i scream for you

Edit. Made this private for @Osprey for now. :-)

The morning was warmer than Crete had initially expected, the scent of wet earth creeping into the muggy, damp air within the darken confines of his den. Ears twitched as he stirred awake, the sounds of raindrops cascading onto the bracken that covered the ground, a tell-tale sign -- even before Crete had became awake enough to glimpse outside -- that a light rain was falling. It was normally a soothing sound, yet it brought with it no comfort. Blacktail Deer Plateau did not bring him the comforts of a home, not even with his brothers’ presence. It was hard to consider a place home when Crete was left with the resolute feeling that his concerns and opinions were inherently unwelcome by his alpha female. Crete had grown up in a pack where pack members were encouraged to give their opinion, and to state anything that was troubling them. To Crete, hearing of concerns and, even disapproval at times, helped Alphas to grow. Just because they were the leaders of a pack did not automatically mean they knew everything, and could do no wrong. If Hawkeye wasn’t willing to hear those things, no matter if she liked them or not -- and the fact that she had shot petty words, throwing Flightless Falcons back in his face with a well aimed low blow, as if she had any clue of what really happened proved that she had not liked Crete’s concerns or opinions -- then …well aside from challenging her, Crete hadn’t thought much further than that. Yet, he was not certain he could act upon it. He did not want to leave his brothers, but at the same time was not sure he could continue living under Hawkeye’s rule. He was reluctant, despite Peregrine’s promotion to alpha male, to continue to give her a second chance even so. And if he were to challenge Hawkeye, how would Peregrine react? Would he have to fight his brother, too? Not that, in all truth, Crete would be able to do anything, if he did challenge her and happen to win. It wasn’t like a mute could lead a pack or anything.

He was frustrated. Beyond frustrated he was sick. Sick of always being looked down upon, sick of being pitied because of his muteness, sick of being torn down when he voiced something that bothered him because it wasn’t right, because it wasn’t what someone wanted to hear. Crete was an individual, capable of forming opinions and feelings. He wasn’t going to agree blindly, like some sort of mindless slave. Beyond sick, Crete was tired. Tired of fighting the inner turmoil within him. Tired of never knowing what the right thing was. It would have, admittedly, been easier if Tyrannus had just killed him. Crete had not realized how opinionated he truly was until he was forced to have to deal with consequences of them, and while he could blame his attitude on his abrupt mood swings, borne of the festering wound Tyrannus’ betrayal had left in it’s wake but that was not entirely true. He was plenty conscious of his feelings, of how he expressed things in his body language.

A sigh, heavy in nature, exposing the true weight of the burdens he bore as he crept out of his den, recoiling slightly as the cool rain splashed upon his pelt and began to saturate the silken tendrils of his fur. What am I supposed to do, father? Sea green eyes glimpsed up at the monotone colored sky, looking for a sign -- any sort of sign that Aether was up there somewhere and that wherever he was, he was listening and willing to help.

table by houkie

The morning of her mother's death had been very quiet. March owl - the strong and the tough one, the one, who would never give up, who feared nothing... the very soul of the Flightless falcons had passed away in her sleep. As they stood silently around the dead body of the former alpha, mourning, Osprey had understood one thing.

Flightless falcons was not her home anymore. When Koontz had announced that she was leaving, Osprey didn't have to think about it twice - she went with her. Their paths had parted and for the last few days Osprey had been on her own. Therefore after several days of wandering, she had caught scent of a pack nearby and with a hope of being accepted and not being killed, she had padded carefully around the territory borders, sniffing, observing and trying to make up her mind.

She hadn't seen a single living soul of her kind up until then, but now, as she was nearing the borders once again, she caught a sight of a lone wolf figure standing in the distance. Due to his dark pelt it was almost impossible to discern it among the trees, but she was sure it was, what she thought. This relevation filled her with hope, happiness and fear, therefore for a very long time she could simply stand still and watch the other creature.

As the rain pelted his face softly, Crete stood statue still in the rain, letting it dampen and the droplets saturate the silken tendrils of his fur, wincing slightly as drops collided with his leathery black nostrils, sending smaller droplets flying every which way some managing to fall close to his eyes as he continued to watch the clouds roil up above. The rain rolled down his fur like tears, but whose tears Crete had no idea, were they the product of some deity’s sorrow, a joining of the cold and heat, or interpretations of his own sorrow and turmoil? There had been thoughts in his childhood when Crete had thought that rain would wash away the burdens he carried upon his broad shoulders - not unlike Aether had been prone to doing in his life. In that respect the apple truly did not fall far from the tree. Crete had acknowledged that he was like Aether in many ways, but there were parts of him that resembled March Owl, too. Likely, it was the qualities of his mother than caused him to be discontented with Hawkeye’s rule; though it was like Aether to keep it locked tightly inside so it could eat at his insides until there was nothing left of him to consume.

There were soft footfalls heard in the distance, distinctive over the gentle pitter, patter of the rain as it splashed to the earth. Crete had intentionally made his den close to the borders - for two factors of it made it easy to traipse to and fro for herbs and medicinal plants that could not be found on the plateau, and he was protective by nature. As a bachelor it made him comfortable to be close to the borders in the off chance that he would be needed on a spur of the moment to aid in defending the pack. Crete, at first, dismissed the footfalls as belonging to a pack mate, until a soft breeze blew in his direction, carrying the other’s scent upon it, stronger than the crisp and freshness of the rain. Head lowered and snapped in her direction, sea green eyes taking in the familiar sight before him. Lips parted in a gasp of breath, unsure if he was seeing who he was seeing or if it was cruel joke of his imagination. Crete blinked, shifting his weight, and still Osprey was there. Osprey, Crete made quick work of the distance they had put between them, crossing out of Blacktail Deer Plateau borders fearlessly, mud squelching beneath his paws as he came to a stop before her and tentatively reached his muzzle towards her to press his nose to her cheek to prove that she was, indeed, real.

table by houkie

Osprey froze in fear, when the dark pelted wolf noticed her and began charging in her direction. She had heard that wolves of other packs weren't friendly to the outsiders, they could kill, if the one wasn't fast enough to run away. But there she was - hungry for social contact, for she had lived without one for several days - and it did not matter, what way it turned out. She was not meant for being lonely and at that moment she knew that she would be ready to go to extremes just for that.

But then fear was replaced by recognition, followed by joy and disbelief. Her heart began to pound fast and hard in her chest, as her eyes tried to take in the image in front of her in disbelief. Could this really be? Rarely were there true coincidences in life and yet she was experiencing one. Before she could say out his word loud, Crete was by her side nuzzling the fur of her cheek. She returned the gesture, pressing her head against his neck and she stood like that for a long moment. "Hello, gorgeous!" she said in the softest voice, as tears welled up in her eyes.

Awww tender sibling moment. <3

When the ivory angel did not dissolve before him as he inclined his muzzle, when his leathery, black nose made contact with her warm, albeit damp cheek, inhaling her familiar scent, the faint scent of Tyrannus, but more importantly March Owl and Flightless Falcons …Osprey smelled like home. Crete could feel the return of his affectionate gesture, felt the touch of her head against his neck and while they lingered like that forgot the demons that had been nagging at him relentlessly since the meeting, since his falling out with Hawkeye. In those brief moments of joy and relief, the sound of her greeting -- namely calling him gorgeous caused his body to wrack with silent mirth -- all Crete could think about was that their quartet was once more complete. Just as they should have been, just as they had been born into the world together; and how thrilled Peregrine would be for he had been inquiring about her relentlessly. The moment betwixt them was tender, and the weight upon his heart lifted, only to sink to his paws when he pulled back, noticing her tears.

Confusion claimed Crete, and gingerly he smoothed his tongue across her cheek, sea green eyes searching her own irises, inquiring as to why there were tears welling in her eyes, causing them to glimmer in the limited light of the morning. Her arrival to this place was curious, for the females of their family had seemed relatively safe from Tyrannus manic-like behavior, and since she had not directly followed Peregrine, Crete, or Atticus, Crete had assumed that she had wished to stay in Flightless Falcons, with their mother and other siblings. If he hadn’t been exiled, he would have stayed for March Owl, too. What is wrong? He inquired with a concerned tilt of his head and gentle expression, inherently assuming that something was wrong. Girls didn’t usually cry (or nearly cry) for no apparent reason. Tail wagged steadily behind him, as he wished feverishly he could call for Peregrine right then and there to get her accepted so they could be together again - all of them.

Exactly how they were supposed to be.

table by houkie

Osprey hadn't been there the day Crete had been exiled - she and some other young wolves had been on a hunting trip, having spied a large grizzly bear feasting on a dead moose that day. They had managed to drive the ferocious animal away, but the thrill and joy of the hunt was wiped clear, when they heard of what had happened during their absence. She had gone out to follow her brother's trail, eager to catch him and bring back, but his scent had mingled with those of others and he was lost to her just the same way Peregrine had.

But it all did not matter now, because here he was - alive, safe and sound, if not exactly happy. What more of she could ask? Osprey could not boast of understanding every single thing Crete "said", but over the years she had learned to read his expressions and guess them correctly. Almost. Sometimes she felt, what he had meant. "Oh, that's just the rain," she said and lowered her head to wipe her muzzle with her forepaw. "You know, how it gets in your eyes," she explained. "Boys never cry, you know that," she added.

Being the only girl in a litter of boys, she had always been a boy in a way and had tried to act like one for a long time. Only in later years she had let her feminine side resurface and did not think it was "yucky" to like girlish stuff. "I am so happy to see you! Do you live here?" she asked, because right now, when she had found one of her family members, she wasn't going to leave him.

Add Perry to this thread? Sorry, I'm a little confused right now. I shouldn't post before I've had a cup of coffee. xDD

If he had known Osprey had tried to find him, he might have lingered in the territories outside of Flightless Falcon’s borders, but Crete hadn’t known. Besides, Tyrannus had exiled him, which meant he no longer had a home in the fold of his family. Unwelcome. Threatening. It had been a blur, continuous rushes of adrenaline, and the rapid pounding of his heart vibrating in his bones, deafening in his ears until Crete could hear nothing else. There had been no time to rationally think, or to make a case for himself -- not that he could actually make a creditable case as a mute. Osprey dismissed the dampness along the fur of her eyes to be rain, and though the mute did not entirely believe her, his heart ached and he nodded as if he had, indeed, believed her. Crete let a soundless chuckle vibrate through his chest, his breath releasing in a pattern familiar of mirth when Osprey spoke that boys didn’t cry. She had always been something of a tomboy - but having been born the only girl amidst three boys did make it tough; then again March Owl herself had never been a girly girl. Hell, most days she got dirtier than Aether.

As I am happy to see you, dear sister, Crete thought to himself, afraid to move his sea green eyes off of her, despite that he had proved to himself that she was really truly there, fearing that if he did she might vanish as nothing more than a figment of his imagination. I do, Crete nodded, though he was not sure for how much longer he could say that. His future given the interesting developments he wished with all his might he could ignore, pretend didn’t and hadn’t ever existed by sweeping them under the rug, was uncertain. He hated that he didn’t know, but Crete wasn’t going to sacrifice his happiness by walking on eggshells, afraid to speak up just because both of his brothers panted blindly after Hawkeye - not wanting to ruin the strongest relationships in his life. He could easily remedy that by leaving. He had no idea where he’d go, hated to leave his siblings but he wasn’t afraid of the world.

How is mother? Crete wasn’t sure if Osprey would understand what he was attempting to ask her, with his soundless whine, and inquiring eyes and anxiousness for her reply. For some reason that particular question was really bugging him.

table by houkie

"Really?" Osprey repeated her question just to hear Crete's approval again and be sure, because then she would not go looking for a new place to call her home any further. She would cling to him like a thistle in the fur, no matter what the pack alpha would say or do. The young wolf could be just as stubborn as her mother at times, especially, when it had something to do with the family. And she would much rather face the dangers and adventures of the world together with a trusted companion, then do it alone.

"Then I will stay," she told him and smiled. "We will be together just like in old... times," now that Osprey had mentioned it - she was reminded of the one reason she had left her family pack in the first place. She hadn't had enough time to get used to the fact that March owl wasn't there anymore, it was painful to remember and now - she realized - that it would be even more painful to tell Crete. "There is something you should now," she began, staring at her feet thoughtfully. "Mom... mom is with dad now."

For now, Crete didn't feel like playing charades to go into gruesome detail about the uncertainties of his place within Blacktail Deer Plateau with Osprey at the moment. He did not know if Peregrine being the other alpha changed things for the better or the worse. Crete did not want Hawkeye and their general dislike for each other to ruin the sweet reunion, and for the moment, tucked those thoughts away. Old times, Crete echoed through tenor of his thoughts, subconsciously nodding his agreement even if he didn't believe it wholeheartedly. Osprey's next, and for the moment last words, took a few moments to sink in, purely out of Crete's denial of the truth. He gave his sister a perplexed look, ignorantly assuming that Osprey meant March Owl was with Aether's grave most days, despite that deep in his heart he understood the true meaning of his dear sister's words. The truth, despite the pain and sorrow it wrought in his heart, crept upon him unbidden. A mournful, uneven breath drew from between Crete's lips and left an audible gasp of acknowledgment and pain. Both of their parents had passed from the world of the living, and though the thought that they were together in the land of the deceased brought a comfort; it was a hollow one to their mute son. Thank you for telling me, The gratitude seem twisted in the grasp of his sorrow and he touched his nose to Osprey's cheek once, wishing that he had been there with March Owl and her final hours and hating Tyrannus even more for never giving him the chance to be there for her.

Osprey hated to be the bearer of the bad news. While she watched, how Crete grasped the harsh reality, she wished very hard never to be in the same situation again. There wasn't much she could say, there were no words of consolation good enough to alleviate the pain. Tears filled her eyes and she leaned against Crete both to seek some comfort in his presence, as well as to remind him that he was not alone. That she was there for him, that they were in this pit together and they would get out of it too. For a better and happier future.

"So..." she decided to change the subject after a while. It wouldn't get any easier if they continued to wallow in grief for their mother, even though it was a wound that would heal over a long time. "... what is this place like?" Osprey cast a curious glance around and then focused back on her brother.

Death was a hard thing to imagine, a harder thing to accept. It was resolute. Those that ventured forth with the Grim Repear did not return. It was harder to accept that both March Owl and Aether were both gone. The powerful Patriarch and Monarch of the Redleafe-DiSarinno clan. The knowledge worried at his heart painfully, each breath labored as if he were resisting the urge to cry (probably because he was). Tears would not bring their mother back - and really would she want her children crying for her? Crete's muzzle inclined towards Osprey when he felt her lean against him. He drew his tongue across her nose once, taking comfort from her as she did from him.

The subject changed and Crete shuffled his mourning to a corner of his mind, ready to focus upon Osprey. In truth, he wasn't the best sibling to ask if she was looking for better than an mediocre opinion. It is...alright, She did not need to bear his burdens and so Crete left it at that simply.

Osprey had that nudging feeling in her gut that Crete was not entirely honest with her on this. He might not be able to speak, but she knew him since childhood and sometimes could feel those little shifts in mood very keenly. Questioning wouldn't make any point, because it would be a guessing game from her. She would have to make very precise statements to get a clear picture. Was that kind of conversation necessary now? Not really. Besides - they all were allowed to have their own secrets.

Therefore she pretended not to have noticed anything. Instead she offered him a sincere smile and then cast a glance around. "I have a feeling that these could be good hunting grounds," Osprey told and sniffed the air. MO had insisted that each and every of her offspring were good hunters. She had been a diligent student. Two years later - and she could even boast of having that instinct of knowing, which were the best places to hunt. "What dinosaurs have you slayed here?" she asked Crete playfully.

It was hard. It was going to be hard. Yet, Crete would not let his grief and sorrow crush him. He would mourn, for quite some time for he still wasn't entirely over Aether's own passing; but he would mourn when it was appropriate to do so. As of right now, it wasn't entirely appropriate and besides, he reasoned firmly, he needed to be strong. For Osprey - for his brothers. It was a simple as that. They seem to be, Crete accepted the subject change gracefully, homing in a silent confirmation to her assessment. Though he, like his siblings, had been taught by March Owl to hunt he had spent more time in lessons with Aether, figuring there were plenty of aspiring hunters in their brood alone. Oh plenty, Crete boasted in a playful manner, a impish grin tugging at the edges of his lips. I think I even saw a T-Rex. Of course it was a ridiculous notion since they were long since extinct but it was a game they had played as children, pretending to be dinosaur slayers.

Osprey was glad that Crete joined her game to distract their thoughts from all that had happened lately. When she would be alone, she would think about their mom, their pack, their childhood and mourn in solitude, making it easier to move on and act, as everything was fine with her. She was glad that she was born with a vivid imagination and a fictional world (mind palace), where she was able to hide, when all didn't go that well in the real world. The only sad thing was that there was no way she could bring anyone there with her. Just pretend that it was possible.

"A big one?" Osprey tried to translate the smug grin on Crete's face. She guessed she would also have looked the same way, if she had seen THE big one. "Can't be," she told him, pretending not to believe the statement. "I am pretty sure that it wasn't as big as the one I saw on my way here. Can you imagine that it was so big that it's head was literally in the clouds?"

Their childhood seemed like such a long time ago, longer since they had been mighty dinosaur slayers. Massive, Crete tipped his muzzle upwards to gesture that the t-rex he saw was as tall as any tree above. To be fair, Crete wasn't exactly sure how big a t-rex was supposed to be -- for all he knew they could have been no bigger than his paw -- but it was fun to imagine to horrific scenarios. Plus, it made him cooler to pretend slay something huge and four times his size than something he could punt. Osprey didn't believe his made up statement, saying that she saw one with it head in the clouds. Even the birds couldn't touch the clouds. Oh? And did you slay it? Crete inquired in a playfully dubious manner, questioning her slyly with his eyes.

Osprey had no idea, how big a T-rex could be either. To be true - she didn't even know, how most of the dinosaurs looked like. Rather the girl enjoyed the foreign names and tailored an appropriate image of the creatures in her imagination. The dinosaur hunting games also were more fun than the speculations of, what could these overgrown lizards have looked like.

"Did I slay it?" Osprey rolled her eyes. Crete was not very easy to read sometimes, but he was a boy and he was predictable in some aspects. Like this. If you told another hunter that you have seen a super-big deer out in the woods, the next question would certainly be - did you bring it down? Then you could either lie that you did and hid the corpse or tell that you valued it's beauty and let it go.

"Of course not," she huffed. "I mean, if it's head is in the clouds and it's feet is as big as tree trunks, how do you imagine I will kill it? It could have stomped me flat like a pancake."

Osprey repeated his communicated question, reading it from his body language, and then promptly rolled her eyes at him. Crete leveled a playfully stern look at her, eyes sly as his tail flicked against his haunches, his lips tugging upwards coyly. Yes, did you slay it. He gave her a confirmed look though he was well aware that it was not needed. He simply felt like poking at Osprey for the fun of it. As it was, she could have very well slain it because it was an imaginary game - had always been imaginary until they went after actual lizards - which if Crete remembered correctly did not taste all that great. Crete would have, uncharacteristically boasted of slaying it simply because he was rather competitive when he wanted to be. Osprey followed up with an ‘of course not’ that rode a huff that spilled from her parted lips. Oh c‘mon, Crete huffed his own and grinned mischievously at Osprey, flashing his teeth. I‘m sure you could have thought of something Osprey. It was a given that their family was very creative in the imagination department, if this was not evidence enough.

table by houkie

"Yeah?" Osprey pretended to be a bit offended by the look on his face, although it took all her might not to burst out in laughter right there and then. It was surprising, how easy it was to communicate with Crete, as if nothing had happened since the last time they had been together. There was no awkwardness, no moments of silence (metaphorical, of course, but given the fact that she was so attuned to her brother, she considered him quite chatty), not a second, when she would wish to be elsewhere.

"Okay, smartypants - I can bet that you would have run from it with your tail tucked, if you would have seen, how big and scary it actually was," she challenged him and chuckled.

Osprey had an expression of feigned offence on her face, and if Crete hadn’t known her so well as he did, he might have actually been fooled into thinking she truly had taken offence to what he had ‘said’. His lips parted with silent laughter as it shook him, and he rolled his eyes playfully at her. He was glad that she had found her way to them, that their litter was if not happy together, than at least in some way, complete. Atticus was having issues of his own, though Crete had not seen much of his other brother as of late. He tried not to dwell upon it, for he hadn’t exactly made it a point to socialize with others. He wished he knew the extent of her being with them - had Tyrannus kicked her out too, or had she just left when March Owl had passed? This was not something Crete could ask, and so he was left with his unstated curiosity. “I don’t think so,” Crete playfully shook his head, puffing his chest out, acting as if he would not have been afraid.

ooc: let's fade out this one and, when you have time, have a new one. In my later posts I have assumed that Osprey stays with Crete and shares a den with him, because she wouldn't want to be alone. But that's only, if it's fine with you.

Crete was not the one to give up in a fight, not even, when they were arguing about imaginary things. That was a great characteristic feature of him and that was, what she respected in him the most (together with a lot of other great things about him). "Okay, you wouldn't have," she agreed. "Our noble ancestors would be turning around in their graves, if we had," she added and winced, remembering that there were some recent additions to the lot, not just the grandma's, grandpa's and other grands.

"I forgot to ask you..." there was a thing that occurred to her only now. She hadn't thought about it before, but there was a very slight chance that her exiled brothers had met and arrived here together. She was not far from truth, but had no way of knowing it. "Are Peregrine and Atticus here too?"

She received a positive answer and the next moment Crete left Osprey to go and bring Peregrine. She would have gladly gone with him, but wanted it to be a surprise. The girl cast a glance around and smiled - she would find a new home and friends here.