Wapun Meadow imfou

@Etienne? :O

at last, bruised, smeared in dried blood, and aching, heda had returned to the bypass, to @John and @Dinah.
but her seconds of relief were dashed by the realization that @Ava Amara was nowhere to be found; and through rivenwood she tore, all soft cries and catching muscles.
out into the rising sun she ran, calling for her daughter, praying to god as she had not in weeks; and when the world spun to nothing, heda collapsed in a meadowland to catch her breath, tears carving waterways along her muzzle.

Etienne headed the way the girl had been. He would try and find her family. And if he couldn't he could hunt at least.

Paw step to pawstep and a crumpled figure caught his attention. Nose twitching and eyes blown wide as he caught the scent of her. An an irreplaceable jealousy stirred so heavy and hot in his chest it momentarily brought him to his knees. It had been her scent that Anselm had worn into the packlands.

Etienne had to take a deep gulping breath as tears sprang to his eyes. He looked around anxious to hunt for an escape route and yet his heart couldn't let him let her there all forlorn.

So he sucked in a breath the salt of his tears tight on his tongue.

You be okay? His voice thick with emotion.

there was soon a darkfurred boy in front of her, a man, almost, handsome but — why did he weep? too late did heda realize he wore the scent of her attacker; hackles leaped and she backed from the other, until she caught another scent on his coat.
"ava?" voice garbling, advancing on the man; "i'm looking for my daughter! have you seen my daughter?" demanded in highstrung crackling breath.

Etienne had ignored his image in water for sometime. So he didn't know how the mask highlighted his festures or thr golden of his eyes were a nice contrast. How could he loved the face of his granme when he was here and she was gone.

Is 'er dark furred? I foun' 'er in river busted 'ead. I took 'er back to take care of ' er. I came today to find 'er family? You be 'er mom. I be takin' you.

The last part made him ill and his tears began anew. Because he was takin' the siren to his most beloved. The scent of her song still clinging to her. And oh what pain. His heart felt cleaved.


Etienne sighed. Follow me.

darkfurred. pulled from a river. the stranger's accent was so thick that she could not parse the rest, but these things brought heda up and rigid. 
"what's your name?" why did he smell of that — cruel wolf?
"i'm heda. is she all right? will she —?'

My name be Etienne. he blinked her name sounding familiar. He froze in thought. Trying to ascertain where she was from amd why her name was so familiar. But it was like wisps of smoke, he couldn't grasp the memory. He had been to young ahen he heard her name.

Your name. he ahook his head. Never mind it is not'ing. Lost.

He sighed. I don't know. 'Er s'ouldn't 'ave been moved, but I ' ad no other choice. Could not leave 'er to get 'elp. She 'as woken and dis be a good sign.

"what about my name?" heda asked warily, her silversmudged eyes on etienne.
but then he was going on to explain that ava had woken and that he felt this was a decent thing; she was heartsick and eager, and unable to speak, so only shot etienne a look of gratitude before she continued at his side.

if she still isn't in heat or i misunderstood the thread i can edit that last part.

It sound familiar. Like i 'eard it before. Per'aps w'en i lived wit' my modder and siblings. Just in passin' but I can't remember.

He stayed clear of her scent. It was intixicating in a most forbidden way and he couldn't deny that it called to him in a deeply primal way. It also turned his stomach and he felt bad for it. It was not her fault he wanted nothing to do with her gender. Other than family and friends.

she is in pre estrus, so ur all good! <3

"who are your mother and siblings?" heda asked, suddenly fiercely curious in her questioning.
did they know one another?
etienne seemed tense about her; the redhawk fell back and away, putting more space between them as she followed.

Hectitled an ear and smiled softly. C'acal, Suzu, and T'eo. he blinked as he realized he couldn't remember both his little sisters names and he felt ill.

Also c'ani and C'iro. he exhaled when he remembered their names.

He noticed her back pedal and he felt bad that he made her uncomfortable. So he shortened his stride a little not that it mattered much he wasn't large wolf.

she did not know any of these names, and so turned her face away, plodding beside etienne.
in her mind she envisioned ava, and her state, and the things her mother might say.
the scent of that man still hung on the stranger's coat, stressing and irritating heda, who said nothing as she realized she had given her true name and not her redhawk name to this stranger; "i'd prefer to be called widow."

Etienne wasn't given a relief for his lack of memory. So he thought perhaps he had it wrong. After all it was not exactly reliable just a ghost of a thing.

He blinked and nodded. Okay. I be sorry for your loss. he nibbl3d his lip. If dat be w'y you go by widow.

He sighed. . Granme was inconsolable after 'er wife died. I give you strengt'.

"yes." heda sighed. "his name was caracal redhawk." tears flooded and fell, though sobs did not ensue. not this time. "after i buried him, i took on widow redhawk as a name. that's how i want to be introduced, etienne. please forget i said heda."
he spoke of a grandmother with a wife she had lost; the redhawk touched his shoulder in solidarity, but the scent of that wolf was —
it sickened her. she did not yank away; she did not want etienne to find anything amiss. "where are we going?"

And then it clicked
Remnants of a song that was sung on an island. A lost little boy. Etienne stopped moving as the pieces fell into place.

I remember now. I was explorin' so little. I made my way to de isle. You were singin'. Den we ran to you w'en de bear attacked. I am or was from Sapp'ique. You know my matant Mireille.

He shook hia head as he tried tocgain a thread on the where and the why.

To Sleepy Fox 'ollow. It is dere dat your dodder be. Anselm is leader you uh know 'im yes? I don't, not proper to speak of liasons. Uh de one you. he coughd. ' e smelled like you. Jus' dis way.

A blush stained his cheeks as he shifted.

the bear, the song, the crying children of sapphique. mireille's fierce resolution. "i miss her," she whispered. not knowing what 'matant' meant, heda asked, "you're one of hers then? that means your grandmothers are erzulie and rosalyn. there was a big pack hunt in the taiga one year. it's where i really got to know mireille." there was some relief here, some gentling warmth to know 
sleepy fox hollow. at first as she tried to picture the place, she did not register what etienne was saying. 
her — scent? 
anselm. the way etienne shifted uncomfortably. 
perhaps she had denied it. perhaps she had ignored it.
heda stared at the other wolf, realizing that this anselm had carried her fragrances home and oh, oh no — "he smells that way because he attacked me. n-not for that reason, but. i met him once in the mountains. he was so cruel to me there and made me leave. he found me again in the valley and his cruelty was worse. you see i lost the fight i started with him." split lip and the rabble of bruises upon the side of her face and collarbone, the deeper unseen ache of where his hard shoulder had all but cracked her sternum; "i won't be here long. just let me get ava and ill go."
anselm.

Eti shook his head. 'er my auntie. 'Er sister C'acal be my mama. Sorry. We grow up wit' different language dan most. Manman is mom, and matant is aunt.

his body went cold at the mention of his grandmothers and he felt tears spring to his gaze.

Yes granme Roz and Erzulie were mine granmes.

Eti smiled. Matant likes 'untin'

Eti froze and met her gaze. But though he wished to say he was surprised he wasn't. And his first thought was to defend. But she was a victim if what she said was true. And hadn't he been one once. But Anselm never physically hurt him, and the one time he had. Anselm had seemed upset.

Eti sighed and closed his eyes. I am sorry. I can find some 'erbs to 'elp 'eal dose bruises and bustins. But I must let you know. I cannot take you in de 'ollow wit'out Anselm so you will need see 'im again. 'E is complicated. And mon fou sometimes. But w'y did you attack 'im?

Etienne stopped movin to hold this conversation.

mireille was his aunt. chacal was his mother. his eyes became wet to speak of his grandmothers, and heda found herself wanting to press closer in an embrace, one of shared pain.
and yet the scent rising between them, still subtle enough not to announce her to the world entire — this kept her away. aside.
etienne went on to explain that he could treat her and that anselm would need to be part of this meeting, which tightened heda's jaw a little. but she nodded, both to the offer of help and the statement about anselm.
"when we met in the mountains, he accused me of trying to take the elk. i don't remember how it came about but after that i was speaking of marriage and husbands — ah. he has nasty ideas about women, do you know? but i left after that." 
the ground held her attention. 
"when we met again, he was rude. he told me to go back to my husband, then demanded to know where he was. i told him caracal was dead and he — well. he just pressed harder. he was too close. we came to blows and he finished the fight very handily."

Etienne would have accepted a hug. Despite the rising scent of her. He felt sickly calm now to take her near Anselm. If it was attack and not what he thought, well. Which made him loath himself.

Eti listened and shook his head. Anselm always presses close with thr jarsh wirds. Hadn't Eti been shown himself a time orvtwo. It did better to ignire or act like they didn't hurt and he stopped.

I do yes. Somet'ing 'e and I don't see eye to eye bout. Women are strong, brave.

Eti sighed. I wish i could say 'e won't, but 'e will probably press dis too.

do u want to start a new one in sleepy fox hollow? :D

etienne seemed like the very opposite of anselm, which piqued her curiosity. how had they ever come to meet? why had etienne stayed, if this was simply how anselm was in all moments?
but she was too tired to ask, too focused on retrieving ava and leaving as soon as they could, too exhausted by the thought of seeing the cruel man to speak more than, "just don't leave me alone with him."

sure will

Eti and Anselm were different in many ways. But Eti would be lying of he didn't admit he could see himself in Anselm. Of what he could have been were their circumstances or personalities different. And perhaps they were the same. Eti made excuses for Anselm. Ignored his cruelty and his anger. For what? For crumbs of good will.

He nodded. Okay. I won't let you be alone wit' 'im

that was all he needed to say. heda was comfortable with etienne and though she did not speak often during the remainder of their journey, she thanked god that it had been him to find her and not someone else.