The Sentinels wayward son

Set on the borders. Constantine has come to join! I would have played out his journey finding his family longer, but was worried spaces would fill up. <3

With Blacktail Deer Plateau all but abandoned, the swarthy wolf had thought to cast his travels further along the mountains to seek his family – his thoughts had been set in constant motion the moment he realized nothing was as he had left it, and a sickening churning in his gut could only query if all was well with his family – why had they left behind the land they had claimed for so long?
 
His paws took him by chance westward – the scent of salt one that was achingly familiar only in the sense that the Plateau had been closer to it than any of the other places he had visited upon his travels. Sequoia Coast had never been a place he had frequented often, and while his first thought had been to visit the sandy shores of the water, the youthful wolf found himself trailing further along the banks at a distance. His eyes would cast out upon the waters every so often, wondering if his family could even see them now – or if they had left Teekon Wilds altogether.
 
It was by chance alone he found himself by the forest of tall sequoia’s – the redwoods a sight to behold.. but it was not the forest that drew him – it was  the scent that tantalized his nostrils and caused his heart to shift. Was it..?
 
He stared, dumbfounded, his form stiff, upon the borders of where he had come upon his family’s scent by a stroke of dumb luck. And yet in that very moment, with the salt wind brushing his pelt, Constantine did not trust his instincts to overrule want – and could only believe that his imagination had come to play with him now in his loneliness.

Brother! *tackle pounce*

Eilidh knew not want Tachyon had done, but knew that his reappearance, looking ragged and forlorn, would not bode well for Donnelaith. She hadn't spoken to him personally since he'd left her, feeling rather slighted by his desertion, and wasn't sure she wanted to talk to him. What could he say to her that was already unspoken yet clear? He'd left, and that was enough for her. It didn't matter that he'd returned. She thought perhaps he'd only come back because he had to.

No matter the circumstance, Eilidh refused (at least outwardly) to dwell upon it, and so threw herself into scouring the borders for new scents and plants she could transfer to the garden she, Deirdre, and Aria were growing. It was during such a trip that she caught scent of something familiar, and yet so long removed from her memory that she stopped mid-step to sniff it out, changing directions to eventually find a dark familiar standing at the border. It could be Casmir, but both ears were intact. Did the forest play tricks on her? Eilidh stopped many yards from the other, her heart pounding against her ribs, silently wondering.

After a moment the lines of his face hardened and she realized it as her brother, but not recently lost: here was her long-lost brother, Constantine? She hadn't said his name in months, and she sometimes wondered if he'd ever been real. But now that he was here, she was glad for it, and stepped closer.

the small babe bounded around the forest, delighted by a grouping of butterflies that flit around her. her lightweight but growing frame meant she scarcely disturbed the insects, and she was sure to avoid moving near any place she thought they might be underfoot. it had been quite on accident that she had roused them to begin with; after inhaling a particularly pollenated plant, a hearty sneeze had roused what she had thought to be a blooming bush. the colors upon it had been beautiful, but it was near-bare by the time the butterflies escaped what they saw as danger. deirdre herself thought that they desired simply to play with her, and she laughed among them until she saw the lean legs of her sister passing in the distance.

deirdre, partial to eilidh and adoring of her eldest sister, bid the butterflies adieu before gallivanting after her. perhaps they could work more on their garden! what was next to do? what could they bring to tachyon to help him? she was slower than her long-legged sister, as her limbs were not yet grown yet themselves. the ethereal child danced through the wood, seeking to surprise her sister. donnelaith sheltered her, its boughs eager to play the game in the way they bent o'er her frame! and then, her sister had stopped—her pricked ears heard the silence!—and...

she slunk through, and burst from the brush with a triumphant eilidh! did i surprise— her head swung upon seeing another standing there, and her mouth parted open in mild awe at seeing the familiar face there. deirdre had missed her sisters name for him, having spoken the moment eilidh had, and a radiant smile blossomed across her face as she raced toward the wolf she thought was casmir. casmir! your ear growed back! in her excitement, her vocabulary was muddled into an error made mostly in her youth, but her tail waved excitedly behind her as she dove to snuggle into him. 

sorry-- good development opportunity...

Unlike Eilidh, who knew her brothers in whole and could tell them apart, Aria had never met the other-- she wasn't even aware he existed. She walked along the borders, her white eyes studying the outside. In this moment, she heard the voices of two wolves she knew and loved, and before them... Casmir. 

Her heart soared, and she froze in her tracks. She wasn't sure if she should run to him or from him. Why had he returned? Had that really been enough time? Surely not. Aria thought guiltily of the trip she'd planned with Floki-- even as friends it just seemed wrong now. Without another thought, the girl began at a full sprint, her mouth slowly turning into a smile as the thought of Casmir returning became more and more real. And then, all in one moment, her joy was flushed. She did not recognize his scent. He was different. His ear-- it was not gone... She skidded to a halt in the grass just behind Deirdre. The girl said nothing, and her luminous gaze fell to the ground. 

This was not Casmir. 

It felt like ages before someone came to the borders – had he felt more convinced that he had indeed found his family rather than allowed his heart to steer him, he would have released a howl to question them – to invite them to see him. But instead he waited with as much patience as he could muster, his dark form drifting from side to side every so often as his fiery eyes would gaze longingly toward the redwoods.
 
A pale form emerged then, green eyes studying the figure and while recognition was quick for him, despite how grown up she now looked, it did not seem as instantaneous for his sister. Yet his name fell from her lips, and his heart practically soared – his imagination had not led him astray, and it would seem his sanity was more or less intact. “Eilidh,” he rumbled, a full grin smoothing across his muzzle as he waited – her steps toward him still seeming hesitant.
 
Before he could speak again, a white form broke through the brush, a girl he did not recognize – youthful, with green eyes that seemed all too familiar. Even more surprising was the smile that broke upon her features at the sight of him, and her slender form bounding toward him. Casmir.
 
He welcomed the touch of the girl, but could not mask his surprise as she barreled in to him. He was knocked back a pace, his own tail creeping lower in submission as he cast her a sideways glance downward. “No, love, I’m not Casmir,” he offered, his ears flickering back to his skull. “But I’m his brother, Constantine.”
 
No sooner did he glance up at Eilidh for some assistance, did his eyes fall upon yet another stranger – this one a girl his age.. and her features downtrodden at his presence.

Eilidh's smile widened as he stepped forward and whispered her name. She nodded and closed the gap between them, reaching to plant a kiss upon his cheek, when suddenly Deirdre burst through the trees, shouting. Eilidh stepped back and laughed, watching her fearless younger sister bounce into Constantine, mistakenly taking him for Casmir. Eilidh's smile faded a little when her brother corrected her, hoping the little girl wouldn't be confused. Deirdre, this is your older brother, Constantine. He's been gone for quite a long time. She glanced at her brother, wondering what he'd make of that. Constantine, this is one of our new siblings, Deirdre. Her sister, Emaleth, is around somewhere.

Then Eilidh's heart nearly broke with pain as Aria arrived, elation clear across her face. Then it disappeared as she saw who stood before her, not Casmir, but his twin Constantine. Eilidh sighed softly and shook her head, hoping her friend would see. Aria, this is my brother, Constantine. She's our beta. The last part she said to her brother, glancing between them. She wondered...no, that subject might not be good to entertain, considering the clear elation and subsequent disappoint she'd shown at this wolf not being Casmir. But she pushed the thought away as she turned back toward her brother, the one Cas had called Connie. Are you back for good?

not casmir, he said. and she knew it, because he did not dote on her as casmir once had. his voice, too, was somehow different. deirdre reeled backward, ears flat atop her crown and face colored with the confoundedness that overtook her. eilidh explained, and deirdre was fearless no more as she drew beneath eilidh. such a task proved difficult for the girl who was growing taller, but she still fit, for now, beneath eilidh like a bucket placed in its shelf. aria, too, arrived and looked confused and then disappointed. deirdre felt that disappointment tickle her heart with a feather, but her confusion overrode all other things.

constantine. she had heard of him; that he was out in the world, experiencing it, adventuring. constantine? brother. at the mere mention of emaleth, the cub felt warm, but still confusion lingered! how does he look just like casmir? came her heartfelt inquiry, and then, she glanced up at eilidh. having never seen her own reflection before, she pondered, do i look just like emaleth?

Eilidh introduced her, but very vaguely. The girl gave a polite nod, forcing a smile. "Pleasure," she replied, letting out a breathe and stepping closer to her friend and the small witch. Instead of letting her older sister answer, Aria turned to the Mayfair child. "You are different from Emaleth," she told the white babe, her ears lowering as she spoke. "You are white, Emaleth is black," she explained. The icy princess looked up at Constantine, examining him for a moment. "Casmir and Constantine are both black," she told the pup. The twins were not fully black, but she was unsure if explaining the entire color scheme to the pup would do any good-- so she left it at that. Her white gaze lingered on the boy, her thoughts beginning to wander.

Overwhelmed about summed up his current emotions, and as the girl quickly backpedaled and slunk beneath Eilidh in realization to the mistaken identity, Constantine’s eyes followed her gently, feeling an instant pull toward her with the simple explanation that his family had grown since he left. She peered at him curiously, and while he would have answered her, the stranger, introduced to him as Aria, had chosen to do so.
 
The white she-wolf could sparsely look at him, it would seem – as if she desired to be anywhere but here, and he briefly wondered why his father and Dante had chosen her as a Beta. Disregarding Aria's disappointment of his presence for the moment as Eilidh spoke, Constantine released a gentle breath that he had not realized he had been holding. “I hope to,” he confirmed, his eyes studying his sister with gentle fondness. “It seems I’ve missed a lot – what about Casmir’s ear?” The pale youth had mentioned something about how his ear had grown back, and he felt a frown pull at his features.

Eilidh welcomed Deirdre into her arms, and allowed the ever-growing girl to remain beneath her body while they spoke. The honeyed sister hoped her snowy one would grow out of this shier stage, but she remembered her own shyness as a youngster, and knew her sister would grow into her own with time. Eilidh smiled softly as Aria explained how Deirdre and Emaleth looked different, and while it was true that both Cas and Connie were black, they were different in other ways, too. Our brothers are more than just brothers, they're twins. That means they were born at the same time. Their eyes and now ears were different, and their personalities were, too.

The healer turned toward Aria, her heart aching at the thought of her suffering here before Casmir's countenance without the wolf actually being Casmir. She wanted to let her know how sorry she felt, how much she wanted to change what happened, but didn't want to bring that pain to the forefront. So instead she tried to smile in Aria's direction, to show she thought of her, before turning back to her brother to answer his question. Cas was attacked a few months ago and lost an ear in the process. He's fine, just not here. Eilidh's smile faltered then, though she didn't frown. Not quite. I'm not sure why he left, but he's done some questionable things lately, and I guess he wanted to get away from it all. It was up to Aria to tell Constance about their relationship, if she wanted. Eilidh might not have if given the choice.

Then after a moment she smiled again, ducking down to Deirdre's height. Do you want to help me call for Pappa? When she received the answer, Eilidh tossed her head back and howled for @Lasher, the king of Donnelaith, to welcome back his son.

as she stared at her brother, deirdre noted that constantine had eyes of a different hue than casmir, too, that the trees now revealed as they let a remnant light filter through their branches. this was no hoax done to her, though she had known that. though aria described her and emaleth as different. what! she was not aware of that. she was white. not like her parents, or constantine or casmir. a sore thumb among the dark family, but more similar to eilidh than she knew.

at her sisters offer to sing with her, deirdre lifted her head to help eilidh call, eager to assist as ever.

Eolith's look did not go unnoticed, but it shook the Beta with hands of steel. She stood rigid for a moment before letting out a few awkward coughs, attempting to rack the words stuck in her throat free. Eilidh offered to call for Lasher, and the sweet witch sang with her. Her heart sank, unable to contain whatever jumbled emotions she felt. She would talk to Lasher later, she needed air. "I'll be going," she said, her gaze falling to Constantine for a few heartbeats. She studied him with a sad gaze, disappointment clear on her expression. She turned and left. She hoped no one had said anything to her prior-- she did not hear. Her long, white legs moved quickly, she would go to her den and think, but she was not sure about what.

Aria out! sorry, had to get in the quick interaction. (: 

poor aria!

with the arrival of spring, lasher's world had brightened in many ways, but the spectre of casmir's unexpected decision to depart abruptly and the fact that caiaphas had attacked and badly wounded one of his wolves weighed upon him and brought grimness to tug at his lips again. he patrolled alone and silently, his days broken only by the joyous voices of his daughters and the comfort of blue willow's loving embrace. tachyon was tended well -- he did not know how eilidh would receive the news that the man loved another -- and donnelaith had grown in its ranks.

today the voices of his pale witches rose above the proud upthrust of the redwood forest and the druid paused, for they spoke of a child he did think he would see again. prodigal constantine. for a moment, taltos did not rush to attend them -- he merely let his surprise dissipate, and with its death came a satisifying joy in its stead.

and so he moved from his perch to the borders, directly after aria had left them, and stood with proud eyes fixed upon his dark son, tall, handsome, the bloom of youth full upon him. "mo mhac, mo mhac," he breathed, stepping forward with the gentle fall of a tear upon his cheek, to reach, to take the unfamiliar scent of constantine's coat into his senses, though he knew the scent of his own blood in that proud heart. he did not know if the young wolf still held the tongue of the glen within his knowledge, but the words had risen unbidden in his throat.

"tá tú ag teacht ar ais chugainn."  lasher embraced his son then, drawing him close, knowing that eilidh and little deirdre would join them. when the moment had passed, he released constantine and looked to eilidh for a heartbeat. "aria was here. i imagine she granted him entry. it is given, of course."

"constantine. tell us of your travels. come; we will go to find your mother and emaleth while we talk."

His frown would only deepen at Eilidh’s words – his own ire rising at himself more than ever – how had he missed such moments in his brother’s life? Moments he might have been able to aide him? “Do you know of his whereabouts?” The question was soft, his eyes drifting between his sister and the Beta – noticing a lack of transparency in the despondent regal and that she still refused to speak to him or even look his way.

As his sister called for their father, Constantine shifted, watching the pale stranger dismiss herself. He made no comment to her, instead, his eyes would drift down to his younger sister, offering her a gentle smile as his thoughts attempted to process the news of his brother.

Lasher came – and the coil of his muscles would instantly relax at the sight of the familiar man – a man he truly did love like no other. Lasher proved to be many things, but an idol was at the top of the list for the youth – and as the warmth of his father’s tongue washed over him, Constantine would tip his muzzle forward, taking to brush the single tear away with a loving brush of his nose. “Father,” he greeted, accepting the embrace with a crooning growl. “I have traveled to many places,” he rumbled gently, pulling back to allow his eyes to study the features of his father with earnest. “Ach tá sé seo sa bhaile.” Falling in to place by his family, the yearling would speak of his travels — the cultures of packs he had come across and those he had met

Eilidh watched Aria go and silently vowed to visit her soon, to see if she was alright. There were things they didn't say around Deirdre, the cub being as young as she was, so Eilidh didn't know how her friend was truly doing. She'd need to remedy that first. For now, she would allow the beta her space, and seek her later. No, I don't, she said softly, turning back to Constantine. She was sad to relay this news, because she wanted to see her brother and know he was well.

Her Pappa arrived then, and she smiled warmly to see the joy in his face when he first glimpsed his son. Eilidh's heart sang at the language they shared; some deep part of her knew the language, but often did not use it. She suddenly wondered why as she stepped toward them, urging Deirdre along. She kissed her brother's cheek then her father's before stepping back to allow them breathing room. Her heart soared then, having her brother home, listening to his adventurous tales. Her green eyes found her sister's and she grinned, hoping she was happy to have another brother to play with.

I'm late, waugh! Cameo, unless this thread is continuing?? :)

She danced through the trees, as she so often did— a small, dark nymph weaving betwixt the trunks, pausing on occasion to supplant kisses upon them or whisper secrets. It was in moments like these that Emaleth was happiest, and it was not uncommon to hear her giggles ring out through Donnelaith as she played alone. So different than in their infancy, it was now Deirdre that craved company and Emaleth that craved solitude.

And yet she was still a curious thing, so when voices of her father and sisters were carried to her upon the wind, she excused herself from the trees with a polite curtsy to follow the comforting murmurs. It was not long before the dark child found them, and she danced toward her littermate until they stood shoulder to shoulder— Emaleth followed the group, silently basking in the joy of their presence, not yet realizing that it was not Casmir but a different brother that had been returned to them.

deirdre looked to her brother and as he spoke in their familial and olden tongue, she felt the kinship with him distinctly. he would speak some this day of adventure, and it was then she felt the tether she shared with emaleth. the trees whispered of her coming, and deirdre looked over her shoulder to see her emerge from the redwoods. she remained quiet throughout, but lent against her sister. though she was surely becoming more social and open to things she once never was, her sister would always be her strength.

constantine spoke in the tongue of the glen that they all shared, and taltos beamed upon him to hear it, turning his gaze from the tall young man to eilidh and then to emaleth, who happily joined them. "this is emaleth, your sister. my dear, this is your brother, who has traveled far but returned to us." falling quiet then, he smiled at deidre and then trained his attention upon the returned son, elated to hear these tales.

An imp of the forest drew form the shadows, and Constantine’s eyes drifted fondly from his pale sisters to study the dark girl. She was the same age of Deirdre, and he instantly recognized her as the other sister they had mentioned. His muzzle swept humbly down, his tail sweeping through the air as he studied her gently. He had missed so much and it caused his heart to ache – the lessons in life he had learned upon his travels had been useful, certainly, and had opened his eyes to the world.. and yet he had missed the most important things life had to offer. “Emaleth,” he offered gently, his lips twitching upward in a soft smile. “I am Constantine. It is nice to finally meet you and your sister.”
 
He kept his muzzle bowed for a moment, his eyes searing as they glanced once more to both his father and littermate. “I have missed too much,” he rumbled, his tone softening with regret. But he would make amends and instill a relationship with his two yougnest sisters -- and revisit the old friendship he had held with his littermate as well.

With those thoughts, the yearling focused upon his family as they lead him toward his new home.