Whitefish River Come Back Home

@Grayday <3

What had drawn her away from her friends and family, she did not know. The thirst for adventure didn't drive her, no threat or danger made her feel like escaping, no personal vendettas were made against her or the EH wolves - so why did she leave? She had left everything valuable to her behind; what did she even earn from leaving? A few new scars, horrific stories to share with deaf ears, a sob story? She was a joke, a pathetic wolf who gave up on everything she loved with all of her heart. Yet here she was, in a land that was once familiar to her, in a land she once called hers, in a land where sweet memories were made and were put to rest. 

Hunched over and slouching, the lone femme sat by the riverside. She watched as the water ran down, carrying little bits of dead leaves in twigs on top of the clean surface. Krypton looked gaunt, perhaps not to the naked eye, but to those who knew her big stature before. Her skeleton didn't she, so that was at least something positive to think about. But her fat had gone down with her constant travel back home. Her fur was thick at least, providing an okay amount of warmth to her cold body. Her irises of mottled green and yellow stared down into the river water, not sure what to do or where to go. 

The sun had already set behind the mountains she remembered living in and passing through. She remained in the dark where only the wind and snow could comfort her. She didn't even bother trying to go and find shelter, she would die eventually if she didn't put weight on, and the likeliness of that happening quickly enough was slim to none. She had many regrets in her lift, but at least she wouldn't burden anyone. 

A sad whine left her as her front legs crumbled underneath her and she laid down by the river, being lulled by the sounds of the running water.

For the sterling male, life had never been better. Although he'd lost two wives, an eye, and his vision, he still felt that nothing had left him that he'd truly needed. Even Sunny had returned to him and had patched up his relationship with Dawn. While Amber and Akuti had left him in the lurch, he'd gained a true partner in Catori.

Grayday was happy. But that didn't mean he didn't have his fair share of worries. Mainly, his anxieties stemmed from the turmoil that wrought the valley floor. Come spring, he and his ilk would have to leave this place for good. For now, though, the male simply swung his patrols wide, wanting to be apprised of all the comings and goings around his land.

He'd not expected to catch wind of a familiar scent. Grayday paused, ears flicking forward in surprise. What was Krypton doing here? He followed his nose to her prone form and stood a few feet away, nor speaking until the sound of her breaths soothed the tightness in his own chest.

"Krypton?" he said uncertainly, not liking the malnourished scent that was intertwined with her own.

She lost track of the time she spent freezing her tail off in the snow, but it wasn't like she truly cared. The frigid temperature numbed her legs and her underbelly. Not that she needed those parts anyway, where would she go, even if she wanted to move? This pessimistic attitude soon changed when the voice of someone very familiar filled her ears. A voice she had grown to know and love as apart of her family. A voice who had children she watched and helped raise. A voice that she greeted on his first arrival at the mountain. 

Grayday.

She scrambled to her paws, slipping a few times no less, before standing up. She felt like running away in fear, but the very presence of someone familiar kept her grounded. Part of her wanted to hide away in shame of what she was, but another part of her wanted to run to him and embrace the man tightly. Her eyes were wide and dilated as they locked on to the man. She didn't note any changes yet, perhaps because her brain was getting fuzzy and her eyes were getting watery.

"Grayday..." she whispered, quietly, perhaps so quietly that he might've even heard her. Fighting off her flighty instinct, Krypton began to hobble her way over to him, feeling the pins and needles in her paws. But she forced herself to go faster, faster and faster until she nearly crashed into him. Halting before she could collide with him, she pushed her nose towards his shoulder and neck, whining and whimpering, sobbing. She was a wreck, a complete wreck.

Grayday knew that Krypton hadn't been at Easthollow the last time he was there. It had concerned him, but then, Krytpon seemed to have a habit of disappearing. And just like the last time she'd done it, the poor woman had returned in a less than healthy state. Grayday wondered why she did this to herself, and where she went when she went away. It didn't lessen his sympathy toward her, but he wished she would just learn to stay where she belonged.

"It's alright," he said bracingly, ears flying back in concern when Krypton came to sob against him. "C'mon, now. I've got you." He wasn't sure what to do with himself, but Krypton had always been good to him and his family, and he still held a warm place in his heart for the dear woman. He tucked his chin over her shoulder in a somewhat awkward embrace, thinking that they really ought to get into the shelter of the plateau's woods, and perhaps find the poor woman something warm to eat.

She sobbed and sobbed and sobbed until her eyes could no longer let any more water escape from her ducts. It wasn't the light crying people saw in movies, the fake crying where the face was pure and clean. No, this was ugly crying, crying where the face was wet and slick with old and new tears. It was the kind of crying where your nose gets plugged from snots and mucus and you're stuck sniffling in order to breathe while your mouth gasps for air. It was the kind of crying that could make any heart crack at the sight.

Something about the way Day greeted her with open arms struck something inside of her. She had left something as amazing as this, a friendship that never grew sour or stale, a friendship that stayed continuous even after days, weeks, months of not seeing each other. She could only feel eternally grateful for how amazing he always treated her. 

Her head remained low, her face buried in his plume of gray fur. And for what felt like forever, she finally regained what little composure she had left. "How can you let me back into you arms...?" she whispered to him, perhaps too quietly for him to answer. "How can you even stand me being so close to you?" Truth be told, Krypton didn't expect such a warm greeting from anyone. The broken woman expected to be met with a cold shoulder, a snarl even -- she wouldn't have been surprised if that was the case. But to be welcomed back so kindly by someone she knew, she wasn't sure if it would count as luck or a blessing.

Although the male had plenty of reprovals for Krypton, he knew it would be best to keep them to himself for the time being. He could tell that the shewolf needed a soft touch rather than a firm hand. Advise and counselling could come later, when her body was more able to take on the strain on her spirit.

"You're family, Kryp," he said simply. She'd always treated him and his children with the utmost kindness - how could he do any less for her? They'd bled together, starved together, shivered together. Sunny wouldn't be the wolf he was today without her influence. And yes, he'd harbored feelings for her at one time, but she'd grown into more than that. How could he send her away? "Can you walk?" he asked then, attempting to nudge her to her paws. "You need a decent meal in you. And don't argue with me - I'm clearly the one with the most sense around here," he said, the last part somewhat teasingly. "My pack is just up the plateau. I want you to stay until our medic clears you for travel, at the very least."

He did not know if he would be able to convince Krypton to stay for that long - she was very flighty, in his opinion - but he would at least try to impose his will upon her. For her own good.

"You're family, Kryp,".

When was the last time she had ever heard someone consider her family? When was the last time she embraced someone so close to her like this? When was the last time she wept with another to comfort her? She couldn't recall, all of her time outside the wilds was a blur beside the more "memorable" moments she vividly remembered and looked down upon.

When he asked her the simple question, she sniffled before quietly nodding her head. It would be hard for her to move considering she was stiff and cold. But it surely wasn't impossible. When Grayday added more information about his plans, she wanted to argue with him, she really did. But she was so weak and frail while she stood with him that her body wouldn't even let her part her lips to talk. Reluctantly, she drooped her head lower before nodding her head again, expressing she knew Day was going to win this argument. Regaining her composure, slowly but surely, she began to withdraw from her tight embrace with Day. 

And when she did this, she lifted her gaze to meet his brown eyes, the eyes she remembered seeing foggy on the first day the two met. Murky green and yellow eyes grew wide when she noticed something was missing. Since when did Day on have 1 eye? Stretching out her neck to bump noses with Day, her unsteady and sheepish gaze into his eyes asked a silent question.

"What happened?"

Grayday was too blind to see any expression on Krypton's face. He drew his head back automatically when something touched his nose, not thinking much of what he perceived as accidental contact.

Despite not answering his questions or speaking any further, Krypton pulled herself to her paws and seemed to make ready to leave. The blind man waited a beat or two, but when no words were forthcoming, he decided that she was probably going to cooperate. "Alright, then, Kryp. Let's go," he said gently, nudging her shoulder to check her position and then carefully leading the way back to the plateau. It shouldn't take too long to get her back into fighting shape, and then they'd see about sending her back along to Easthollow.

Feel free to respond or archive, thanks for the thread <3

He didn't seem to catch on to what she was signing at but for now, she would let it blow over. Krypton stayed close to Day, close enough where their shoulders nearly brushed each other as the two walked together towards his homeland. She knew for sure she couldn't possibly stay there forever, it wouldn't be right for her to do so. She'd only be a hassle and would put too much pressure on Day and his family. She'd stay for a little, perhaps long enough where she could regain most of her witts and health before traveling on her own again. Hopefully, winter would end a little sooner so it would be warmer and prey would be more abundant. 

As for returning to Easthollow, she doubted she would. After what she put them through, there was no way Krypton could show her face there. She'd shame them by just being there.