a storm is brewing

anyone is welcome :-)

The young Beta didn't really have much time to stray away from his duties overly much. However, even after he had given up searching for Atreyu and Jorunn, he could not help but stray into the neutral territories beyond Stavanger Bay and search for them, call for them until his voice dried out; look everywhere. All the while, Ragnar's words resounded in his head -- they're probably dead. That's what he had said about Kevlyn. That's what he was saying now, even from beyond the grave, about Jorunn and Atreyu. Charon knew that it was a hopeless case, but he could not help but keep trying.

It wasn't that Charon had purposely travelled to Redtail Rise, where Gunnar now lived. It was just that while he was searching for Atreyu and Jorunn, he somehow ended up following the journey Gunnar had described when he'd left the Bay. Charon had set Gunnar from his mind, had set the anger towards his older brother from his mind... Until he found himself nearly upon the Rise's borders, and he felt his hackles rise. What would Gunnar say when he found out what horrible things had happened in his absence? He could've prevented them, maybe, had he been here. "Stupid coward," Charon muttered to himself while he closed in on the borders, although he himself didn't yet know with what intent.

Once he reached the borders and found the scent of mostly unknown wolves thick upon the land (he didn't remember Saena's scent particularly, as he'd been small when he'd met her), his pace calmed down but his anger did not. He clenched his jaw as he halted a moment, not wanting to intrude, and then started sidelong along the borders, sniffing them out and trying to find traces of Gunnar's scent. He could just call, of course, but Charon didn't really want to see his brother. He was still angry. He'd probably say or do dumb things. He really needed to just turn around and leave Gunnar to his precious new life.

But he couldn't, and so Charon trailed the borders, his posture neutral, a stormy look upon the ten-months-old's face.

Gunnar had not put his family from his mind, there wasn't a day that went by that he didn't miss them. He really needed to visit them, but the pain in his head from the sun and heat, made it almost impossible to move. He was a broken wolf, and he didn't even know why. It was as if the Gods found him a joke or something, perhaps they were punishing him somehow, for not being Ragnar's real son. Perhaps that was it.

Gunnar stood still looking about him and then headed at a slow pace towards the border. His eyes were squinted and his head low, but he was trying to do the best he could. The sun wasn't so high today, it wasn't so bad. He walked when a freckled wolf caught his eye, he stared for a moment and then a smile split his maw. He didn't know that Charon was angry at him, he had said goodbye to all of them, had been planning to leave before anything had happened and didn't see the reason to give up his plans. He called out, Charon! He started towards the youth, again with his head low and his eyes squinted trying to get to him quickly, but not too quickly as it hurt.

When Charon heard Gunnar's voice, he was snapped from his thoughts. His first instinct was to wag his tail, but after one beat it soon died down as he reminded himself that Gunnar had abandoned him and his pack. There was something about the way Gunnar ran, and Charon wondered if he was alright. Again he reminded himself that whatever it was, it was probably Gunnar's own fault, and pushed away whatever sympathy he'd gathered for his brother.

"So this is where you live nowadays, huh," Charon said, a snarky frown on his face. He held his body neutral, but mostly in case someone not-Gunnar would show up and tell him off if he would act too dominantly. Feeling hurt, Charon snappily said: "And? Is it worth abandoning everyone for?" He wished that things were different, that he could just hug Gunnar and things would be okay. Maybe it would have been like that, had the Bay flourished and had all of their relatives still been alive. But they were small, Charon had unwillingly lost too many in his young life, and he was tired of letting it happen without putting up a fight.

Gunnar stopped short when the other youth, didn't wag his tail or greet him with the same enthusiasm. He stood still for a moment warring between indecision and moving forward. Did Charon even want him near him? it didn't seem like it. It actually seemed like the freckled wolf really disliked him. He bowed his head for a moment and shifted, settling to his own haunches.


Yes it is Gunnar stared at him for a moment, his eyes flashed once and then grew calm. He growled softly, but nothing too loud. He didn't wish to start a fight, where there needn't be one. I didn't abandon anyone! I told everyone goodbye. This was in the plans before dad died Charon. I offered to stay. Mother told me to go ahead since it was already in the plans. I had already given my word that i would help Saena start her pack. I begged mom to come and bring all of you. So don't you dare come here and start with your attitude. Gunnar understood why he was angry understood it well. However, he didn't like being questioned about his own choices.

Charon barely listened to Gunnar's words as he said them. Everything just sounded like excuses, and the irrational youth wasn't looking for excuses. As a matter of fact, he wasn't really looking for anything in particular; he hadn't given that any thought. He'd just stormed over here to confront Gunnar. Looking for a fight, perhaps.

A snort escaped Charon when Gunnar said he'd begged his mother to bring everyone. "Bring everyone! This isn't our home, Gunnar! It's not your home! It's just someone else's home and you know you belong in Stavanger Bay! Your mother cries herself to sleep every night because you're not there! She hardly does anything but cry these days!" Well, that wasn't exactly true, but it didn't matter. She was unhappy, Charon could see that, and he blamed Gunnar for all of the pain Thistle Cloud -- his mother, too, even though he never called her that out loud -- was going through.

Gunnar sighed lowering his lids for a moment, squinting his eyes at the pain that threatened to overtake him yet again. God he was such a cursed wolf, what the heck had the gods done to him. They had broken him, he was broken. He wouldn't be able to function if these headaches didn't get better. Gunnar heard the snort and chuckled ironically. The youth had no right ot say anything to him, he was an adult could make his own decisions.

Gunnar was about to say something cutting, but caught himself when the next words were uttered. What do you mean she cries herself to sleep? What else happened Charon! Mom was sad, but she wasn't that said yet. What else happened? This again. He mumbled quietly, he loved his mother, but her depression was taxing it always had been. She had been this way when Nerian was around.

i feel sorry for Gunnar, Charon can be such an a-hatt! <3

Gunnar asked what else had happened. Had Charon known what the coming months would bring the wolves of Stavanger Bay he might have dragged Gunnar back home by the ears, but luckily for Gunnar he did not. Charon wasn't sure whether to laugh or get mad at Gunnar's question -- what else had happened? His father had died!

"What do you mean, 'what else has happened'? Isn't your dad dying and dealing with a slimming pack enough to justify her depression?" Charon snapped, glaring at Gunnar with a wry expression on his face. He just didn't get how Gunnar could run away and leave it all behind. Sure, it was taxing sometimes, but someone needed to stay by Thistle and Stavanger Bay's side.

Gunnar deserves it sometimes lol

Gunnar shook his head, trying to focus on Charon. Had he known too what was in store for his beloved home. He probably would have gone back, at least for a little while to help out. But even he was not a soothsayer. So he waited patiently for Charon's next rant.

Gunnar sighed softly, My mom gets depressed easily, but she wasn't when I left and she was dealing with dads death and the slimming pack. So what else happened Charon! And don't lie, What aren't you telling me? he waited patiently and quietly wondering what he would tell him. Had something happened to the babies? Were they even smaller than they had been?

Charon rolled his eyes when Gunnar demanded to know more about everything, without really deserving said information in Charon's eyes. It was like he just didn't want to hear what Charon was telling him, or something -- infuriating! Charon considered telling Gunnar again that he wasn't hiding anything, as he felt that the reasons she was sad were completely justified. Maybe Gunnar just hadn't seen the depression when he left, dying to get out so badly, or maybe it'd started after he left, or because he had left.

Truthfully, maybe telling Gunnar about Atreyu, Jorunn and the bear would've been best, but Charon felt moody and irritated, and he didn't feel like telling his brother anything. Besides, he hadn't visited since he left, or anything, so what was to say that he'd actually help if he did tell him to come see him when he found Jorunn or Atreyu? They were probably dead, anyway...

"Whatever," Charon said, his narrowed eyes staring coldly at Gunnar. "Have a nice life." With those words, the young Beta turned away from the Redtail Rise borders and he started back towards home. On his journey home he often wondered why he'd taken such a long trip to visit someone who wasn't even happy to see him -- nor Charon him -- in the first place.

wrapping this up c:

Charon didn't wait to see how Gunnar reacted to his storming off; he just turned his back towards his brother and left. He didn't care anymore, Gunnar could do whatever the heck he wanted. In his rage he didn't realise that this could possibly be the last time he'd ever see his brother. He just kept on running, until he grew tired and took a break.

"Stupid Gunnar," Charon muttered to himself as he continued through the Firefly Ravine with a grouchy expression on his face, making his way home slowly but surely. He didn't look back once.