Two Rivers Isle no. 1 party anthem

set directly after this thread

They were here.

The boy swallowed a lump he had not realised had begun to settle in his throat.

Despite everything, he was surprised to see how normal everything looked. He tasted the air; not even the faintest trace of wolves remained. A kingdom that once was, now returned to nature.

He wasn't quite sure where to start, what to see, or what to do.

Turning to @Germanicus, perhaps for reassurance more than anything. "You wanna come with me, old man?"

old man.

the roman's lips twitched in amusement. "i knew this place before you were born, puer," the imperator rejoined dryly.

he would follow matteo into the packland, ears lifted for wolfsound and nose attuned toward it as well. for now, they were alone. "what was it like when you lived here?"

"That just proves you're years old," he managed a grin as Germanicus began to follow. Already he had grown quite fond of the man, finding comfort in his companionship. Part of himself wondered if his father bore more resemblance the Roman than just his looks.

But he could not remember much past a blurry face.

"It was peaceful - for a while," he mused as they neared the rise that Iseul had made her den. "Until some hooligan arrived with his friends. He looked a bit like a rat." And smelled like one too. Idly, he wondered where Colt was now. Though he did not wish death on the man anymore, he wanted nothing more than to never see him again.

"many years," germanicus intoned, a soft light in his yellowpaint eyes.

that the isle had been marked by the arrival of a reeking man, did not he know this story well?

"what did he do?" the eagle inquired, curious despite himself.

From Iseul's old den, they followed the stream towards the den of his birth as they chatted.

"He messed everything up," he sighed, finding some catharsis in recounting the story. "When my parents left, they put me and my sister, Ines, in charge, but we were too young to lead really. So my auntie Iseul took over. For some reason she took a liking to him - Colt - his name was Colt."

"After a few months, she offered him a position as leader beside her. And after that, they all started leaving one by one until the only ones left were Iseul and I. Even my sister left eventually." There was a tinge of bitterness in his voice when he mentioned Ines; her betrayal had stung the most.

"It's like he cursed this place," he finished just as they neared the den. He wanted to rid the isle of whatever ill-will was left in Colt's wake, but how?

a cur. a rogue. a kingdom gone.

princesses and princes made reality too early.

"it is hard to lead. those who want power should never wield it. those who are reluctant may do better."

he looked at the greeneries, listened to the strong rivers.

"what does this place mean to you now?"

we can fade this soon?<3

The boy mulled over the man's thoughts. "I s'ppose. My sister was like that. She wanted to lead." But she had never got the opportunity, at least not here, and some part of him was thankful for that. He had admired her confidence, once.

His next question proved to be more difficult to answer. In many ways, the isle had shed its skin and become something new. Instead of replying right away, Matteo idly kicked a stone into the mouth of the den, and then another. 

And then he stepped forward and began shovelling dirt until the hole blended into the surrounding rise. "This place means nothing to me now." He returned muddy-pawed, childhood memories now metaphorically buried for safekeeping beneath the debris.

"Thank you, Germanicus. I think I'm ready to leave now."