Stone Circle c

For @Valette & Arlette only, please and thankya (takes place right after this one)

Years ago, the north lost one of its own to the irresistible pull of an adventure. Grandparents had to watch the boy they’d doted after go off on his own, as did siblings that’d grown alongside him and guided him through some truly heart-wrenching times. Various relatives had wished him luck in his travels, and perhaps it was that very same luck that had, eventually, led him to Scarlett—a monster she was deemed but most certainly was not, whose smile alone had captivated his heart with ease.

But luck, just like with anything, could run out, often at the worst of times.

Children were born and then a family divided, three young girls following their mother whilst a boy remained with his father. Words were spoken that could not be taken back, fueled by rage that was backed by heartbreak—heartbreak that had been avoidable, had only he’d not been so inexplicably stupid. But he had been, he’d made so many mistakes, and then came the final nail in the coffin that drove them apart.

He was to blame for that, for everything, and that blame weighed heavily upon his shoulders as he walked along with his granddaughter. It slowed him down—or was that the age?—and made him wonder if he should even be there. How would Desna react? Their past reunions had been anything but ideal, he remembered, so what would be different about this one? What had changed?

Before he could backtrack and find a reason to leave, they were there along the outskirts of his daughter’s pack. Again, he considered finding a reason that might drive himself away but, after taking a single glance at Arlette, he was suddenly unable to flee the scene. Rather, he raised his head and let out a low howl for his daughter, realising now that avoidance was not the same as giving space, and that neither would solve any one of the problems that he’d created for himself.

Valette lifted her head with a frown when someone called her to her border. The tones sounded familiar but she couldn't really place them. She pushed herself to her feet with a groan. Her belly was getting heavy. It had amazed her how much it had expanded in the last few weeks. She was almost the same size as when she was close to giving birth to her last litters. However, her teats weren't as protruded and her heat had only been a month ago. Valette reasoned that since Greyback was large, these pups might be larger in size as well? Or... Or there were many more in there than she ever had.

Valette made her way to the border but not at the pace she wanted. She wondered who was at the borders. She did recognize the voice. She instantly recognized Arlette standing next to an old white male. Valette couldn't place him for a moment until she saw his eyes, Nanook's eyes. Kove. Her father. She looked with surprise from her father to Arlette. Her hazel green eyes shot back to her father with suspicion. Was this some elaborate plot. She wasn't sure what dark things the male was planning. "Arlette," she called her, a bit unsteady. "Come to me," she spoke more strictly. Not really wanting her close to a male that killed, at least she assumed that.

Valette stepped a bit forward, wanting to protect Arlette. "What are you doing here?," she asked Kove, perhaps a bit sharply. She was mostly unsure of what he wanted from her. Why was he visiting now? After all these years? Valette had always assumed the worst of him, really, even though he had never really hurt her. He had hurt by leaving but that was so long ago. She was mostly afraid of what the pack did he was in. However... Now she checked his scent, he didn't smell like that stench of a swamp.

Arlette stood proudly next to her grandfather as they stood on the border. She grinned at him. Excited to show her mother that she had found a family member. Her mother taught her that family was extremely important. Her tail was wagging. "Look, see those in the distance? Those are our standing stones! That is also where mom brought the bones of grandma!," Arlette explained as she pointed her muzzle to the hill in explanation.

Just when she questioned why her mother was taking so long, she arrived on the horizon. She looked heavier than she normally was. Arlette was not really sure why but things had been different since she was with Greyback. Her mother had been smelling differently for a week and been very... unlike herself. Arlette had stayed clear of her mother until she seemed more interested in her daughter. And now, weeks after her belly was continuously extended. She just hoped her mother wasn't ill. Clearly, Arlette had not gotten the talk yet from her mother.

Arlette instantly noticed that something was wrong when her mother seemed so tense. She glanced at the male next to her in confusion. Her ears flopped back. Arlette was always obedient to her mother, really. She hesitated to listen today. "But mom! It is my grandfather! You're... father!," she spoke and tried to smile. However, when Valette spoke to Kove, asking what he was doing here, Arlette decided not to mess with her mother and trotted to her side. She was confused. Clearly, something was wrong for her mother to act like this. "Is it the smell thing again?," she asked softly to her mother. After all, her mother had been incredibly bitchy when she smelled so strongly and Greyback had like glue to her mother's side. Strangely enough, Arlette couldn't smell the strong scent, while her mother was still rather unfriendly to her grandfather...

Alone, the wait likely would have been dreadful. However, as he stood there alongside his granddaughter, he was more at ease. He kept his eyes on her and listened to what she had to say, before turning his head to look into the direction she’d pointed out. The stones themselves were marvelous in size, being visible even from where they were, but what truly stood out to him was their use as a burial site. During their time together, he had not once imagined his former wife passing away, nor what he would have done with her bones in the event of such. As he gazed at the mighty stones, however, he believed she was where she needed to be. “I think your grandmother would’ve liked it there,” he noted absentmindedly, voice just above a whisper. Perhaps she would have liked the location as a whole, even.

Kove was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of approaching steps, towards which he turned his head to glance at the wolf—who was the very same that he’d called for, albeit much... larger than he remembered. Her sides were rounded out, telling a story he knew all too well: children were coming. How far along she was, he could not tell, but the markers of pregnancy were obvious enough. Had things been different, perhaps he might have inquired about it, but now most definitely was not the time to do so.

“It’s alright,” he said to Arlette, noticing her hesitation. He hadn’t expected to receive a favourable greeting, though he did wish that the child hadn’t been there to notice. He looked to Valette as soon as her child returned to her, a weary smile replacing the wonder that he wore previously. “I would never hurt her,” was the first thing he said to her, the way in which she moved forward having not gone unnoticed; Kove was many things but, despite his former place of residence, he was not a killer—and especially not of children, whether they were related to him or not. “I met your daughter in our old home, the valley,” he continued with an explanation. “She offered to bring me here and I agreed. I am only here to visit you and... Scarlett, too, if you’ll allow me.” Knowing that she was there made it difficult to resist the urge to find her, even if the only thing he’d find would be bones.

But perhaps his being there wasn’t a good idea. He was not trusted, that much was obvious, and years worth of damage was not so easily repaired. “I can leave, if that is what you’d prefer,” he added, a dullness in his eyes as the words left his mouth. He’d followed Arlette on a whim, after all, without taking into consideration what his sudden appearance might mean for everyone else involved. It was only fair that he now listen to his daughter’s wishes, even if they countered his own.

Valette relaxed somewhat when Kove spoke that he would never hurt her. Still, Valette wasn't sure what he had been up to these days, and they had killed before. She had been aware of that. She could still remember the time she visited him and Xan at Blackfeather. It had been dark and smelly. Valette glanced at her daughter when Kove spoke how he met her. She wasn't aware that Arlette traveled to Bearclaw often, and that she would be meeting strangers. It made her aware that Arlette maybe too friendly...

"I see," Valette spoke. It had been so long since she had seen him, spoke to him. Basically, she had not expected to see him ever again in her life. Many mean comments came to her mind. He had left her, why visit her now? Why did he even care? If he cared he would have been with her and not abandoned Scarlett. Valette stayed quiet for a while. It was for the sake of her own daughter, and the lack she had of a father figure, that she eventually found some margin to give him another chance. She sighed softly. "No, don't," she responded to his last few words.

She glanced at Arlette briefly. "You are family and I've been telling to all my children that family is important," she spoke. Her hazel eyes looked into those of her father's, one she had trouble remembering from her childhood. She was trying to put them back in her own memory again. "You should know as my father how my life looks now," she admitted, perhaps a bit proud of her life as well. Valette stepped to the side and motioned for him to follow her. "Arlette would you like to tell about Easthollow?"

Arlette grinned at her grandfather's words. She was clearly seeing Kove in a new spotlight, her eyes glinting with excitement. "I think so too," she nodded and smiled. "It is a wonderful home and she is in the heart of the territory," she chatted. After she moved to her mother, she felt the nerves bubble up. She watched her mother and bumped her with her nose to encourage her to accept her father. She wanted to get to know her grandfather.

She let out an audible sigh when her mother finally spoke. Her tail started to wag. She nodded in agreement with her mother. "Yes, Yes! Very important!!," she agreed with a grinned and almost jumped up and down. The girl eagerly moved forward. "Yes! Yes!," she beamed and glanced at her grandfather. She looked around what she could tell first. The young girl moved towards the circle and eagerly looked over her shoulder.

"This way!," she grinned. "So this is Easthollow. Our lands consist of open fields and birch forests. On the plains live our bison we try and hunt. And of course, in the heart of the territory, the stone circle. It was already here when Mom found the place as a ranger for her previous pack... or no wait! They were looking for a good location to move to," she corrected and smiled adoringly at her mother. "The stone circle is super important to us. It is where we bury the bodies of the wolves that passed. At first, I didn't understand but now I am older and wiser of course!"

They slowly reached the circle. Arlette had trouble not to run up the hill. "Oh oh! Here you see a path of small stones, see? We made it! Most of the stones have meaning, these little ones are a path that least to the most broken stone. It stands for all the wolves we lost, the stone of the lost souls, it is the only one that doesn't have bodies buried by it. It is to keep hope that wolves return, like wolves like my father," she stated with a nod as they approached. She then couldn't help but run a bit ahead, to the middle of the circle. "Grandpa, hurry!!"

In spite of everything, he was not sent away. It surprised him to hear her disagree with his leaving, but he reminded himself not to read too much into it when an explanation followed: it was more so for her daughter that he was permitted to remain than it was for her sake. No matter, he was glad—glad that he could continue to spend time with his granddaughter, as well as see the home that they’d made for themselves. “Nakummek—thank you,” he said as their eyes met, truly grateful for the experience. And whilst his happiness was subdued, the excitement that radiated off of Arlette almost seemed to come in waves. It brought a smile to his face as he trailed after her, her eagerness contagious.

As the child spoke, he listened attentively; every word that left her mouth came right to his awaiting ears. And as she explained the rocks, what they stood for, and how they were discovered, he found his gaze travelling over every bit that he could see—for a moment, after he learned that it was Valette who had discovered the territory, he cast a smile in her direction. He was proud of her, even if he had no right to be. But no sooner did he look her way that his eyes were being pulled back towards the young albino, who made her way up the hill with ease. As Kove followed after her, he could not hide how age had slowed his body, nor how he stumbled—briefly—whilst pulling himself up the hill; it was not a mountain by any means, and yet, he struggled. It was not something he lingered on, however. Rather, he tried to move past it as quickly as he could once he was near his granddaughter again, and now able to examine the collection of rocks and stones. “Hopefully everyone that has had a stone placed here in their honour return to you someday,” he responded. It was a custom that he could appreciate, as well as admire—though he admired her more, simply for her ability to understand and act on their tradition. That someone so young could have such a steady understanding of the world… well, it wasn’t something that he was terribly used to.

When she ran ahead, he watched, but it wasn’t long before her voice rang through his ears again. “You must be the fastest wolf here!” he exclaimed as he paused. “I just can’t keep up with you, you’re too fast.” He began moving again shortly thereafter, picking his pace up to a light jog so that he wouldn’t leave her waiting for too much longer. “I’m sure you’re the greatest hunter here,” he said as he reached her. “I can’t imagine anyone runs as fast as you can.” Meanwhile, his own body begged him to relax; he’d been travelling for quite some time prior to meeting her, with only the short rest at the borders to help regain his strength. Kove, however, was not willing to disappoint her—or Valette, for that matter—and so he remained upright and moving.

Valette followed Arlette and her father as her daughter chatted the ears off the older male. It was clear that Arlette seemed to really like the male. Valette was very proud of her daughter how she spoke about the circle and the territory. She smiled at her. She was a very proud mother. Valette watched the stone of the lost souls and sighed. She hoped that some would return to them. Arlette, in the meanwhile, rushed ahead and called for them. Valette chuckled. She noticed that Kove was very kind to her. It was cute to see their interactions.

Valette entered the circle as well, after them. "The tallest is the Father Stone. My first mate Steady is buried there, as she had been the leader of this pack, and before we relocated to this place. He was really a father for everyone." Including her when she was younger. It was weird to think about it as she later fell in love with him. "Next to it is the Mother Stone," she spoke. "The wolves of our pack can bring them offers, or just tell their problems to the father and mother. Scarlett is buried by the mother stone." Valette spoke to Kove and stepped closer to the mother stone.

As she did, the grey clouds let a beam of sun fall on the circle. Valette glanced up at the sky in surprise at the sudden appearance of the sun. Was it a coincidence? Even if it was, the female couldn't help but smile softly. It really felt if her mother was watching them, and approving of this meeting. She stepped more to the side to let Kove inspect the stone closer. The grass was starting to grow now spring had arrived since the grave was dug before winter.

Arlette beamed at the praising words of the male. She liked to think that she was fast but never as fast as her mother hunting bison. "Momma is faster." she admitted modestly and glanced at her mother. She looked pretty happy. So Arlette relaxed a bit more. She didn't notice the older male being tired. Her mother then started to explain about the main two stones. She liked the mother stone the most. She often tried to say hi to her.

Arlette was surprised as well when the skies opened up and the sun broke through. Her tail started to wag. Arlette did give Kove some space though. Because she knew that her grandmother was important to him and she didn't want her babbling to ruin that. She sided next to her mother and looked at her grandpa to see what he would do.

The father stone; the burial site for her late husband, whose kindness was evident in the way she spoke of him. Then the mother stone; it stood guard over the grave of his late wife, yet it was not the least bit intimidating. Somehow, it brought forth a wave of relief, which washed over him with increasing ease the longer he gazed at the stone. It was as if she was there alongside it, warmth radiating from the stone as light was cast down upon it.

Overwhelming was a mild way to describe his feelings.

Given space he didn’t realise he needed, Kove approached the stone; his movements were slow and his exterior expression displaced, a crack in the mask he’d worn for so long revealing the agony that lingered just below. As the background faded and his shoulders slumped forward, he could not hide the gleam of tears that brimmed the corners of his eyes. For so long, he’d hidden behind a wall of anger and false disgust, not allowing himself to truly mourn her. But now, as he stood before her again, he was suddenly hit by a freight train of emotions: anger, sorrow, joy, and so many more he could not name.

“Kangâ,” he whispered. “Kikavaga… I should have stayed.” It was far too late now, years having gone by since he’d left her in the valley; she was gone from this world now, she had been for a while. And as much as he sought to join her, his body refused to fail him still, forcing him to continue living even when it was she that should be the one to still breathe. “I’m sorry,” he repeated, this time to Valette. “For leaving your mother alone. For leaving you and your sisters without a father. For… for this, for being here now. I’m sorry.” But he could not look at her, nor even at the stone, his gaze averted and downcast. Maybe he shouldn’t have followed his granddaughter there—maybe things would have been better left untouched.

Valette watched as her father moved to the stone. She had never seen him like this and she was rather surprised to see all these emotions on his face. The first words he spoke we unfamiliar to her. She had not kept up with the language of her father. She had no doubt that Arlette would ask about that later. She always saw her father as an emotionless statue in her life, but this was a different side of him. Was this the father Xan had seen at the time? She wondered how he could have seen.

Valette was surprised when her father's whispered turned to her. Valette perked up her ears at the apology. At first, she was in shock that she got an apology out of him. She never expected to get one. The tears gathered in her eyes but quickly blinked them away. She wanted to say that it was okay, but it was not okay what happened. She had missed a father in her life. "Apology accepted. Except for that last one," she spoke and then stepped forward towards him. "Don't apologize for being here. It is a good thing that you are here," she spoke.

Valette stood next to him and glanced at Arlette for a moment. She looked so much like Scarlett. But she was not like her grandmother. Arlette was not insecure as her mother was. "I like that you came to visit. It shows that you do care," she added. She noticed how old her father was up close. "Would... Would you be interested to stay here for a bit? You can meet my mate Greyback and get to know the pack I built," she offered to the male. She was pretty sure Arlette would be delighted. Plus, Kove could show her that he wanted to be in her life. Perhaps even be there when his grandchildren were born...

Arlette perked up her ears when she heard Kove speak a word she didn't know. She was instantly curious about what it meant. She was willing to ask but she didn't want to ruin the moment. She was better at this now. She stood next to her mother to give the man some space. She had only known her grandpa for a short while, so to her, this was not as shocking as her mother.

The female watched the interaction between the two. She wondered how she would react if her father would show up when she was her mother's age. She might not be so kind as her mother. It made Arlette watch the two with more of a wonder. It was endearing to see. Her mother was really inspiring to watch. Her eyes lit up when she offered her grandfather to stay. "OH MYY!! Yes!!!!," she instantly voiced and started to wag her tail excitedly. "Please Grandfather! Please stay!!," Arlette pleaded him.

Kove did not know his daughter, not as a father should. Her response that came was as much of a shock to him as his actions were to her; they would likely never know one another as deeply as other parents and children did but, perhaps, they might someday forget what it was like to surprise the other. “I’ve always cared,” he told her. “From the moment your mother felt a change within her womb, I cared—for you, your siblings, and your mother.” For all this time, he’d cared—although he’d never known how to go about showing that, after their family was split apart. There had been so much anger, so much hurt, that even now he still wondered if it was truly okay for him to be there now.

But, if it wasn’t okay, then would the offer had been made?

The Inuk’s body grew still and he struggled to decipher her words, searching for a hint of anything that might paint him a fool. He had to remind himself that he was in Blackfeather no longer, that those around him now did not intend to smite him. Only then was he able to relax and lay his anxious thoughts to rest, gaze drifting between his daughter and granddaughter. “If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, I...” Would things be okay? Eventually, perhaps—only time would tell, and a chance taken only if he took a step in the right direction. “I would like to stay.” His obligations to the Woods had long since been fulfilled and he was now free to start a new chapter in his life. A chapter that would not be plagued by traitorous beasts or the stench of the swampland.

Things would be different this time around.

For Valette, it was great to hear that her father did care. Still, it was just words and she was willing to let the male try and show it to her and the whole pack. She hoped that Arlette wouldn't be disappointed but she would give the male the benefit of the doubt. The female shook her head. "No, you are welcome to stay," Valette confirmed. Perhaps it would do Kove some good, being in Easthollow and not having to worry too much. He did look old.

'I'm glad," Valette admitted when he decided that he was going to stay. "Well you already seen the stones. Our territory mostly are open plains. We hunt bison as our main prey. However, we do take down some injured deer, especially now I am pregnant and can't lead the bison hunts. We also have a birch forest with a river," she motioned behind her. She hoped he would feel at home. Then Valette realized... "You should meet my mate!," she spoke and then howled for @Greyback.

Arlette was almost leaping in the air when the male decided that he was going to stay. "YAY!" She beamed but quickly settled when her mother continued talking. She spoke about their main source of prey and the landscape, but that was all very obvious to her. Kove had eyes in his head. Arlette was eager to show her all the more things of Easthollow.

"I recently found a den and you can totally stay here, Grandpa." she spoke. "You can have it. I will find a new one," she offered. She had only slept in it a few nights. Often she stayed around her mother's den now she was close to having her brother and sisters!

Catching the sound of Valette's call, the large male made his way to her with haste, his body carrying him with more speed than possible for someone of his size. 

Perhaps it was the worrying that was making it possible.

Upon coming into the clearing he noticed the three figures. Valette's was always be the first one he could identify, along with Arlette's small and stark self. The other, however, made his fur rise and tail lift. The male was large for his age, and the mark on his shoulder did little to ease the patriarch. He could of sworn he'd seen that exact mark before in his life time, but ultimately let it go upon seeing the smiling faces of his two packmates.

Striding up with momentous strength that settled underneath his posture, Greyback looked to Arlette and Valette for an explanation, his one eyebrow raised as it most often was. "Who might this be, my heart?" He questioned.

five years later and I’m finally here big yikes. we can wrap this up with the next post or two since it’s old and dusty?

As Valette further described the territory, he wondered to himself if he might ever grow accustomed to it. Up until recently, and even in his youth, he’d always lived within a forest. To trade the safety of the trees for the open plains was troubling, to say the least, but not something that he wasn’t willing to try and get used to. Besides, even though the majority of the land was open to the skies above, there was still a wooded area within. Perhaps, should he ever find himself uneasy being exposed, he would retire to the birch trees.

When she spoke of their hunts, he smiled: it had been quite some time since he’d last assisted during a pack hunt. Whilst he’d never partaken in a bison hunt before, he was curious to see how it differed from deer—although, he did wonder if his body would even allow such a taxing activity at this point. Either way, he decided, he would assist in any way that he could; the idea of being sore for a few days in exchange for joining a hunt seemed hardly a price to pay when he really took the time to think about it. All thoughts in regards to the hunts soon faded from his conscious mind when she mentioned her mate, however. He maintained his smile—more so for Arlette than out of true joy—and had to remind himself where exactly he stood; the male that he was apparently to meet had, currently, a better standing with his daughter than he did, and he’d be wise to keep that at the forefront of his thoughts.

Just as he was about to try and change her mind, for the plan to be altered to them meeting on a different day, his granddaughter spoke up and his attention shifted. “No, no,” he answered, shaking his head. “You keep your den. I’m sure you worked hard finding it, I wouldn’t want to take it. Truthfully, I’m not too used to sleeping within a den. I much prefer being out beneath the moon.” He used to alternate between sleeping out in the open and within a den. It wasn’t until recently that he’d really abandoned the idea of dens altogether, as he no longer felt comfortable within them; oftentimes they were far too cramped for his liking, and he just didn’t have the energy to expand them.

Before long, another wolf arrived—a male, who he assumed was the mate his daughter had spoken of. Despite the posture taken with his approach, Kove’s own body remained relaxed; he neither submitted nor made a play at challenging the other male, but instead focused on maintaining his composure. And even though the question was not asked of him, the Inuk answered: “My name is Kove Apaata, her father.”

@Greyback Arlette can be skipped I will write a bit of her in Val's post! :)

Valette watched her daughter that so kindly offered her own den. The mother had not really been aware that Arlette found her own den to sleep in. However, she could imagine with Greyback being in the den she felt less inclined to snuggle between them. Still, she thought Arlette was more sleeping in the open kind of girl. Arlette seemed to accept Kove's words.

Then Greyback was there. Valette's eyes lit up and greeted her mate. She stood next to him proudly. She was about to introduce her father when he did so himself. "Arlette found him and brought him to me. I offered him to stay with us for a while," she spoke and glanced at Greyback. He did know that Kove had not been a prominent father in her life but Valette wanted to give him a chance mostly for Arlette. She seemed so excited. Even now, she looked with a grin from her grandfather to Greyback. "Isn't it exciting, Greyback! My grandfather is here!!!" Arlette bubbled to Greyback. Valette smiled lovingly at her. Yes, it would be good for her and perhaps also good for herself as well.