Heron Lake Plateau they escaped the weight of the darkness

 
Attn: @Liffey, @Deshyr, @Breccan, @Aengus, @Sionnach, @Tiarnach, @Eshe, @Raven, @Quixote, and @Wisteria. 
Set: 06/07/19, around midnight.

The homestretch of their journey was upon them, and Rannoch frequently glanced in Wisteria's direction with an expression of disbelief. Despite her feeble condition, she was alive, and that was what mattered most to him. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if this was all a fabrication of his depleted cognizance, hence the regular check-ins with his daughter.

Despite everything, namely his exhaustion, Rannoch managed to gallop up the gently sloping hill that lead to the summit of the tableland. When he made it to the top, Rannoch gently placed Aengus at his paws and turned to watch as the rest of his family followed him; he was so proud of each of them for what they had accomplished.

"Should we let them know we're here?" Rannoch prompted excitedly once the family had assembled at the borders; it was late, but he was sure that Raven, Quixote, and the rest of the Redhawks would be relieved to know that they had arrived.

Liffey still couldn't believe that Wisteria had returned to their lives like this. She was overjoyed, of course, for her return. She was certainly changed and needed the care of a pack to bring her back to the level of health the doting mother required for her children, but she was still her little Wisp, alive and safe and right back where she belonged.

But there was a somewhat souring aspect of this that Liffey tried her best to not dwell on. The constellation she and Rannoch had picked out in the sky for Wisp was a bird whose wingtip was connected to that of her sister's, Remi. She had been so certain that the pair had found each other and were together somewhere. In spite of everything that was wonderful about Wisp being returned to them, it broke her heart some to know that Wisp had been alone. Not only that, but that Remi was alone in the world somewhere too, even now.

Liffey feared it would break her to dwell on it, so she pushed it aside and did her best to remain in the present. And presently, they were about to embark upon something she felt in her heart was one of the greatest moves she had ever made in her life. Everything about this felt right to her, in spite of all she'd had to sacrifice for it (or that she'd had to make her loved ones sacrifice... they'd be happy in the end, she just knew it). So when Rannoch asked his question, all Liffey could do was smile and then toss her head back and call for their new packmates to come and say hello.

One post cameo unless addressed, kindly tag if a reply is needed.

Wisteria remained quite reclusive even after reuniting with her family. It was hard to say what the most shocking change was: being surrounded by family after being alone for so long, or the appearance of four little replacements. Thus far she gave the new pups a wide berth and lagged at the back of the group, skittish as ever. It would take a lot to erase the effects of a winter spent on her own, and the scars left in her psyche might never fade. She had not the fortitude to confront these new feelings yet.

Even as they reached the borders of an unknown pack—why had they left the Hollow, she'd wondered for the entire journey, without ever finding the voice to ask it—Wisteria hung toward the back, her eyes narrow and suspicious as she glanced past her mother's slim shoulder to the waterlogged lands beyond.

This trip had gotten even weirder before they reached their destination; Breccan had been shocked to see Wisteria. He wasn't unhappy to see her by any means -- some part of him felt relief that she was safe and alive, though malnourished -- but everything was overshadowed by his disdain for the entire situation. Throughout the rest of the journey, he had stolen glances at her as she lingered near the back of the group, but hadn't attempted to engage her in any sort of interaction (granted, it would have been difficult to talk with Tiarnach in his mouth).

It was nearly midnight when they finally set paws on the plateau. Already annoyed after having spent the last few days dwelling on his resentment, Breccan was even crankier given the late hour. He deposited Tiarnach at his feet and glanced back at the wilds stretching out behind them, the land they had travelled across illuminated in the moonlight. He frowned, but didn't say anything even as his mother called for her family.

All he wanted was to find a place to sulk and sleep.

sionnach had spent the entire trip griping and squalling, being the most disagreeable sionnach that sionnach could be.. and given sionnach, that was quite a feat. she scowled, she skulked, she kicked, she howled; it was way past her bedtime, she missed ashlar and gannet, and she wanted to sleep! her neck was sore from the distance she had been carted, and she was as prickly as the porcupine that had whacked her that one time.

'i can walk myself!' sionnach had insisted on more than one occasion, marching off on her stumpy legs before she could be scooped up. eventually she would tire, and that was when she would march to her mom or breccan or deshyr, demanding in a surly voice 'CARRY ME!' with a princessly stomp of her little feet. sionnach could not make up her mind most of the trip whether she wanted to be carried or whether she wanted to walk herself.. so much of the course was an endless cycle of CARRY ME!! / PUT ME DOWN! for her patient and enduring family.

a new member had come to their fold, and sionnach had also spent much of the trip eyeballing @Wisteria with the coldest squint she could muster. who??? what??? she had been informed at least sixty times this was an older sister, but sionnach just wasn't having it. who was this skinny freak? wisteria probably would have picked up on the constant daggers sionnach glared into the back of head by now: the puppy was neither discreet nor shy when it came to wide-eyed stares. deshyr was her only older sister, and this johnny-come-lately would just have to be something else: mom's weird skinny alcoholic friend, or maybe daddy's anorexic secretary.. but not older sister. sionnach barely knew her!

once they were at the borders, sionnach politely insisted she be put down by roundhouse kicking at her mom's throat until she was placed on the ground. once her feet were on all fours, sionnach fumbled her way to wisteria suspiciously. up until now, sionnach had kept a wide berth. she sniffed the air like a colt inspecting something new, her little nose twitching as her piggish eyes measured this 'new' older sister with doubt. whatever went on in the back of sionnach's head, it appeared wisteria met her approval, for no sooner had she marched to the girl and stared at her, sionnach barked/demanded "CARRY ME!" in her older sister's face.

aengus felt like a fucking king. his plump little form was held in his father’s jaws with the tenderest of grips. his face was twisted upward into a haughty smile that suggested he had gotten the best deal out of having to be carried across the entire god damn globe. while sionnach seemed to wiggle and fight against being held, the young bull was pleased that he did not have to wear himself ragged in an attempt to be put down. he had the cushiest of serfs toting him around like the royal luggage that he was.
 
when sionnach seemed to take a sudden – verbal – interest in this supposed older sister who had just randomly showed up, aengus followed her with a pointed stare. the timing was well enough, as rannoch had just placed him down on the ground and turned to speak to their mother. after having been released by the large man, aengus thought it would be beneficial to see what was going on in his sister’s head.
 
“you don’t wanna carry her, she’s smelly!” aengus jeered from where he sat at his father’s feet. his plump features were curled into a devilish smile. not only that, but who the hell would want to be carried around by the skinny stranger who had magically appeared out of nowhere? she looked kinda scary… she also kinda looked like she had pee in her fur. at least, in his experience, that shade of gold predominantly came from his wiener. he’d never seen someone with fur in that tone. it was all very fishy to him.
 
aengus had settled on the idea that this crazy wolf was actually a witch and she had just used some twisted magic to convince his parents that she was one of their kids. kudos to you, witch lady… but aengus was not buying it.

PPing Quixote with permission until Jennifer has time to jump in!

The howl went up into the air on the wings of a tired song, and relief bloomed warmly in the alpha female's heart. They had arrived! Hoping everyone had made it safely and in one piece, she nudged the sleeping @Quixote awake and dragged him grumbling and mumbling along with her as she loped jubilantly to meet her friends and the rest of their family.

It was a beautiful night, cool and bright under the light of the summer moon. Raven was tired, as she'd laid awake waiting to hear the call instead of slipping into the sleep that tugged muzzily at the edges of her consciousness. Now, though, she was alert and wide awake, exhilarated at the prospect of welcoming the Frostfur bunch into her pack. It felt like a homecoming of sorts, chiefly because Liffey was coming back to the pack where she'd been born. Raven had known the girl since birth and while she was used to youngsters getting wanderlust and leaving home, that never stopped her from missing them all.

She and her mate rounded a stand of brush and there they were, road-weary and clearly worn out from days on the road but, otherwise, by all appearances safe and sound. Her tail waved madly as she slowed to approach them, her bright eyes glancing from one face to the next. How their family had grown! Had Rannoch even had any kids the last time she'd seen him? She couldn't remember. Quixote nodded his greetings to them as Raven stepped forward to touch noses with Rannoch and Liffey both. Looking from one to the other, she grinned and said, "Welcome home!"

She had already been emotionally torn between anger at her parents for uprooting their lives and the guilt for feeling that way, that when the wrench that was her missing sister showed up, Deshyr shut down completely. The where, why, and hows were kept at bay in favour of simple pure shock of seeing her sister here and alive. She was skinny — scarily so — with an unkempt feral aspect about her that kept her littermate at arms length, opting instead to inspect her from a distance, all at once entranced and horrified by this creature who had remerged claiming to be Wisp. She remembered Wisp, and this stranger wasn't her.

Deshyr watched as Sionnach, who had previously avoided the newcomer, now marched towards her after being set down by Liffey. Her ears fell back at the girl's shouting demand. Where normally she would have reprimanded her sister, DJ only watched passively, a flicker of mirth racing across her features for a split second. Go on, Sin, be as much of a nuisance as you want, serves mum and dad right. Her eyes then trailed lazily up to their greeting party as they arrived.

She had been told of Raven by both her mother and father, their reviews of the Redhawk medic both glowing and plentiful. Despite this and their cheerful demeanour, she eyed both her and her similarly dark mate warily. Welcome home! It certainly didn't feel like it. Deshyr remained silent and stoic at her post beside her brother, the only one she had any faith in at the moment.

Unlike her fussy sister, though not unlike her opportunistic brother, Eshe was quite content to be carried -- and would even protest to being put down whenever the time came to give Deshyr's tender jaws a much-needed rest. The entire ordeal had exhausted the middling child, even despite walking less than a fifth of the way herself, so by the time they arrived she wasn't as interested in their returned older sister as the others appeared to be.

She turned a curious ear towards the commotion at the back of their family train, but her gaze mostly remained forward -- locked warily on the approach of two dark strangers -- as she settled irritably between Breccan and Deshyr; quietly feeding from their respectively bitter and apprehensive moods. With a glare creasing her little grey brow, Eshe watched the adults interact with her expression fixed in an award-winning display of suspicion.

He's been fairly quiet throughout the journey, not particularly inclined to give Breccan much trouble about carrying him — but he does prefer walking, and occasionally he makes this known. Thankfully, it seems the group has arrived at their destination, and his brother releases him before he can start flailing. Startled by his siblings' yelling and the sudden arrival of strangers, he flees to @Eshe's side. He's determined to remain there, favoring his quiet sibling for the comfort her presence brings. He loves Aengus and Sionnach, but he wishes he could find the volume button.

With his entire family encircling him at the plateau's edge, Rannoch felt as though he could truly breathe for the first time in days. Liffey was the one to summon Raven and Quioxte, and as she did, Rannoch took a moment to do a mental roll call of the children, and get a grasp of where they had all settled. All seemed still until Sionnach screamed. "Sionnach," Rannoch summoned, his voice sharp; although Wisteria was a stranger, she still deserved respect from her younger sister. "Do not talk to your sister like that, you know better." He glanced as Wisteria then, wondering what he reaction had been.  Whatever her reaction was, Rannoch then decided that he'd rather keep a closer eye on Sionnach. "Come on over here, Sionnach," he requested, his voice softer. "If you're good, daddy will carry you." 
 
Raven and Quioxte arrived shortly after Rannoch requested his daughter's company, and he turned just in time to touch noses with Raven. "Raven!" he replied, "I'm sorry we made it in so late—we wanted to get here as quickly as he could." Rannoch then offered Liffey a knowing glance, as he quickly recalled their conversation hours prior. "These are all the children—Breccan and Deshyr, who you've both met before," he glanced at his eldest, and motioned towards them with a bob of his muzzle. "And our youngest, Sionnach, Aengus, Tiarnach, and Eshe." He motioned to each child as he spoke their names. "We also found Wisteria, one of our older children on the way—she ran off before she could meet you all." He turned to his blonde-haired daughter and smiled. 

Once his upon the plateau's reigning alpha pair once more, Rannoch added quietly, "They're all worn out from the trip—I'm sure they'll be in higher spirits in the morning."

Wisteria ignored most of what was going on—she didn't give two shits about her younger siblings and she was much too nervous to approach her littermates, who both looked sullen enough to warn her away even if she wasn't anxious about it. Instead she remained at the back of the group, tethered to the ground until Sionnach approached her. Even before the cub's loud demand, Wisteria's ears were pressing backward and her eyes were narrowing.

But Sionnach's scream set all the reactive she-wolf's nerves alight; she didn't like kids to begin with, let alone a loud-mouthed brat in her face when she hadn't yet come to terms with how she felt about having younger siblings. She swung her head low in a fearsome display of savagery and clapped her jaws sharply shut less than half an inch from her little sister's nose, loosing a deep, rancid snarl at the same time. The back of her neck was spiked with agitation and her tail lashed dangerously at her hocks. She was the closest to Sionnach. She could kill her in two seconds if she wanted to and there was nothing anyone could do to stop her. They could take their revenge after the fact, but in the moment, Wisteria would be unstoppable.

Drawing back her whiskers, she snarled again in the pup's face. She wouldn't do it, but she could, and that knowledge made her display all the more serious. Raven's approach was utterly ignored, as were all the other brats; her focus was solely on Sionnach and making her back up as soon as possible.

There was a general sensation of unsettlement among the youth of the family, which didn't improve Breccan's mood but helped him feel somewhat justified. Sionnach and Aengus were outspoken in their misbehavior, while Breccan and Deshyr remained quiet. Even Eshe and Tiarnach did not seem to be themselves, as they settled soberly between their older siblings.

There was a warning snarl and a snap from Wisteria as Sionnach invaded her personal space, and Breccan tensed slightly but didn't move from his position. His ears twitched in Rannoch's direction as he reprimanded the younger of his two daughters, and then he shifted his gaze to take in the arrival of Raven and Quixote. The Redhawks were cheerful as they greeted the Frostfurs, but other than Rannoch and Liffey, the feeling didn't seem to be reciprocated.

Breccan didn't speak up as his father introduced everyone, though he did offer a small nod of his head when his name was mentioned. He didn't understand how the adults could treat this so nonchalantly, like picking up and moving miles away from home was a normal thing that should be accepted with grace. Luckily, he didn't hear Rannoch's murmured addendum to their hosts in regard to his children's attitudes; otherwise, they would have likely earned a roll of the boy's eyes.

sionnach had yet to learn to pick on people her own size, nor had she learned the virtue of being quiet. as she strutted over to wisteria, sionnach was the epitome of childish swagger. her confidence cup brimmeth over, her charisma pulled to the hilt; surely wisteria would have no recourse but to oblige to her little sister's more than fair demand, right?

WRONG.

sionnach's tail was wagging and a cocksure smile spread across her cherubic features when suddenly, everything turned to shit. wisteria's aggressive display hit sionnach like the destructive force of a nuclear bomb, deafening to her tiny and inexperienced ears. the heat of the jackal's spitting rage nearly burnt the fur clear off of sionnach's angelic head! it slicked her ears back forcefully, and caused a ripple of fur to blast backwards from the obliterating shock-wave. sionnach's entire form nearly disintegrated by the flash of violence. never had the little frostfur seen teeth so woefully up-close; they were frighteningly sharp! never had she been so close to complete and total annihilation, hanging the line by the tiniest of threads. she was luckier than she realized, but sionnach was not thinking of luck right now. she was thinking about that hell-raised, demonic sibling -- and how her features had transformed from sibling to otherworldly, lovecraftian horror in a matter of seconds. wisteria could have sported a cape of medusa's writhing vipers, and still she would not be more terrifying. sionnach felt utterly piss-yourself-scared in that moment.

her knees knocked together and a warm stream flushed her little body. she was cowering and wholly lambasted by wisteria's outburst, and it took several seconds for her to come to her destroyed senses... but eventually she did, albeit clumsily.  "DAAAAAAHHDEEEE!!" sionnach screamed as she turned, fleeing the explosive minefield of her sister's clearly unjust wrath in a blind stumble of panic. everyone else but her father and the toothsome, diabolical wisteria were forgotten in that moment as sionnach fled and sought the comfort (and protection) of her father.

In spite of the unfortunately somber mood it appeared was shared by all of their children, Liffey still found a way to be happy when Raven and Quixote approached. She greeted them with a happy wag of her tail, her smiling eyes traveling from Quixote first and then her cousin. "Thank you! It's nice t--" Liffey began, only to be interrupted when her daughters stole the show.

She bristled when Sionnach approached her older sister, wariness etched in her frame as she watched the exchange. Wisteria made every warning sign she could to keep the pup at bay, yet her younger daughter had not once ever been one to be deterred. Rannoch called to her, but it was clearly too late. Wisp snapped, and Liffey moved to put herself between the pair--a move that quickly proved to be unneccessary as Sionnach went screaming back to her father. She growled a soft warning to Wisp, meant not to threaten but to remind her that she was safe, that more powerful wolves were around that she could rely on to control the situation. Then, she turned back to point a wary regard to the rest.

Sighing, she looked at Raven once again and gave a nod to agree with her mate's ascertion. "Rest would be appreciated," she said, trying to smile in spite of the 180 her mood had just taken.

Hunkered down and glowering in the direction of the welcoming shadow-wolves ahead, Eshe was an immovable ball of lint— an angry one at that— clinging to Tiarnach's warm, reassuring flank. In fact, the only thing capable of drawing the girl out from her hatefully silent declaration of mistrust, was a shrill screech from an earnestly frightened Sionnach; a sound to which Eshe turned reflexively towards, fear bright in her eyes.

And it was this same fear that kept her rooted unwillingly to the spot. No matter how much of her wanted to run to her sister, and huddle up for safety, a more powerful urge not to face what Sionnach had experienced kept her stationary. Quivering, but immobile. Awaiting what she felt would be a similarly terrible indoctrination to their new environment.

wrapping this up with permission! <333

Liffey was grateful when Raven simply nodded and graciously asked them to follow her, instead of commenting on the drama caused by her daughters. Rannoch was cradling Sionnach close, trying to soothe her. So, Liffey turned to the rest of her children and urged them onwards with a gesture of her muzzle. She comforted herself that they were all just a bit frazzled from the long journey, and that all they needed was a bit of rest to heal the frayed emotions and downtrodden spirits that had haunted them since their flight from the Hollow. All would be well after a good meal and a good night's sleep.

She really, really, really, really hoped it would be, at least.