unknowingly crossed into the Coast lands, heading for the bay -- the shore tapered gently into rolling waves unlike any he'd ever seen, and the cream-bellied boy was not hesitant in trotting up to it and submerging his paws. It was cold, like the river, but smelled weird: the Rochester dipped his head to lap up a mouthful of the water, but found it tasted as off as it smelled. Spluttering and spitting out the water, Vass rumbled in his chest, swiping his tongue around his jaws with a scruchned up muzzle.

Kendra became a scrawny thing the time she had been on her own. The dark colored girl had fed from the caches of Neverwinter having the intention to stay around and learn how to be good. But with no real leadership and other packmates greeting her she decided to raid the caches and go. She figured she was not welcome there anymore and set off in another direction. The girl wanted to join another pack because her hunting skills were not good at all. That was until she found the beach and its tide pools. She managed to keep herself alive with the morsels that were found in these tide pools.

The beach seemed to be sustaining her, but it also gave little shelter. The female often roamed from beach to forest, back and forth when hungry. She felt out of place in the lightness of the beach, she preferred the darkness of the forest. However, hunger drove her out again, looking for those tide pools. When she entered the bay on a light trot she saw the first wolf she had seen in weeks. She was a bit startled to see one of her kind. She had kind of isolated herself from others. It seemed to be the best. Still her natural curiosity made her step closer to the other. Her pale eyes, same color as her father's pale eyes, locked on the youngster that seemed to be out on his own. Somehow he reminded her of Pietro. Maybe that was why she was even edging closer to this other being.

Grumbly as he was, he didn't notice the approach of another until the shadow pulled his gave from afar. At first, he thought it was his sibling.... Technically, he was right. Ears cupping forward and stump wiggling across the sand, he called out to who he hoped was his brother.

                       "Pyro?"

His voice rang out in question as his yellow gaze sought Kendra's form, but then he realized she was much older than her brother and, well, a female, on top of having a black coat compared to the chocolate of his littermate. Ears falling to the sides, his grin fell, but he still chuffed in friendliness -- after all, here, he had nothing to hide. Not to mention she was pretty, odd as she looked edging almost nervously closer. 

                                                  "Oh, sorry. You look like my brother. I'm Vassago Lanius-Rochester....?"

Kendra approached the other until she was at a respectable distance that they could talk. She had not talked to others in a long time. Her pale eyes studied the other's frame that looked so familiar in her eyes. She liked to tell herself that she hadn't seen a wolf in so long that she was recognizing their shape as someone she was close with. The young male called out to her by a name she didn't know. She put a step closer, her pale eyes noticing the light dots on her brow. She let out a snort in confusion, her head tipping as her eyes did not leave the other.

The male corrected himself, explaining that he thought that she was his brother. How curious, she thought that he looked like Pietro. Now, Kendra was never really that keen on knowing someone's name. She felt like it didn't say much about anyone instead of knowing that wolf as a person. However the male's last name struck something inside of her. Rochester. She was a Rochester. She had her father's dots and his eyes. His name was Rochester. This young male thought that she was his brother and had the light dots too. Could they be family?

Her nose started to sniff him out but the water washed away all his scents that could tell her something more. Kendra's only option was to initiate a conversation. "I'm--," her voice croaked. She had to clear her throat to get it going. "I'm Kendra Rochester-Melonii."

Vassago was a bit confused at the oddness of the girl, but he kept a kind smile as she approached at her pace. Now that she was closer and he could get a better look, his mind went again to Pyro -- this girl had the dots that they did on their brows and the same pale eyes of his father that Vass most surely noticed with surprise -- but he shoved it back as a coincidence.

When she intoduced herself, however, his face fell in absolute amazement -- she shared part of his last name. 
His fathers last name. 

                            "R-Rochester? As in, Burke Rochester? Where are you from?"

Kendra's dot raised in curiosity when the teenager spoke her father's name. Her eyes lit up with recognition. She nodded. "Burke is my father. I haven't seen him in a while though. He... left me," she spoke to the other. She plopped her but down with a small sigh. "I was born in Blackfeather Woods, but I don't live there anymore," she spoke to the pup. Though she was more interested in who he was. If he was now a teenager... then... It clicked with the female. He was one of the pups her father left Blackfeather for!

She eyed at the other. Then he must know where her father was now. She kind of wanted to see him even though he abandoned her for his new young. She could provide for herself but the aftermath of seeing the wrath Blackfeather Woods had for him was unpleasant. As his offspring she was starting to feel unwelcome. "You are my little brother then! Wow. Or well, half-brother! Malice's young. Father left Blackfeather woods to protect you and the other pup... Pyro you called him?," she spoke.

The girl lit up like dots had connected in her brain to turn some light on, but Vassago was left in the dark, ears folding back and nose flaring to take in the ebony teenagers scent. For the life of him, it was not recognizable. Soon, though, she started to explain, and the Lordling listened as carefully as he ever had in all these months. Burke was her dad, too -- she was born in Blackfeather Woods, and at this the boys chestnut ears fanned forward. She even named Malice, said that they'd gone to protect the boys.

The Brotherhood.

                                                 "Were Pyro and I born in Blackfeather Woods?"

He could remember a brief time in his life of darkness, but more than anything he remembered the journey to Arthendal -- if Burke had kids in those woods, perhaps thats the place he could only just not remember? 

                                                                                                     "Burke and Malice get mad when I ask about those wolves, but I don't remember. Dad told me there were some bad people looking for us, but that was it.... Please, tell me more?"

Kendra looked at her little brother that called his own parents by their names and not just mom and dad. Maybe he would think it offended her but somehow it didn't. She did miss her father, and she did not like that he left without saying goodbye but she did remember what predicament he was in. And how much her father hated it. He had been a good leader in her eyes but what did she know, she was smaller at the time. She only knew her dad. Her mother died before she even got to know her.

"Yes. Malice left her pack for Dad," she spoke. "Dad thought the pack would be accepting of her, and well, you two," the dark female explained. The pup wanted to know more. Kendra was not sure how much she was allowed to tell about the brotherhood, not about their religion at least. "Well. They are bad wolves because they are mad at Dad. My mother, Meldresi, died soon after I was born. Dad had to raise me and my brother all alone. He did it while leading the Brotherhood and not only being a father for me, but also for Meldresi's previous young Damien, Cicero and Potema. When he finally did feel less sad about Mom dying it was because he met Malice. But the pack heavily disliked her, and though of Dad as a traitor for having another female, from another pack," Kendra spoke.

"They rebelled against him. At least what I heard of it. I was told my father was a traitor. If he wanted to lead again, or even stay, he had to abandon Malice and hand you two over to the brotherhood. They wanted to use Pyro and you for something. I don't know what. Dad didn't agree and escaped with Malice, your brother and you. This resulted into being more a traitor in the brotherhood's eyes. He also left me behind without saying goodbye....," she spoke sounding sad. "This means that there is basically a whole group of trained killers after your mom and dad, Vassago. I can imagine why they don't want to tell you."

This would probably give some more insight for her little brother. Kendra was not sure why she was telling all of this, it did work therapeutically for her. And perhaps it was just her wanting to get back at her dad for leaving her behind or at least not saying goodbye making her choose if she would follow. Then again, she didn't want to be running from the brotherhood herself. However she also didn't want them to kill her dad he was the only parent she had left. She wanted to ask where Vassago lived now. She could probably track him down, or even ask him. Still it might be better not knowing where her Dad was, then at least she would not have to lie if asked about her father's location.

The Lordling listened carefully, ears fanning back and forth at appropriate times through the tale as his feelings fluxuated. Burke and Malice hadn't done anything wrong -- as far as Vassago knew, they were in love, and what was wrong with that? -- and even the boy couldn't find fault in the actions of his parents. In fact, it seemed more like the fault of The Brotherhood itself, made of jealous wolves. 

Perhaps it was Burke's other kids, the ones called Damein, Cicero, and Potema -- were they mad that Burke had more kids? Is that why Kendra, too, was out here?

                       "Dad has other kids than you? Did they not want to share him? Did they take over when he left? Who's Nemesis?"

It then occurred to him that Kendra might be jealous too -- would she be mad that he came along, like the others? It barely phased him that the wolves were trained killers: he'd already made up his mind to wait until he was better trained to so much as think about facing them. Especially now that he had information, there was less of a reason to seek them out. 

                                               "W-What about you? Do you hate us for taking Dad from you? Why don't you come back with me, see him?"

Her little brother had so many questions. The scrawny female felt like she had already told him quite a lot. Alas, it seemed not everything was clear to him yet. The dark coated female slowly nodded in answered his question. "Yes. We had someone come over called Sebastian. He was older and he looked a lot like Dad, except for the docked tail. Dad disliked him for a long time. They clashed again and then this Sebastian guy left. I don't know where he went," she shrugged. "They did take over when he left, yes. And Nemesis was part of the pack. Not family by blood but through loyalty she is part of the family," she explained.

Kendra had showed no malice or violence so far towards her smaller brother. So the question came a bit as a surprise and it was terribly naive too. She could have answered untruthfully and then attack him. Though she had no such wishes. "No. Dad is the only one I have left. I could not hurt something he loves. Besides, I was close to being a young adult. I already had a trade plus specialization. I think he felt like I was old enough to be without a dad. If he didn't leave someone would have died. With him leaving no one died, only my heart broke. Perhaps he didn't even realize this when he left. I don't know. My heart has been broken many times, it is just another tear along with the others. I survive," she spoke. Along with her scrawny body it sounded perhaps more upsetting than she intended.

"Not sure if he wants to see me. Plus if I know where he lives, and I would return to the brotherhood, I would have to lie. Perhaps not knowing is better. Everyone left me, Vassago. I just have to accept the life of loneliness. My mother and brother dies. My half-siblings are out to kill my father and my father left to protect the siblings I looked forward to meeting. If I go to my father I might be labeled as a traitor too. There is no good option here really," she pointed out with a shrug. "But you can tell him about me if you wish. I will be here around this beach. Perhaps you can come and visit me once more."