Tuktu Weir woke up on the wrong side of reality

All are welcome but please let @Burke post first !!

It had been a cold, lonely winter.

When Nathaniel first came upon the territory, he had been exhausted, too weak to do much but find a den and flop in it. Even that did not provide much warmth-- when he finally awoke, he was stiff and cold in a way that sent a small rush of panic through him. He stumbled to his feet, sluggish, and realized he needed to move. Even in the dim head-fog that came with being half-starved and far colder than wolves were meant to be, he was able to summon the strength to keep walking, shaking his thick coat out and feeling himself slowly beginning to warm. The wolf blinked rapidly, eyes blurry, and it was as if he was truly seeing for the first time in days.

I wonder if I'm dead. He croaked, then snorted in response to his own statement. A sharp pain shot through his throat when he spoke, confirming that he was definitely unfortunately alive.

The haze had consumed him for days now, and truthfully he barely remembered entering the Teekon Wilds. It was so wildly unfamiliar, and he wasn't even sure which direction home was-- but then, it didn't matter anymore, did it?

He didn't have a home anymore.

The thought brought back what seemed like a mountain of crushing grief, his mind dancing around the memories of what he had lost-- but he was not brave enough to face it directly yet, so he swallowed back the bile in his throat and pushed on.

There was a small, frozen lake ahead of him, it seemed-- as he got closer, he noticed the sizable dam. Nathaniel sat at the edge of the water, eyes drawn to the forest bordering the opposite edge of the lake. He still felt weak, hungry, broken-- but there was something peaceful about the cold, still picture before him. It was a small reprieve, but he was happy to soak it up.

Burke was remarkably still alive. He thought he would have died by now but his body seemed sturdier than he thought he was. It might have something to do with the fact that the winds weren't as strong as they were before. Plus it helped that the pack was really coming together and taking care of him. Burke never wanted to take on any help but how could he resist a warm meal? No one could.

The male stiffly walked to the lake though he hadn't realized that he had been walking to the lake. It was frozen solid and Burke's eyes weren't that sharp anymore. He could still see but it was all getting a bit more blurry in the distance. He realized he was on the ice when his paw slipped and he stumbled down. The elder skidded over the lake with a groan. He tried to get up but that only pushed him further onto the frozen lake. Burke disliked the cold under his belly. He shivered. Thanks to a snowbank resting on the ice he managed to get to his feet. He cursed while doing so.

The elder shook out his coat and tried to see where he had to go. He was out of the territory now. The side of the forest was definitely his home. He took a deep gulp of air and gathered his courage to place his paw back on the ice. So far so good. He took a couple of hesitant steps forward before he slipped and fell again, harder this time. He yelped, echoing over the ice. The male tried to get up but slipped and stumbled again, further out of the territory and to the clear riverbank, away from the forest. Growls of frustration echoed over the ice. The male couldn't see where the ice would stop as the ground was covered in snow. But there! Not too far away there was a blob of color. A wolf? Perhaps a packmate! Burke howled to his dismay. He needed to get off this ice before he would freeze to death.

Hope this is okay! Let me know if anything needs to be changed

 

Nathaniel’s attention was on the old wolf just moments before he howled, and something spurred him to move. He wasn’t certain what it was-- some glimmer of recognition? But he was so dazed, and all his attention was suddenly on the effort of standing. Somehow he rose steadily, moving towards the elder with long strides.
Hold still! He barked out, a little harsher than he had intended-- if only the old fool would quit squirming...
It was only when he was there, taking the other’s scruff between his teeth and preparing for something he’d never quite be ready for in his state, that he realized why his reaction was so primal, so urgent. This wolf was his kin-- the blunted tail, the familiar markings. He almost dropped the old man he now knew to be his father.
Nathaniel steeled himself, banishing the thought for now with an inner vow to come back to it. He gripped Burke tightly and lifted only slightly-- it was as much as he dared. Though he was almost as large as his father, and strong from his profession, he was presently weak.
Nat dragged his father off the ice, to what had been the shoreline of the frozen lake. He was as gentle as possible, but his movements were involuntarily clumsy and no doubt he jostled the old wolf a bit.
He collapsed beside him when he was safe, panting.
You picked a bad time to show up and fall, old man. He growled, rolling onto his side. I was right in the middle of my own damn crisis.

All good!!

Only after he howled Burke realized that someone was heading this way. He flattened his ears as the other came close. He slightly raised his upper lip as well. Burke thought he didn't recognize him but it was almost like he was seeing a brown colored version of Sebastian. He dropped the snarl and looked a bit confused up at the other. He did hold still as he was dragged over the ice by his scruff. It wasn't painful at all, just embarrassing.

Burke was glad when he felt the bank under his paws. He pushed himself up stiffly. His limbs had grown cold. He shook out his coat and stood there shivering. He glanced at the other with a slight frown. "What crisis could you possibly have? You are young," he pointed out. His pale eyes traveled over the other and he realized he had the same pale eyes as he had. "You... Are you from the Rochester bloodline?," he asked then.

He snorted, and was about to tell Burke just what he thought of that, but then the old man finally caught on.
You could say that. Nathaniel fixed his intense blue gaze on his father, tone sarcastic and slightly bitter. Then he rolled to his feet and shook his own fur out, a slowly boiling anger bringing life to his weakened muscles. He looked away, finding himself unable to meet Burke's eyes when he next spoke. This isn't exactly the reunion I imagined.
Then he paused, thinking, for a long few moments. When he finally looked back at Burke, he was half smiling, but it wasn't a happy smile. I hope you're not expecting me to call you dad.

Burke snorted as well, in quite the same tone as his son. Who knew that his own kin would save him on today. Burke gave him a good glance over. He looked well, even though he spoke of a crisis. He was strong. "Me neither," he pointed out and was glad he was off the ice. He didn't expect any reunions really. "I have too many calling me Dad," he puffed. "I'm already glad you are not here to kill me like Sebastian was once before," he groaned.

Burke assumed that the male didn't want to kill him, otherwise, why would he save him? Though if he was here to kill him Burke would have peace with that. He hadn't been a good father to them when he was younger. Not even to his latest spawn. Somehow he was better at being a grumpy grandpa. "So whatcha doing here?"

Sebastian? Nathaniel questioned instantly-- it had been some time since he had thought of his brother. Is he...? is he well, is he happy? He wanted to ask, but something stopped him. Is he alive? It came out more flat than he had intended.

I came here to... escape. Nat didn't elaborate; he didn't want to. It would have crushed his pride to admit to his father now how he had lost everything, especially when the wounds were not yet done healing.

Burke slowly nodded. "Oh yes he is. He had his own pack for a while. I was in it, but then there was something in the water and we had to leave. We went to another pack who let us in but then didn't have enough food, so I wasn't allowed to have any. Then Mato showed up, my grandson, Sebastian's son. And I went with him to advise him on running a pack," he explained. "So quite a lot of Rochesters are here. Seb had four children. I had four as well in these lands. Not much to escape from," he pointed out.

It had been a long time he thought about Kendra, Pietro, Pyro and Vassago. He hadn't seen all of them in a long time. Naturally, Pietro was dead. Would Kendra still be in BFW? And the two others? Where would they be? He had no clue. Burke assumed Nate wanted to escape from his life he had before like Sebastian had.

Nathaniel felt a strange wave of relief to know his brother lived-- four children and a pack! Seb had been busy, no doubt.
He tried to push away the bitter, nagging thought that his brother's children should live while his... no, no, he would not go there now.

Impressive. He commented finally, one ear flicking. With a hint of his signature, slightly scornful self-pity, he added: It seems my family has flourished without me.
Then he seemed to snap out of it, finding he had more questions for Burke. What are they like-- Seb's children?
Oh, he knew it would only hurt him to hear. But he could not stop himself from asking; he needed to know, to hear it, to let it hurt for awhile so maybe it would feel better later. His own children could not carry on the Rochester legacy, but Sebastian's could. It would have to be enough, in time.

Burke snorted. "Well, it wasn't what any of us were expecting. I believe," he stated. Sebastian came here to kill him, to make him pay for what he did. But when Sebastian got attached to other wolves, it seemed as he had pups of his own. Burke also didn't think he would have pups again, but he had two mates while he lived in Teekon. Meldresi and Malice. "Does that mean you never got to have a female?," he questioned skeptically. Burke was proud of his genes and Nathaniel had always been strong and handsome like he had been when he was younger. So, Burke would be surprised if Nate never got to procreate. But then again, Burke didn't know the full story.

"Some of them were weak like he is. Always soft-hearted. Though, Mato is nice. He has ambition and a drive. I like him. His other son Ben is one weak sobbing child. Not much connection there. Then he has two girls, Ivy and Nova. Ivy was quite feisty as a pup. No clue what happened to her. Pity. Then there is Nova. She is alright for a granddaughter. But too much into the stars and other abstract things. Useless things to be interested in," he commented. Burke was always a practical man. One needed fighting and hunting skills. All these stars and weather patterns were just silly. Especially these stars. "Nova and Mato are in this pack. You can meet them yourself."

Nathaniel snorted in response to the first question. I've had many females-- only one was strong enough to bear my pups. The one he had loved, but he would never tell his father that. Nor would he tell of the fates of his children, even if pressed. They were no longer here, and that was all that mattered anymore.

He listened intently to Burke's next words, biting back a few scathing responses to some of the comments. The ex-soldier could distinctly remember a time when he had agreed with his father's assessment of weakness. That time had passed, though. He wasn't surprised that his father found the study of stars and weather useless; he knew from personal experience, though, that they were valuable trades. Nat let a silence fall, then, contemplating what he had learned of his brother's children. It made his own ache seem so much more pronounced-- and right then he was certain he wanted to be a father again. Perhaps not soon... but one day.

Burke let out a soft groan. "God, more grandchildren?," he spoke with a grim tone. He found Sebastian's batch already exhausting. Now maybe more of Nathaniel's spawn would show up. But then, now he was thinking about it. He didn't smell of a mate or those said children. They weren't with him. So that must mean they were somewhere else. The father gave his son a good glance. "Are they alive?," he asked then.

The ex-soldier's expression instantly went blank at Burke's first unenthusiastic question-- at the second, his gaze hardened a bit. He was silent a couple beats before he responded. No.
They were dead, and it was his fault. Taken from the world before they could even know their own names, their own existence-- it was all too unfair. Nathaniel's only comfort now was in having nothing left to lose, and his battered psyche refused to loosen its grip on the idea. It was better that way.

Burke eyed over his son when his face hardened. He seemed upset with the death of his children. He assumed that they died as he responded with a no when they died. "Is that why you were in the middle of your own crisis?," he questioned curiously. "You can make new ones you know. Heat season will soon start," he pointed out bluntly. Burke was never the greatest dad. Still wasn't, never would be. He tried occasionally but mostly his interest went somewhere else.

Archive here or after your post? Up to you <3

He snorted again. Partially.
The ex-soldier shot Burke a sideways glance at the suggestion. He had considered it, of course-- but not just any woman would do. Nathaniel was not his father. And he couldn't imagine falling in love again now, maybe not ever. The thought sent a surge of cold guilt through his chest.
Not this year. He grumbled after a moment, then glanced past Burke at the landscape. You live around here, then? I'll take you back and get going.

Burke snorted. If he whined about not having pups and then not wanted to breed this year then Burke felt that he shouldn't complain. The male then nodded. "Yes. I live here," he pointed out. He started to walk with Nathaniel, accepting his offer to bring him back to the borders. "You could join as well, you know," he pointed out. "Think about it." That was what he said before he walked over the border without as much as a thank you because Burke would always be Burke.

- end -