Hushed Willows I'm arriving, and it feels like I am home.

@Lumiya plz.

Hushed Willows, having survived the quaking earth that drove one of its sons far from his home among its weeping trees, thrived beneath its guardian spires. The young druid stood quietly on the outskirts of what had been his home the year prior with mixed feelings. While there was comfort in knowing Elysium's sacred land had welcomed wolves once more into its embrace, Sundance reeled at having detected no familiar scent among those that marked its outskirts.

His mothers. Brothers. All gone.

Silver ears smoothed back, defeated, and he turned his face away. For so long he'd been unwilling to think of the worst possible outcome after having spent his entire time away longing for what he hoped would be a beautiful reunion. Pastel eyes fluttered closed. Through flared nostrils, Sundance drew in a shaky breath - one that was released in a strained whine.

Wherever you are, he pleaded silently to his parents and siblings, be it in this life or the next, know that I love you.

He inhaled deeply, and felt the warmth of a Summer breeze caress the lengthy fur of a pale cheek in what was surely a response. Confirmation, he felt, of his solemn suspicion that nature had reclaimed @Olive's gentle soul. I am right here, he swore he heard her say, and emotion tightened around the yearling's throat as his soft gaze looked longingly into the forest; I never left.

"Let me find you," Sundance whispered, and took a moment to gather himself before sending forth a call for new leadership to meet with him.

The queen of faes was training again in the deep lake created by the waterfall - it had rained yesterday, but it was sunny again when she woke. In the distance she could see dark grey clouds accumulating, forming a soft blanket that would either pass the realm or spill its secrets right above it. Nature could use the water - summer often came with dry, smoldering weeks, destroying important herbs and making her feel so hot and listless. She was grateful for the drop in temperature for now.

When a call rang through the forest, she was quick to get out of the water and shake her coat. It was a bit cold, but nothing she couldn't handle. She whistled for Loinnir, her owl, to join her and he reluctantly agreed, stationing himself on her damp back. The duo then made their way to the border where they had been called to, pushing their way through curtains of willow branches until eventually finding the young, pale man.

Greetings. She called sweetly. How may I help you?

✹☾❂

 

Even though Eleuthera was often in Kincaid’s presence, she did not neglect her duties. Sure it was rainy; sure, no one in their right mind would be out and about. However, she still walked the borders daily, as things were still quite on-edge since the small Saints party came to visit, and Eleuthera was becoming increasingly more suspicious of anything beyond her willows.

In sunny moments like this, such duties could almost be mistaken as nice.

There was a call, for Lumiya, but the lilac faerie was so close that she might as well heed the call, as well. Who knew who — or what — called Lumiya’s attention, but there was no reason for the Queen to be alone. New energy in her step, the woman was there in moments. She was looking upon a young, silver man and the sooty Queen, exchanging cordialities.Eleuthera strode forward, conspicuously enough that they both knew she was here, and settled into the background.

*throws Leu in here at the speed of light*

Editing to accommodate Leu as I shadow posted, derp!

Sundance's call tapered, delivered smoothly onto the wind, and the sterling youth lowered his snowy muzzle to blink curiously into the woods before him. He felt the stirring of excited anticipation as his pale eyes followed the gentle sway of willow branches, enough to overcome the anxiety that had made his mind swim in recent days.

He'd always tried to be a positive creature, keen to bypass negativity and look for only good in the world. It was difficult, sometimes, to put himself first, but in this instance it felt necessary. For so long, Sundance did his best to locate the wayward @Dorea - a girl he'd naïvely thought to be The One. For more than half a year, for the entirety of his adult life, he'd dedicated every effort into tracking her. In the end, despite a very real fear of letting go, he was forced to acknowledge that it was almost impossible to locate someone who didn't want to be found.

He missed her, of course. He would turn focus elsewhere, but he would always miss her, until the time might come when she would be ready to see him again.

Whenever that may be.

The appearance of a she-wolf, unknown to him, brought the druid's platinum ears forward. He averted his gaze at once, cast it downward as he swept himself low in a respectful bow. "And to you," he answered silkily in response to the other yearling's pleasant greeting. "My name is Sundance. I was born here, to Elysium." Not really, but he was not to know of his mother's traumatic whelping at the heart of their neighbouring Emberwood. His childhood belonged among the willows. 

The young Shakti parted his jaws in preparation to speak again, to tentatively ask that question whose answer he was oddly afraid to hear, when another she-wolf ventured from between the weepig foliage. Sundance averted his pale gaze to look upon this lilac faerie for only a moment, a silent acknowledgement, before he respectfully glanced downward again. "Is... anyone from my pack still here?"

background character! can skip!

While the call was forth leadership, as the guard of the court, Orlaith still skulked through the forest with a fire, as she walked out with head held high, and an eye to the stranger. Though leadership already arrived, she stayed back with intimidation to her pose. He was a silver, silver like the Queen, but he held an respectful tone that she approved off. No fangs would be bared- for now.

But obviously, Orlaith didn't care about any of what he said- only to why he was here. The flaming wolf was silent, as she watched behind the the two fairies.

Two silent shadows stalked the queen to their borders - everyone still on-edge from recent events. The boy, however, smelled not of the Saints and acted in a way that made her trust him. Anyone that came to their borders in peace would be greeted with kindness, as it was the way of the fae.

Elysium, now such a beautiful name had stuck in her memory. Eleuthera had come from Elysium, the pack that called the willows home before somehow disbanding, leaving the forest free to be claimed by the fae folk. Seeing as those that were born here were yearlings now, made lumi believe the forest was uninhabited for many moons until the last fateful winter.

A solemn nod was given, and she stepped aside to reveal more of the lavender woman. I believe Eleuthera hailed from Elysium, did you not? She asked, a subtle invitation to join the conversation. She hadn't reacted excitedly upon seeing him at first like she had had with the mention of her sister, so perhaps she did not recognize Sundance, or it could be they simply hadn't met before.

✹☾❂

Eleuthera, for one, was very astonished when the word Elysium fell from this stranger’s lips. Her heart leaped in immediate recognition: are you like me? seeking a place that no longer exists, and speaking to ghosts? Someone who understood how when she looked at the Willows, it was not the future she saw, as the Faeries did — she saw the past, and the energy of wolves that once roamed this forest, and was constantly reminded of the sadness of such a significant, earth-shattering loss. As much as it pained her, it’s also what kept her locked in place.

Ibis and Mal had both moved on. Who was this creature, who’s sadness sat adjacent to her own?

Eleuthera stared at the young male with a scrutinizing eye before deciding she didn’t know him, despite her initial happiness at finding a fellow Elysian.“I don’t remember you,” she said, more out of embarrassment than anything accusatory. For a moment, Eleuthera was worried that this was one of Mali — Mal’s — long lost siblings and they would be ultimately offended at her forgetting of him. She was beginning to get the sense that her decorum during her first year, as a cherub, then a seraph, had been less than desirable. She didn’t want to feel worse about it.

“Were you a Seraph?" What she really wanted to ask was: do you remember my mama’s?

The appearance of another wolfess drew Sundance's attention to her temporarily, and his tongue slipped submissively between his lips to smooth a whisker. Though he did not dare look any of these females in the eye, he could feel the weight of their gazes on his hide - particularly that of the newest arrival, who remained a silent sentinel. He wondered if each held a leadership rank in harmony, if their hierarchy held some similarity to that of sacred Elysium.

What happened to those warrior wolves, he wondered, the sibling pair that hailed from the coastal cliffs. He remembered how they upset the balance by overthrowing their Shiva, but his own departure had come swiftly after. Had they brought his family to ruin?

His powder blue eyes lifted sharply at the mention of a name: Eleuthera. Sundance followed the speaker's gaze as she pointed her muzzle in the aforementioned wolfess' direction, hopeful, and he listened intently to what valuable knowledge she might have to offer regarding the fate of his family. He didn't recognise her despite the feeling of familiarity on hearing her name, but wondered if she'd been present before he'd been born. Holding his breath, fearful of what she might have to say but desperate for closure, it was exhaled in disappointment in her response.

I don't remember you.

Silver ears fell back. His shoulders sagged. He felt his ankles weaken, his heart skip an uncomfortable beat. How? That was all he wished to ask: I am a son of Olive Shakti, how can you not know?

"A cherub," he corrected softly, sadly; Sundance never had the chance to ascend beyond Elysium's juvenile rank. "I was just a boy when I was forced to flee the shaking earth. I never found my way back until now."

He blinked between each of the three females before him, afraid that they might doubt his claim to have been raised among the willows. Sundance felt his mouth dry, and he carried on with haste: "Olive and Seabreeze are my mothers." And they are calling to me!

✹☾❂

 

The boy wilted at her admission that she didn’t remember him — she hadn’t wanted this reaction, but recognition was something you couldn’t fake. If she could have willed his memory into existence, she would have. In fact, she was this close to faking a memory of him entirely to save face, but she didn’t. All she had was some slight recognition in his pale fur and the disappointed looks upon his gentle face. Eleuthera pressed her lips into a thin line, excited to have met another wolf of Elysium, whether she knew them or not. The Seraphs had been scattered to the winds, it seemed, but if they were true, the Willows always called them home — even in the very, bitter end. 

Then Sundance said two things that astonished the lilac girl. In fact, these two assertions from the young, silver thing in front of her left her slack jawed, mouth hanging agape. Shaking earth? Whatever that was, it was new to her. In fact, Eleuthera could not possibly even conceive of what shaking earth was, or how strong of a force it must be to drive a creature from its soul’ home — but it a clue as to what happened to Elysium. The truth of happened to Elysium, after the bear. There was a whole chapter that was blank, and until now, Eleuthera wasn’t sure anyone bore the knowledge to finish the pages.

The second thing that surprised Eleuthera deep, deep in her bones was to hear her mothers’ names. Not only that, but this stranger also referred to them as his mothers. She almost immediately rationalized this as some sort of prophetical title, that they were some holy mother to all the weary and weak, but as the woman silently studied him, Eleuthera felt (also deep, deep in her bones) that wasn’t the mother relationship he was referring to. Okay, she needed to work this out verbally.

“Olive and Seabreeze are my mothers" she responded, somewhat indignantly, albeit unintentionally. She began to consider the timelines, and the relative dating of the gravesites Séamus had found. If the two flighty siblings absconded together when they were a year old, and there had been several months — maybe even edging closer to a year — between then and his discovery of the bodies within the Willows... well, that was more than enough time to rear another litter. “What? When…" the woman mumbled as she took a step forward, then another step, spilling towards the man as her brain figured it all out. Perhaps her conversation with Mali primed her for this realization — that she may have a crop of younger siblings out there, somewhere — but for one to appear right now? Uncanny.

“So, you’re… my brother?"

lumiya gave permission to skip!

Olive and Seabreeze are my mothers.

The boys tall ears swivelled back at the lilac fae's frustrated tone, pressed firm against the smooth alabaster fur of his collared nape. He lowered his willowy frame a little further, pastel eyes wide in surprise as they darted between each of the three she-wolves who'd come to attend his arrival in search of their own disbelief of his word. Sundance felt anxiety creep its way up his throat, as the very real fear that they might turn on him with accusatory fangs began to flower.

He dared a single step back, prepared himself to flee should the need arise. Thankfully, none moved to further intimidate him, but still the young druid maintained his hesitation. How could she not believe him, this lavender stranger who claimed his family as her own? Sundance could not recall encountering any older siblings in his youth among the willows, nor could he remember discussing them with his parents.

But it was a possibility, he supposed, and was forced to consider as the lilac fae loomed over him with scrutiny. Sundance felt the weight of her stare as it proved his features and, perhaps foolishly, he lifted his supernova gaze to look for familiarity in her features.

Brother, she asked of him, and Sundance felt his tongue dry in his maw. He swallowed. "I..." he struggled to find the right words. How could she be a sister to him, when no parents were around to confirm?

"I don't...? I..."

He blinked, apology clear in his clearwater eyes.

"Wh-what is your name?"

✹☾❂

 

At first, the boy looked as if he might run — Eleuthera could have been more gentle in her approach, as she was not a wolf without tact, but she was struggling with this realization as much as he might have been. She thought any wolf related to her by true blood, instead of marriage, were all dead and gone.  Perhaps the boy was lying...

but what on earth could he stand to gain from such a falsehood?

Eleuthera was a trusting soul and took all of this at face value, without putting much stock in the theory that it was all some ruse. This was a cause for celebration, was it not?! She had not a single brother, now here one was, all pale fur and grey overtones (ones that reminded her a lot of the color which dyed her own pelt), so unsure of himself and his place here. There was no reason for a child of Elysium to feel unwelcome here! Visibly brightening, Eleuthera padded forward a step, then two, then three. With her affinity for brothers, and severe lack of them, the woman clearly pleased.

The timeline also cemented itself in her head, by this point. “You were probably born a few months after I left. Sundance, you said?" she poked her nose forward curiously, swinging her head to regard Lumiya, seeing if she could scry any particular feelings she was having about this. Eleuthera couldn’t really tell, but since she had been welcomed into Seelie Court as a faerie despite her past in the willows,  and Kincaid was also allowed inside for a lengthy amount of time without officially joining, then she could see no reason this familiar stranger would not be given the same grace. It still wasn’t up to her, though. Just more like a guess.

“I’m Eleuthera Shakti-Seabreeze-Singing-Sunlight," she said proudly, figuring Sundance was one of the very few people who really knew what this meant and might be similarly proud of his own. Their last names bound them together, even though Eleuthera had taken on the addition of Seabreeze to make her own especially wordy. Why not represent each of three? It was only fair — which was a basic tenant of Elysium itself. “I… I wanted my name to honor each of them," she admitted. Then, she grimaced. “You know, they’re not here." Her gaze dropped, despite their much closer proximity. “They’re, uh..."

Her mood changed fluidly, morphing from confused to collected. Sundance, though thankful to receive her pleasantries with a curt not as she sought to confirm the name he'd provided, maintained some level of discomfort. He felt accused, almost, of lying about his heritage. Sterling ears drooped sorrowfully at such a thought, for he could think of no greater shame. For all the company had Sundance kept in his lifetime, no bond could ever be stronger than that he shared with his birth mother.

Worn, both physically and mentally, the silverwhite could muster only a watery smile as his alleged sister went on to answer his question: Eleuthera. Beautiful, elegant, otherworldly Eleuthera. There was no name more fitting for a Shakti daughter.

Sundance lifted his pale snout again, pastel eyes searching his companion's lilac face for any sign of familiarity. Though the hues did not match, he saw Olive in Eleuthera's features: the arch of her brow and delicate curve of her fine muzzle. His own breath wavered in recognition, hitched with a sob that threatened to rack his frame, but still he smiled with soft encouragement as she carried on with a solemn revelation she couldn't quite complete.

"But they are here," he told her, tone thick but hushed, "in the earth and the waterways, the breeze and the willows themselves." He glanced around them, to the beauty of this world they shared, before daring to let his gaze meet hers. "In you and me."

✹☾❂

 

Eleuthera stood steady as he examined her, certainly searching for parts of her that he may recognize — not of her, but of their mothers. Although half of her DNA would forever be unknown to her, certainly there must be something about her that read of Olive besides a single part of her last name. There was much about this silver wisp in front of her that reflected all three of them, or perhaps that was simply the intoxication of being near to family that caused her to see it so. Either way, if she hadn’t seen it in the structure of his face, and his eyes as a window to his soul, then she certainly would have recognized it in the way he spoke. 

The lilac woman passed her brother an endearing grin as he spoke of their mothers’ presence in all the elements that comprised this hallowed, shielded willow grove. What he said was extraordinarily true, and she was loving the fact that belief in such things was so engrained in their blood that in manifested in both of them, albeit their entirely independent histories. 

She made the effort to reach her neck out an inch closer towards him, speaking hushed, as if they weren’t already amongst a Faerie Court that believed in, possibly, far crazier theories. “I know why you are here," she whispered to him, not out of earshot of Lumiya and Orlaith. “They called to you, too. " It was these silent voices and the invisible pull of her Shakti energy that had brought her back, once the universe had seen fit to shed her of what tied her to the road — her brother, Séamus. It wasn’t fair that she got to be here now, living on, meeting the rest of the family the seastone man had only prayed for. Eleuthera was living his dream, and Séamus… well, he was just as dead as all the rest of them. It was a sad, sad thing.

Eleuthera turned her neck at long last, blinking dumbly at @Lumiya, not entirely sure what should come next. How was she feeling about all of this? Was it just an assumption that Sundance is allowed in the willows, or was she still uncertain?

With a content smile did she watch, staying quiet throughout their conversation. She didn't dare barge in with her smart-ass comments, the moment too precious for her to disturb. She assumed the young man was only here to visit his buried relatives, but soon attention shifted to the call of the woods and to her - the one that ruled it. She smiled wider, believe it or not, then spoke;

Well then, Sundance - let's not make them wait any longer on your return, shall we? She didn't say it directly, but it was a clear invitation for him to join them and his long-lost sister.

It was family, it seemed. It faintly reminded Orlaith of her younger brother, he was such a nerd. The two were seperate litters, but also the only, of the litter. He was daintier, less athletic then she was, and preferred to stick by plants then to run into spars with her. She would, admittedly so, bully him as such. Then there was her cousin, and momentarily felt a disgust cross to her face. 

That guy was annoying, why was she thinking of him.

The guard looked between them all, and shrugged her thoughts away. He was officially invited, and didn't seem someone of bad origins, but Orlaith would determine moreso later. She got up, and started to retreat back to her patrols now that the intruder was settled.

A whole myriad of emotions swelled within him, swirled together in a way that confused him. He didn't know what he was supposed to feel in those moments, faced with a sister he never knew existed and the sore truth of his beloved mothers. Sundance simply looked into the depths of Eleuthera's lovely eyes and tried to maintain his composure, despite his body's yearning to crumble and sob at her feet.

Bittersweet.

She was right: the forest and the souls who inhabited it did call to him. Elysium was embedded so deep into his being that he would be forever drawn to the place that gave him life. 

The lilac fae shifted her attention then to the mottled Queen, and Sundance's powder stare followed. He noted her delicate little smile with a shy one of his own, and his hope for acceptance was made new. She piped up, commenting that they need not make their woodland await his return for much longer. He bowed his head to her, respectful and thankful, and wordless beneath the weight of such overwhelming feeling. 

✹☾❂

 

It looked like Seelie Court would not stand in the way of another lost Elysium dove coming home to roost, today! Eleuthera couldn’t help but smile, unsure what to think of these strange circumstances, but unable to deny that it made her happy. It made her sad, and it made her happy. That was just the strange, dichotic nature of the whole thing. Sundance, it seemed, already was aware of the fact.

“Come," the lilac fae gestured in towards the heart of the willows, beckoning her kin forward back into his home. “There is much to show you."

Eleuthera beckoned to him softly, an encouragement to her tone that he follow. Sundance, with his tufted heather ears tall atop his ashen crown, hesitated only briefly. Pastel eyes looked beyond the lilac fae who claimed to be his sister, into the dense willow forest that waited for him, called to him; he was anxious. He wasn't sure he was prepared to face the secrets within.

He swallowed, blinked back the threat of tears, and looked briefly between the she-wolves before a watery smile bloomed on his pale face. Sundance followed quietly as his heart thrummed wildly in his chest.