Whitefish River i tell you the things i know now

for @Eilidh <3

with all that had gone on, lasher soon found that he had shirked his duty unto the delicate daughter named in the tongue of donnelaith. constantine had gone his own way indefinitely, casmir had become sullen and withdrawn -- he intended to get to the bottom of that very soon -- and his gossamer child had returned from her own travels.

it was a cold dawn when lasher stood upon the edge of the plateau and called for his prodigal daughter, moving with slow steps to the closest edge of the river that flowed closest to their packlands.

She was skulking about her new den — an Eilidh-sized space under a hollow log — when Lasher called for her. She had heard her brother had gone off, left the pack, shortly after she did. But at least she had the sense to return home. Where else would she go? Eilidh was a family wolf to the core, even if the sound of her father's summons set her teeth on edge.

Covered in dirt and rather disheveled, Eilidh followed her father's howl toward the eastern edge of the pack, feeling her anger turn into pain and twist into a sort of guilt. She swallowed it down as she saw him ahead, wondering how loudly he'd yell at her. Ears flat on her skull, Eilidh chuffed softly, then stopped her paws from going closer. Anger and pain warred within her, nearly boiling over, but she held it in. There was no telling how long she could contain her emotions.

his daughter approached, but not completely -- lasher was tormented by the look of hurt and contrition he could sense beneath her downturned lashes, and closed the space betwixt them with a series of swift paces. reaching out, the man intended to draw her close, to feel the quiver of her birdlike frame against the width of his chest, and apologize in this manner for his neglect.

"eilidh, cherie," he murmured, moving to kiss her forehead if she would allow. "i have not been the greatest of fathers, but i am relieved you have returned unto us, for i love you, and my heart would have been forever broken had you departed forever."

Eilidh sensed him coming closer, heard his paws padding on the loamy earth between them, and nearly recoiled from his embrace. But in truth she loved her father, even if she was angry with him. Already Dante had confronted her about her disappearance and tried to allay any fears she had. He also had asked if she had any interest in outriding, and although she hadn't thought about it before, the question made her think more seriously about it. She did have fun on her adventure, even if she had gone a little hungry.

Her Pappa's words were soft and heartfelt, and though she wanted to shout at him for choosing Cas over her, she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Not yell, anyway; but she would give him a piece of her mind. "I'm angry with you and Cas, Pappa. You didn't ask me if I wanted to go on the scouting trip. You didn't even think about sending me." She sucked in a harsh breath, trying in vain to stifle the tears that threatened her eyes. "And Cas, he--he only thinks about that girl. Whatever her name is."

the earthen servant was silent as eilidh spoke, backing from her to proffer the space his daughter seemed to crave. respectful as always, her voice shook with emotion, the meeting of anger and hurt, and his heart was pained for her. "i needed you here, eilidh," lasher murmured, "to tend your mother. she has been stressed and sickly."

but instead the blonde girl had departed, as had her elder brother, all in the name of jealousy. worry still wormed about in taltos' heart -- he would make a trip to the outskirts of the territory in search of constantine's scent -- but for now he focused upon eilidh. "but you have sought the same rank as casmir upon your own, and performed your own explorations. i did not think you wished to travel so far from home, and yet you have, and also returned. i am sorry, mo bláth," he murmured.

Eilidh felt her shame deepen when her Pappa explained why he did not send her--to stay behind and care for her Mamma. Her golden ears flattened on her head again and a whine bubbled from her throat, a sad sound meant only to apologize. She had been selfish when her Mamma needed her most. "I'm sorry, Pappa. I didn't know you wanted me to help Mamma." She sighed and stepped forward, closing the distance between them, burying her nose in his chest. She felt an idiot, but there was nothing she could do now to change the past.

"I didn't even find anything good, Pappa. It was rubbish." She had met another wolf, but that didn't bear talking about yet (plus Ash isn't sure what's happened in that thread). Eilidh stepped back from her father and gave a sad, crooked smile, and sniffled away her tears. "Is Mamma alright? I saw her before the meeting, but she's been gone. Is she in our new home?" Her emerald eyes sparkled in the light, and though she still harbored pain within her, her sights were set on the hopeful future of a new adventure.

"you are not rubbish. do not speak of yourself in such a manner," lasher rejoined, closing his eyes as they came together in a warm and paternal embrace. he was quiet for a moment, but his brow knitted when the ethereal child asked after her mother. "she is indeed," he answered, gesturing that eilidh should walk beside him.

a smile curved his mouth, one of soft secrecy, and his eyes rested upon his daughter's gemlike orbs. "would you like to know a secret?" lasher asked, modulating his tone and gazing about them in an exaggerated glance for eavesdroppers. "you will be the first to know this thing."

Kodika had started heading towards the RavenBlood Forest in hopes of finding hunting grounds that was not yet claimed by packs, having only been in the Teekon wilds for two moons left her with little knowledge of where to hunt. She was deep in thought when she heard a soft "Would you like to know a secret?" She whipped her head around to see two wolves, one with earthen colors for a pelt and the other tall and blond. She could tell that they where  possibly related to each other. "I most definitely could not take them on even if I used my wits." She whispered under her breath "But they could be friendly, they could also show me where to hunt. But what if they're not friendly. Hmm. I'll take that risk then." She padded towards them and stopped dead in her tracks when the earthy one looked around for others. She hoped that she blended in with the surroundings, having not enough time to duck.

Sorry about the delay. <3

Eilidh followed beside her father with one ear canted toward him, and one ear swiveling about for signs of others. The girl was naturally wary of the world, but still held a certain amount of childlike curiosity. At one point, Eilidh thought she heard another creature nearby, but after a moment the birds chirped again and the world seemed to restart, as if whatever had been there had moved along. Both ears turned toward her Pappa when he asked if she'd like to know a secret. She nodded vigorously, her smile lighting the world around them. "Yes, Pappa! I love secrets!"

no prob! <3

lasher searched for others, but spotted no one, and so he leant close to eilidh" "your mother is pregnant with new siblings for you and your brothers." when he had finished speaking, he drew back to search the face of his daughter with mingled joy and apprehension. eilidh was a delicate, gentle sort, but it remained to be seen how she would take this news. would she fear replacement, or rejoice in the coming births? quietly, the druid waited.

Pregnant? Siblings?! Eilidh didn't really know the meaning of the word pregnant, but she knew what siblings were, and her excitement bubbled quickly in her entire body, sending her shivering and crashing into her father. "Pappa! Siblings for me?? When will they be here?" Eilidh howled with joy and pranced around her father, careless of any spying or prying eyes nearby. She was too excited - and still quite a child - to contain her joy. "I'm going to teach them all I know, Pappa! How to hunt and fish, how to pick herbs for different things! Everything!!" She laughed and bounced around, clearly too excited to contain herself, and clearly having gotten over her previous anger issues.

he smiled happily, overjoyed that she seemed unperturbed by the announcement. "when the snows arrive, they will come," he told his daughter, pleased by her joyed exclamations. her cheek was given a nudge by the druid; he beamed into her sparkling emerald eyes. "they will be very blessed to have you for a sister," taltos rejoined, and knew this to be true. the pups who would be born beneath the cover of donnelaith had warmth and love awaiting them, the greatest of which seemed to be embodied in eilidh.

Fade + new thread? <3

Her heart soared, forgetting the darkness of the moments before, instead enraptured with the idea of siblings and new playmates. Eilidh continued to prance around her Pappa as they walked, the cool breeze tousling their fur, bringing with it promises of the winter to come. That meant she would have baby siblings soon! She laughed at the thought, bumping her nose against her father's shoulder, before settling down enough to ask. "How can I help you and Mamma prepare? I promise to be the best Eilidh ever!"