Moonspear Shine Like Never Before

With @Ira having come along on her travels, Korei Julia felt comfortable. The directions she almost got lost on, but then they would correct themselves on the way. Eventually, they made it by a river, and she knew this territory by then. Going forth, they reached the mountain.

This was where she stopped. Stopping right by the border. Right where everything changed, for her. For Moonspear. The girl let off a shaky sigh. "Maybe...Maybe I shouldn't...what if they don't want to see me...what if they don't still like me after I left?" She questioned aloud.

After traveling with the light instructions they had, Ira was thankful to pick up the scent of a pack. She would have thought to inquire about their knowledge of Moonspear except it seemed they actually had arrived based on Korei's reaction to the border. The roan woman could only raise her brows to the white wolf, You only now question yourself? We already made the distance, it would be worthwhile to at least check in since we are here. That being said I doubt they feel that way, they are your family after all, correct? If anything, they likely miss you.

It was unfortunate that, of all the family members to come upon the travelling duo, Revui was the one to find them first. Unfortunate because he was eager to prove his worth after being elevated to the new rank; eager to uphold the values of the Ostrega name. He had been trying to work off the stress of inter-family turmoil that brewed like a storm across Moonspear. There was no darkness here — only the spring light, the vivacious new growth of the season, the crisp mountain air — yet it all felt so caustrophobic to the boy. He sought refuge in the lower reaches of the mountain and was stalking the border when unfamiliar voices drifted his way.

From where he stood, paused to listen, Revui could not quite make out the words. He was not prone to speech and had become distrustful of the process of conversation of late; so rather than lurk and listen, he bludgeoned his way across the terrain towards those voices. They pinpointed where the wolves roamed and Revui knew the paths well enough that he made good time in his approach.

I doubt they feel that way, they are your family after all, correct? One of the voices was getting louder. He emerged along a grassy knoll and caught the tail-end of what the stranger was saying: If anything, they likely miss you. The speaker was foreign; they were formidable in size and figure at first glance, and Revui looked to the wolf they spoke to — seeing the pale coat and a vague resemblance to his father. But he was not bright enough to make the connection. It was enough to make him hold back from his typical assault tactics—he was beta now after all, he had to observe. He had to keep the peace.

With a huff he descended the knoll by a few paces, carrying himself with the pride of his station. What? What are you doing here? What do you want? What do you mean by family? He could've asked many things, but the boy was a blunt instrument and couldn't falter from this basic aspect of his personality.

Keeping things vague-ish about rank here >_>

 
Hydra kept on patrol. Her pregnancy was moving along well, but she did not laze or idle in her duties when she was still needed and could still work. Now more than ever she was protective of this place, soon, her children would be upon it. She wanted no one near for miles and miles, and could not help but think of the one-eyed male she let linger in the wilds. It was largely his scent she looked for, but, well, she would settle for less when it came to things she could sink her teeth into that came too close.

You could imagine how low that bar was. You could imagine how surprised she was to find the very wolf that had met it, flustered at their borders. Korei Julia, who had abandoned their family without so much as a word. Hydra came upon them with the lift of her tail and a demeanor that hardly could be called welcoming. @Lyra emerged from the backdrop, flanking her. They both did not see @Alya, though worry did not set in. They would know if something was amiss. 

There was no feeling at all upon her person when she paused at the borders herself. Hydra had been kindest of all to Korei Julia, but some wolves were beyond help. Korei Julia, came Hydra's cold words, not even a greeting, just information for their confounded brother; her ears pricked atop her crown. Hydra's gaze turned toward Ira, and she regarded her with a nod. This woman looked capable; likely even Valette knew that Korei Julia might very well die on her lonesome. It was difficult not to. Maybe Ira had been kind enough to take it upon herself. 

She behaved as though Korei Julia were not there at all, for now. Hydra would never forgive her for the stress she had caused her mother and father when she left as she had. Hydra, too, truth be told. She had thought Korei Julia had been killed, until the day had come she had found out otherwise. That Korei Julia had abandoned her own. 

I am Hydra, this is Revui, and this is Lyra, she gestured toward her mirror image, who protected her other side. She informed her brother, They come from Easthollow, allied to our own pack as Alya and her mate have taken residence there. But just because they were allied did not mean anything as per their own relationship with her. Regarding Ira again, she spoke. How do you and yours fare? She was keen to know if Alya herself was also with child, should Valette have allowed it.

dang you guys are fast — faster than arcturus anyway, who had only just managed to descend the last pile of rubble once he heard hydra’s trailing words. he looked over the procession; a white female he did not know, accompanied by another slim she-wolf — both strangers save for the fact hydra seemed to approach with some form of brusque familiarity.

his tail arced over his hips as he watched, suspicious but unwilling to involve himself in formalities. with hydra and revui both there, there was little need for him to interject. instead, the dark guard set on a stone above them, watching the way one on vigil would.

Now that Hydra's heat (and subsequent hysteria moodiness) was over, Lyra once more became her sisters shadow, always watching from a distance — especially now that she was expecting young. A wave of possessiveness had taken hold of the triplet, though whether that was over Hydra herself or over her children she was not yet sure. She just wanted to be close.

So when the Beta's movements headed towards the borders, Lyra followed diligently at length. They arrived in little time to a gathering of three, one of whom Lyra's gaze locked onto with a searing quality. She took a moment to assess her, before striding forward as Hydra spoke their pale sister's name. It had been so long.

She didn't look much different to when she had left them; the same sad, sorry little girl who had no right to bear the Ostrega name. Lazily, her eyes drifted to the Easthollow woman who she supposed was her sister's charge. She was tall but not ungainly, slim but seemed capable of holding her own, and she had a shrewd look in her eyes that was in a stark contrast to Korei.

As Hydra introduced both her and herself along with Revui, Lyra simply gazed back at the darker woman with a subtle lift of her chin. For now, their sister went ignored. Why had she even come here? The other sister, her and Hydra's better third who resided in the Easthollow pack, was of more importance. Hydra provided explanation to their brother and began with pleasantries but Lyra mentally willed her to ask: what of Alya?

The dark mother went trailing after her offspring, and not only because they were the only company she was accepting these days. They led the route sure and true--most likely, all just as curious as she was. Thanks to the tensions here however, she was facing this (as with many things lately) with a very guarded prognosis; the last thing they all needed right now was more struggle and strife.

Striding forward confidently, she arrived well behind the others, and came after Hydra had said her introductions. Ame's sights were quick over the presumed Easthollow guard, and then pinned on Korei. It seemed a lot had changed in all of their time apart but she didn't loosen the arc to her tail any, but any look between her and the assortment of younger wolves assembled ahead of her made it clear what this was, and who she was.

Korei, she said coolly with a dip of a nod to her pointed muzzle when she came close enough to pause. She took her best, good long look at Korei for the first time in many moons. Why have you come? She had turn-tailed on all of them after all, and to see her return like this felt strange--so Ame wanted to know the context of this quickly before her judgements could come to pass. The mother in her was relieved to see her alive, seemingly well, but there had to be more to it than just that.

teeny edit bc i can't read so good at 3am apparently

Korei Julia couldn't help herself. She sighed quietly in response to Ira. The girl was afraid of this meeting, that she wanted to do just what she had done last time...wanted to run once more. Just as she had once done, leave this place again. This was a bad idea, this was a-

Her doubts willed away as soon as someone came. One she did not recognize. Before she could give a response to the question, she came. The first sister. Hydra. And immediately doubt was swept away, as her tail wagged. That was till doubt and fear settled back, as her other sister came. Neither acknowledged her. Only one spoke her name. Korei felt herself wanting to curl up on the spot, to hide.

"Mama" the girl seemed to utter under her breath. Even daring a step forth towards her mother. Glancing to her sisters. To her, they were still her sisters. "I...I came back to try to make up...to apologize, to see my family."

Needless to say the brigade of wolves before they came as quite the surprise to Ira. She knew these were not her lands so she lowered her head and tail respectively, however, if something were to go wrong she would not hesitate to throw herself in front of her packmate.

Soon, one of the black figures spoke introducing a few of the faces making their explanation a tad easier. The mountain wolf was almost surprised that a pregnant woman would come to the borders when they hadn't even howled yet, but she was not alone and surely in capable paws if this had been anything more than a family reunion. Once what must have been at least half of Moonspear arrived, Korei finally spoke up to answer the question most seemed to air. What she speaks is the truth. She longed to see how you all fared.

Ira would turn most of her attention back to the one who addressed her, Hyda, if she remembered the order correctly. It appeared the one beside her was a sibling, practically identical minus only one seemed to give off the scent of a mother. Easthollow is well. We have had several new young birthed as of late. I trust your pack is also prospering?

He was not long on the scene before more bodies showed up, and with each additional wolf at his flank Revui felt more confident and powerful; he had no use for words now, and merely watched, listened, waited, as the others spoke. The way that the Cerberus reacted to the pale girl was enough of a clue to Revui for his own behavior — soon he too was ignoring the girl in favor of the burly and impressive guardian that marched with her. A part of him was curious about this lost sister — but Revui had learned not to devote time or energy to those that abandoned the mountain, thinking of Yami and the fresh hurt of her refusal to come home. This pale girl was the famed Korei, the useless one. The wolf that they had been taught to not become. She did not earn much beyond a scowl from the beta.

When their mother finally made her arrival Revui backed off, moving to stand — or more apropos, to lurk — at her flank while she spoke. If anything were to go awry Revui would be one of the first to launch himself forth to defend their matriarch.

Mama. Pathetic. The step forward she took was rewarded with a flash of her teeth; she was not welcome on this mountain any longer, not since she had abandoned it, and Hydra would be merciless toward her as she would to any trespasser. Truly, there was no desire to do so if she did not need to... but Korei Julia had abandoned them in their own time of need, and had as good as stood by the side of their sisters killer, speaking to his innocence. 

The ugly truth came out when she was gone, but maybe she knew it, since she was here. That he had attacked his own sister, heavy with child. That he was a monster, just as Hydra had known all along. 

Hydra's ears pricked at her sisters declaration that she was here to make up, the only indication that Hydra would give that she heard the words at all. To apologize, and to see her family, too, it seemed. Ira justified the words, though really, Hydra cared little for their confirmation. Of course Korei had; she had been wrong for so long, the guilt must have eaten her whole. But what did that do for her? For her family, which Korei Julia was no part of? 

She dismissed her sisters words with a flick of her ear. These words came too late. Hydra regarded her with a look at last, and said: you are right to apologize. You were wrong, in every sense of it, Hydra implied with a severe look, before she continued: you have not been family to me for a long time, and you never shall be again. If you wish to see those who may still regard you that way, I would ask that you not do it upon the same place you fled from them. Hydra would allow her mother to pass judgment on that, and some of the truth of it told was that Hydra thought Korei Julia was some sort of plague. Disaster struck when she was near, Hydra felt—she did not want her cubs to come subject to it... or her siblings, capable as they were of holding their own. And in any case, all of this was the consequence of her abandonment. Hydra had feared her dead, and she hated to be afraid—when she discovered she had been wrong, that Korei Julia had left of her own free will due to her own (wrong) beliefs, she was dead—to Hydra. 

Hydra regarded Ira again, kinder to her than she was to her golden-eyed littermate. I am pleased to hear it. Has Alya become a mother? she inquired, curious as to the wellbeing of her other mirror image. Hydra sensed nothing strange, and she wondered if Alya might... and if she had, what was taking her so long to return home.

arcturus remained on the stone slab above the congregation, his gaze trailing from his mother to his siblings, and then to the pale wolf and her tall guard. he had little to say, and no reason to interject — though he watched with thinly veiled contempt as they spoke of the third sister — one who had also betrayed the mountain by leaving it on choice. to him, it seemed a double standard... but not one he would mention in present company.

crossing his heavy paws, arcturus set his head on his arms and listened, a malcontent on the fringe of their discussion, but no less involved.

As Korei finally spoke and hesitantly took a step forward, Lyra's expression of disgust mirrored Hydra's own — a twin display of fangs to show just how unwelcome she was. She pleaded her case as to why she was here, backed up by Ira's own words, though she was entirely ignored save for Hydra's scathing reply. Lyra didn't spare her so much as a glance, instead looking to the dark woman as she announced their pack had bore offspring before asking of theirs. Prospering. You could say that.

As the subject of Alya was brought up, Lyra immediately perked up, her tail even giving a tiny flick of intrigue, eager to know if she would be an aunt to two sets of litters.

Had she possessed the ability to overhear Arcturus' thoughts, she might have sought to topple from his rocky perch for daring to even think that Alya abandoned their home. As it were, Lyra remained blissfully unaware, her attention fully upon Hydra, Amekaze, and Ira.

Hydra handled her business-like enough, which was fine for the mother. Ame even passed the guard a glance, but she really didn't have expansive interest in Easthollow, not right now and not beyond finding out about Alya. She studied the lack of ear her daughter wore again, and went on to other details that maybe a part of her had started to lose track of.

Mama, she said, and Ame didn't know what to say for a heavy moment. Conflict pulled at her as she heard the apology just enough to process it. This was her daughter she was looking at, but one that had willingly turned away from them when their way of life did not flow well with her--so she was plenty able to set aside the thought that she was returning to them, not that they were going to be the types to be welcoming at this point. Korei had always been different, though, and Amekaze had always wished it could have been different as well--that she could have flourished and bloomed as one of them too. All of the opportunity had been present and maybe deep down, the mother missed her and what could have become.

Why did you leave like that? she asked, her expression measured out to a careful neutral. She wanted to hear it, whatever an answer may be. At that time, tensions had been high but what had finally done it for her? She had wondered and truthfully, thought it lucky that she survived leaving them at all. And why apologize now? We did not know if you were even still alive for so long... What changed, or what do you hope to gain? The damage was done and the rift between them all greater than ever, all thanks to Korei's choice to leave them instead of grow with them; an apology could be some peace of mind at best, and even that was

Korei Julia was rather startled by that, for a moment at first at those words. From her sister, no less. Not family. That was what struck her the hardest. She tried not to show it, but she visibly winced. For a moment, Korei glanced to Ira. A silver lining, at least. Business between packs and suddenly she felt like pulling away, to let Ira take the reigns, as there was no possible response to Hydra.

But it was not till her mother spoke. Suddenly it was just the two of them, in Korei's mind. All attention on the one she referred to as 'Mamma'. The memories of that day came to her.

"I...I left...I could not handle Galaxy's death...how no one ever listened. I was afraid, I was weak...I was foolish." Yes. This she knew now. And since leaving it always played in her mind, even after figuring it out for herself. "I could not face leaving, so I never returned, fearful you would not accept me again" she went on. And it seemed it was just what had happened. Then she glanced to Ira. Almost pleadingly for something. To go, or to stay for business talk.

Well this is awkward. Overall the roan wolf was here for Korei and Korei alone. Anything else she gained was a bonus, but there were bigger family issues here than her own. Her maw parted slightly to respond to the questions involving Alya, but paused glancing at the white woman beside her. It felt wrong to just ignore her presence and carry on with carrying their news as a pack.

It was then that Korei spoke up again, casting glances her way between the breaks and pauses. The look she gave when she finished said it all. She wanted to go. Ira turned her gaze to the twin shadows to finally respond, Alya has carried no children this season. Valette was our only mother. If Korei chose to leave now, she would follow with short farewells, otherwise she would wait out the waves of hate from her family a little longer.

Pullin' my boy out.

There were too many bodies; he had no desire to remain while they spoke, even if it was his duty. His mother was present and so was Hydra, Arcturus, and while Revui would lurk nearby in case they needed him, he doubted they would. So while Amekaze confronted her pale daughter on her choices Revui was silent, and he removed himself by slinking to the flank of the group and then away.