Whitefish River sail

hoping for @Dawn & @Dauntless <3

He's been scarce lately — scarce enough to hardly notice the scents of his siblings within the territory. But he does notice it, even if he's stifled every part of him that wants to run to find them so far. Well, until now. He isn't certain what's different about today, but as he wakes and departs silently from @Evergreen, he knows he needs to see them.
He heads for the riverside first, half-wondering if he'll spot one of them fishing. But only the rush of sparkling water greets him, and he finds himself floundering for several moments. Is he ready? Are they? Does it even matter? He swallows, then tips his head back to call for them both, hoping they're somewhere within the territory. He's not sure if he has it in him to search for them.

Settling in had taken far longer than Dauntless had expected. He had realized at once that he was putting off tracking down his siblings -- one older and one younger -- but to his frustration, he could not quite find the nerve to actually face them. What if they were angry with him? He'd departed shortly after their father's death, and it seemed as though the pack had been completely dissolved. Was it his fault? And even if it wasn't, would River remember him? Would he know Dauntless only as a distant figure from a painful past? A stranger? And Dawn -- Dauntless felt as though he'd failed her. She'd taken on so much even before their father's death, and Dauntless had disappeared into the aether.

But even with these uncomfortable thoughts and feelings consuming him, Dauntless drew great comfort from being around their familiar scents. It settled him in ways he'd almost forgotten, and drove him to work harder on bringing food in to the caches. Too, the scent of pups in the area filled him with hope and energy; perhaps this was a place and a people he could learn to call his home.

When River called out for them, he finally felt ready. Large, brown paws carried him quickly to the source, where a wolf who could not, under any circumstance, be his little brother already stood. Dauntless gaped at him, feeling off-put and uncertain until he picked out the lean grace of Catori in his figure, the glint of Grayday in his eyes. That felt like a punch to the gut, actually. And his wintry hood was all River, and Dauntless's tail began to wheel in excitement even as he lowered his head and splayed his ears in apology.

"Hey, River," he said lamely, closing some of the distance between them. "It's... it's been a long time."

their scents she'd largely discounted as blurred memories turned outlandish hopes she's largely ignored, especially since she's spent so long out of the territory the past few days. but when the call rings out for her, and Dauntless, she swallows, allowing her belief that the scent might not be figments of a hopeful memory after all.

she arrives on the heels of who she recognizes as dauntless, and the second man - river. she swallows, surprised at the sudden grief she feels. "dauntless—river. you're alive." she blinks at them, striding forward to sweep her gave over both, awe in her gaze as she compares the wolves before her to the youth she'd seen last.

He'd half-expected that they wouldn't come, but the moment he sees his brother, he forgets why he'd had that fear at all. His stump tail begins to wave, slowly at first, then faster as Dauntless greets him. Childishly, he wants to rush to embrace him even if they had never been close, but something keeps him rooted in place. Dauntless, He says, cut off by Dawn's arrival, and for a moment he can only stare between them, eyes shining. Dawn. I... I didn't think I'd ever — He coughs once, throat tight with emotion. See you again. What — where have you guys been? There is no accusation in his tone, though there might have been once. He steps forward to greet them each with a touch of his nose to their shoulders if allowed, trying not to wonder about his littermates, about his mother and Aditya.

Dauntless's heart gave an uncomfortable double-thud when Dawn appeared as well. She looked far smaller than he remembered her, although still strong and vigorous, he was now of a comparable size to her. He couldn't remember if that had been the case the last time he'd seen her, or if she was just larger than life in his memories.

"I'm sorry," he said to them both, ears splaying and posture crumbling in deep contrition. "After Dad -- I should've stuck around for everyone. But I just thought..." He didn't know. He'd thought they were all broken anyway and that nothing could ever be the same. That he'd spent enough time away from home that it wouldn't matter anymore if he was there. That they'd lost too many people and they'd keep losing people so what was the point in even trying? In loving each other?

"I've been nowhere," he went on in a lower voice, still sounding shame-faced, but not quite so gripped by it. "Just -- wandering here and there."