Hushed Willows a quest of most concern

As excited I've been to join Marauder's Keep (which is lots), I've gone and made Little Voice too shy to roleplay! x_x So I'm taking him out of the game for now, and very much hope he'll return some day~ I was going to make this a Read Only thread, as I won't be replying again, but I'd love for anyone tagged in this thread to reply if they would like to. <3

Up on a ridge still devoid of green grass, a salt-and-pepper male wolf stood and looked at Marauder's Keep from a distance. The remnant light of dusk made his normally dull eyes shine, and he sat for a while, pensive and tired after his long journey. This was Shikhan, the guardian of Ayishik Zonnetje, a boy these days known as Little Voice. Shikhan had found Ishi as a little runaway pup, and taken him into his nomadic pack where Ishi had lived quite happily until he'd whimsically decided to run away and become king of the mountain lions. Shikhan did not yet know how badly that had turned out for Ishi, but he did know that he needed to find the youth and bring him back into the fold.

Shikhan's pack, which had dwindled under recent struggles but still survived with optimism and the bonds of friendship, currently rested just to the east of Teekon Wilds. Shikhan was its Alpha, and he himself had picked up Ishi's scent not far from here, faint but winding hither and thither, until finally he looked upon his handsome forest. He did not go anywhere near the borders, but stood back at a distance and howled for the boy. And then, an hour later, he howled again. And then, there he was — little and pretty and so terribly shy, a shadow of his former bubbly personality, Ishi stepped tentatively into the light and then ran ran ran to his guardian.

Because sometimes you don't feel like a real grown-up, and when bad things happen to you, all you want is for a parent to take you home so you can go to bed and everything can just be nice and childish and simple again.

Little Voice had grown to love — truly love — Harlyn's family, and he was grateful to @Tavi and her wolves for taking him in despite his distinct lack of physical use and the vanishing of his social skills in their entirety. But he wanted to go with Shikhan. In fact, it was exactly what he wanted, more than anything in the world. So while the Alpha waited patiently beyond Marauder's Keep, Little Voice headed back into the territory (tail wagging) to explain things. He went straight to @Harlyn and told her (in his little voice) that his old Alpha and guardian had finally tracked him down and Little Voice wanted to go with him and get better and re-learn how to be a valuable member of a pack. Harlyn could meet Shikhan if she wanted — and if she did, Little Voice would introduce them with affection and Shikhan would respect her for all she'd done for Ishi.

He then bid farewell to @Shikoba and his new friend @Grace, and told @Larkspur and @Silas and @Pippin that he would miss them (probably more than he'd ever said before to the little ones, who he really would miss), and his voice grew quieter from all the talking he'd done — which wasn't very much. And then, by the time the moon was out, Little Voice was ready to go and his heart was beating like a hammer. He walked with Shikhan and dared to hope, dared to dream again.

Little Voice headed for the horizon, white fur glowing in the darkness, on a quest to become Ishi once more.

He understood as well as he possibly could, yet the farewells rung as strange to him and left him not knowing what to do. The boy was used to absence not.. so intentional, he supposed.

But as he watched the pale face of the wolf give his words, he did not see anguish, distress. Instead, hope? Silas was confused. Hearing so much of Little Voice's voice did too. He peered, wide-eyed, occasionally with a little nod although his expression furrowed in a growing sadness. He would miss him!! There was a little whine from him, a lick on the chin for goodbyes, and Silas sunk his rump back to the ground, feeling defeated by the gravity of all this.

When Little Voice disappeared into the horizon, Silas said nothing. He scrunched his nose and stalked off to be by himself afterward.