Blacktail Deer Plateau tinker, tailor, stalker, scout

lookin' for a wild @Kieran Adrien (other Streiters can jump in too)

dawn had been scarce, lately. or perhaps he had been the scarce one. either way, the lovers' paths did not cross often these days, and aditya found himself starved for her company, thinking of her in nearly every waking moment. he paced the border impatiently, hoping to see her stalking an injured old doe or looking out for intruders near the shadowy place where the plateau ended and where ravensblood forest began.

it had been interesting here in morningside as of late. sunny was back, limping and hungry but otherwise unscathed. burr still remained on the plateau, recuperating from his injuries sustained in the mountains. raid had warmed to aditya, and aviana had embarked on a short journey south with catori.

one wolf he had never really seen much of was kieran, a skilled hunter and longtime member of morningside. his father was part of the pack as well, and his aunt and sister had recently joined its ranks. a lot of streiters running around these parts lately, and adi knew not much about them at all.

tipping his head back in a howl, he summoned kieran to where he stood with no great urgency, just a call for companionship. if he weren't to have dawn by his side, he could at least use a friend.

Recovery felt impossible. Sorrel would lie down beside Addy for a while each day, reminding herself that this was real. She would eventually rise for long enough to stretch her sore, aching muscles, at which point she would find some hope that things were looking up. Of course, this was always either cut short by a twist here or a sprain there that left her whining on her hindquarters. At least she was safe within the borders; outside, who knows what might have happened had she not been found.

It might have helped to have been eating more regularly, but Sorrel couldn't seem to keep anything down. It was either the nervous butterflies or the surging cramps along her underbelly that forced her meals up not long after they'd made their way down. Even keeping down water had become a chore. 

A call was sounded for Addy, but Sorrel couldn't help investigating. She was curious by nature, by virtue of her mother. She stood not far off from the strange male, quietly sniffing the air to catch on to his scent. Hopefully her brother would appear soon, but for now, Hello.

the wolf who came to answer his call was not kieran but a soft, brown-pelted girl, around dawn's age, with striking blue eyes. aditya blinked for a second, then smiled. this must be kieran's sister; she bore more than a faint resemblance to the young man, and was certainly a face adi hadn't seen around here before.

"hello," he said warmly. "you're kieran's. . .sister, right?" he paused for a moment, trying to recall her name. s. . .sophie? susie? no. . .but he was close. perhaps she'd offer it herself.

aditya noticed she limped a bit, wondering if the injury was old or new and, if the latter, if pema had seen to it yet. he wondered why the two had been separated as youngsters. then again, dawn and sunny had already spent several moons apart in their short lives. things happened.

Sorrel took a few deep breaths, examining the other's words as they fell from his mouth. Yes, she replied, a slight wrinkle to her brow, Sorrel. She felt a bit uneasy speaking to the brute while alone, but she figured that she ought to get used to not having someone around every minute of the day. Your name? The words were slightly accented, though not beyond comprehension. Sorrel took a step forward and winced, but she forced herself to keep going. Something about the distance between the two of them made her uneasy, so she seeked to close it.

sorrel. that was it. he noticed she spoke with a slight accent, like he did himself, and smiled a little wider. "aditya," he told her. "you can call me 'adi,' if you want. everyone pretty much does."

she looked a bit apprehensive, which could either be chalked up to nerves or something deeper, more sinister. aditya truly hoped it wasn't the latter. morningside had been taking in several wolves with pasts that clearly had scarred them, and while raid had eventually opened up a bit, aviana was still a closed, cold book.

"it's very nice you were able to find your brother again," he remarked casually. "where were you living before this?"

Adi. It was certainly easy enough to pronounce, but Sorrel couldn't help but wonder whether she would get confused between Adi and Addy later down the line. Regardless, it wasn't enough of a priority to stay on her mind for long. Sorrel shook her head in response to his question — Where were you living before this? — both because she had no real way to word it and because she wasn't sure it was something she wanted to disclose. Not even Kieran knew about Maman just yet, and Sorrel liked it that way. Why'd'you want him? she asked in reference to her brother, though she hoped it wasn't too forward.

aditya nodded, taking her non-answer in stride. no need to upset the girl by pushing her into memories she didn't want to discuss.

it was a mistake he had made with aviana, really. he had been too forward with her, talking too much and listening too little. had he backed off, he might not have blown up their first real meeting. when she came back, perhaps he would try to make amends. but perhaps talking would make things worse.

who knows.

"haven't seen him in a while," adi answered her question. "and i've been pretty lonely, lately. my mate's been away with her own tasks. was just looking for a friend." he grinned cheekily at her. "i suppose you will do for now," he added, clearly teasing.

Sorrel, albeit hesitantly, gave Adi a gentle smile. It wasn't much, but it was enough to show that she was enjoying herself. Comfort had become so rare that when it finally returned, Sorrel wasn't quite sure what to do with it. Anyone besides Kieran or Papa giving her any sort of confidence made her uneasy, but it was happening. She knew that it would continue to happen, too, provided she stuck around long enough. 

The last few nights, Sorrel had had dreams of Maman calling her back. She knew that they weren't real, but something about them still hurt. A part of her wanted to go back and search for the old woman, but she knew that there was no use. The home she'd had with Maman was gone. Friend Sorrel repeated, Who'sure mate?

Oops, sorry I'm so late to this lol

He'd been burying the body of an old rabbit (it had been too weak to survive the winter, so it was an easy kill) in one of the caches as the call rose for him, and his ginger head perked up curiously. It was one of the wolves he hadn't spoken to much, but Kieran respected him regardless. The reason for his summon was unknown but it seemed to be one simply requesting his presence for companionship, and that was something he'd happily give. 

The young boy swiftly finished covering the cache with a layer of white snow before his paws drew him toward the source. It had taken him slightly longer to get there than he would have liked, but he was on his way. As he walked, Kieran's mind drifted to Sorrel. He was overjoyed to have found her again, and the fact that he could share his home with her was something he treasured greatly. 

When he arrived, he was mildly surprised to find his sister there already, before him. The corners of his mouth twitched upward in a warm smile, padding closer as his dark emerald gaze landed on Aditya. "Hey," He greeted with a nod of his head, noting that Sorrel and he must have been talking before he arrived.

"dawn," he said proudly, and was about to further chase that topic of discussion when the man he was initially seeking arrived, looking quite happy. aditya gave him a dip of the head in greeting.

"hello, kieran," aditya said amiably, smiling. "just wanted to talk, since we've never really properly met. i've said more to your sister in the last few minutes than i have to you in months!"

it was nobody's fault, really. times were not tough, per se, but it was winter, and everyone was working hard to keep the pack running smoothly. he and kieran had just not had the time to bond with each other. hopefully, that would change.

"what have you been up to?" he asked, out of curiosity and not by means of interrogation.

Sorrel turned with a gasp as Kieran made his approach. She was immediately at his side, pressing her nose into his fur and reaffirming his presence. In fact, she had become so caught up in her brother that she missed the name, Dawn. Dawn, she thought, was quite pretty, and so she assumed that Dawn herself would be, too. Il'est bruyant, Sorrel laughed, not meaning it maliciously.

He nodded to Aditya, smile still present. "It would be nice to talk," He replied with a small wag of his tail. When Sorrel approached, pressing her nose into his fur, Kieran placed a gentle lick at her cheek in hopes of bringing more comfort. Hearing the other male's words, his smile grew - he was happy that his sister was talking to the Morningside wolves, and the fact that she'd made it over here herself brought relief, as he was hopeful she'd make a steady recovery, and her ankle would be healed with time.

"I've mostly been hunting," The boy spoke, thinking back briefly to the past events of the Winter. "And introducing myself to the newer members," He added as he lowered himself down into a sitting position. They'd had lots of newcomers recently.

"lots of them to go around," aditya agreed. the new faces weren't quite overwhelming just yet. . .but there were a lot of introductions that had yet to be made. his ears pricked as kieran's sister made a remark in what was clearly not the common tongue.

"what language is that?" he asked her abruptly, softening his speech so as not to come off rude. he was always intrigued when others spoke a different language; he hoped to pick up new ones here and there, as he encountered them.

Sorrel took a frightened step back, hackles gently rising and ears laying back as she looked to Kieran for guidance. Not only was Aditya loud, but he was a bit intimidating; whatever comfort she had felt earlier was slowly fading away. Whispering, Sorrel said, Il m'fait peur. Sorrel no longer had the desire to speak; had it not been for Kieran standing there beside her, she might have run off.

Hover for translations!

The boy had not really taken much notice of Sorrel's switch in language, not until it was mentioned by a curious Aditya. Kieran glanced slowly to his sister to see her answer but it appeared she was not willing to give one - rather she took an anxious step back and he saw her hackles rise. Her ears, too, lay flat against her skull. She looked to him for guidance and he felt it his duty to give just that - so he stepped closer and made sure their sides were touching, hoping to bring comfort with his presence. 

The young hunter turned his head slightly and spoke in that language he finally had an excuse to use - for not many he knew knew what it was or understood it, much less grasped how to communicate with these other words. He, however, had grown up with it. "Vous êtes en sécurité, il est très bien. Vous pouvez rester prèsde moi." He spoke softly to her - had kept French fresh in his mind, often speaking to himself in this way that most could not recognise. It was a connection, perhaps, to home. To his mother.

He sent a wary glance upward where he met the gaze of the man and simply gave him a look, but it was in no way a foul one - for he had nothing against his packmate, he simply cared very much for his sister's feelings. And he did not like to see her so spooked. "Sorry - if you don't mind, could you speak a little quieter around her? She is a tad frightened of you, is all." The ginger furred male sent a small smile, eyes trailing back to those of the petite form beside him.

his heart sank as the girl shrunk into herself, drawing close to her brother and speaking, once again not in the common tongue, her voice filled with fear. how had he managed to scare another woman of morningside? this was a rare phenomenon. something must be in the water.

his ears pricked, though, as he heard kieran speak to her. heard more clearly, it was a language he vaguely understood--a few of his acquaintances down south spoke it, and had taught him bits and pieces. he did not remember it very well, but perhaps he could summon something. . .

kieran's words in the common tongue reached him, a sentiment he already had picked up from her body language, and he nodded, dipping his head low in apology. "je suis. . .désolé," he tried, his voice a hoarse murmur, the last word ending in a lilt almost akin to a question. he wasn't sure on that last part.

"i am sorry, sorrel. forgive me?" he gave the young woman a soft smile with no teeth, eyes warm. "you're right; i can be rather loud."

Kieran's words mixed with his presence, his proximity, mixed together to form the perfect cocktail of comfort and security. Proper French, although it was something that she knew, wasn't something that Sorrel considered herself fluent in by any means, but when he spoke, she had no issue understanding any of it. Something about her brother and his genuine nature told her what he meant without him having to say a word. 

Adi spoke up then, his response in the same tongue as the twins rather than in the common tongue. Initially, Sorrel hid a bit more behind her brother, but lightened up after a moment or so with a friendly grin to respond. It's okay, she told him, but she didn't go much farther than that.

He had not expected Aditya to pick up on the words he spoke to Sorrel, but as the other man's head dipped in apology and from his maw came French, a small quirk of his lips was the response Kieran gave, glancing for a moment to Sorrel. The apology had been genuine, he could see - the other hunter had not intended to scare his littermate.

Along with that, Sorrel seemed to relax by his side and a friendly grin reappeared on her face, accepting the apology. Phew. He was very much glad that his presence could aid his sister, even if only to give her the confidence she needed. Kieran himself gave a smile, glad that the two had made up so quickly - tension amongst friends and family was not what he would ever wish for.

he felt lighter as she accepted his apology, wagging his tail once in joy. kieran seemed to relax as well. the two streiters sitting together were a friendly, kind sight, and he gave them a nod in reply. "i should probably leave you be," aditya murmured, smiling.

"it was nice to meet you, sorrel," he told the girl, then looked to kieran, "and nice to see you again, as well." with a flick of his ears, aditya wheeled around and took off at a trot, hoping to find something to do inside the territory.

perhaps he could find aviana, patch up their sour relationship. it was a thought that took the burden off his heart, ever-so-slightly.