Broken Antler Fen Waiting on the world to change

@Odette :D??

Sebastian walked with a dead pheasant between his jowls. The male had been a provider at heart and he wanted to do the same for Odette. He was currently looking for her, wanting to give her a good male and maybe talk about a few things.

Hence why he was looking for her now. He went to the Cove, seeing that it was a central meeting place. He howled for her there, to check if she was around, if not then she could eat this piece of meat later.

Odette was close to the cove when Sebastian howled for her.  So obediently Odie began to make her way towards Seb, curious about what he wanted of her.  Recently Oette had found herself finding the Fen as a true home.  It didn't require as much stamina and effort to run, as it had been required on Silvertip Mountain, when she had run uphill.  The Fen was nice, Odette wanted to remain here.

Soon she stood before Seb, looking up at him with brighter, curious eyes.  "Hi Seb!"  She squeak cutely, her fluffy little tail beginning to wag, happy to see Sebastian.  It was just then that she noticed the dead pheasant.  It looked so tasty, but Odette didn't want to appear rude so she didn't ask for it, though her mouth almost watered at the thought of the meat in that body.

Sebastian grinned when Odie came running towards him. The girl looked happier than when she came so that was a definite plus. The young alpha placed the bird before her and nudged it closer. "I caught it for you," he spoke to her and plopped his butt down. He looked at her with a happy smile. "You deserve a good meal, after all you need to grow!," he stated. The young female was a bit small, unaware that her mother had been petite as well. Maybe if Sebastian put some good foods in her she might grow well into her adult body.

"I am already a giant," he joked a bit. "How are you feeling?" he asked. At night they all slept together here in the Cove. Often, or well, always he let her snuggle close. Sebastian was becoming a bit wanted with Pearl and Aviana wanting to stay close. And the male himself liked Odette close in case she had a bad dream or would awake.

Odette smiled, forgetting the past events of Silvertip Mountain for a while as Sebastian gave her the bird.  Her tail began to wag happily, glad to be apart of a family who she hoped this time would not leave her to the demons or death.  Then Seb went on to make a joke that Odie didn't entirely understand, but still laughed a little bit in hopes to make him feel good.  Finally he asked how he was feeling.  Angery with everyone who had cannibalized her Mother especially Steady, missing her parents, missing her siblings and so much more.  Yet Odie just answered simply, staying a little bit gaurded with her emotions.  "I'm better...."  She replied.

Then the pup looked down at the bird and right before she dug in she lifted her gaze remembering that she should thank the hunter of the bird.  "Thank you..." she paused for a moment, seeming to consider something before contiuning, "Uncle Seb."  She finished, hoping that Sebastian would be okay with that title.  Maybe Pearl could be Aunt Pearl, had a nice ring to it.  Then Odette bent her head in nibbled a little on the bird.

Sebastian smiled kindly, and laid down before her. So he was more on her level of life instead of towering over her. "I'm glad to hear that you feel a bit better," he spoke and showed her another smile. She let her eat for a moment, smiling even more when she called him uncle. He didn't mind that title, he wouldn't even mind the father title. Though that might be weird for the girl, so if she wanted to call him uncle then she was allowed to do that.

"Uncle Seb," he repeated. "Nice. I like it." The young male watched the girl eat happily, which was a big mess with all the feathers. Sebastian was certain that made the meal twice as fun for her, at least he hoped so. His pale eyes looked warmly at her, reminding himself that he should visit Silvertip soon to let them know they pup was safe with them, but that he would not give her back. Mainly because Odette didn't want to. "After this I could show you parts of the fen, maybe go swim together? Can you swim?," he asked.

Nice ava! <3

Thanks!  Marie made it for me.  :)

Odette listened to Uncle Seb as she ate, glancing up once in a while.  The meal that Uncle Seb had given her tasted good, plus it was fun with all of the feathers.  As she bit into the meat again, a feather fell right upon her nose.  Odie laughed and the feather flew off and onto the ground.  With a few more bits Odie's attention was suddenly spiked when Sebastian  offered to show her parts of the fen, maybe even go swimming together.

Odette was a little hesitant to answer her Uncle as thoughts flew through her head.  She loved the idea of exploring the fen...but swimming.  She wasn't so sure of swimming.  The only reason that she was hesitant to go swimming was because of the last time that she had done it.  Odie had gone swimming with her family... her by blood family.  Zaria, Adeline and Stoic.  If she went swimming again... Odette wasn't sure how to describe the feeling entirely.  Then again she didn't want to dissapoint Uncle Seb and if she backed out at last moment, then she probably wouldn't have to do it anyways.  So slowly Odie nodded her head.  "Okay."

Sebastian noticed that Odette was a bit hesitant of swimming, as she was before when he mentioned it. Her laughing had stopped that was caused by the feathers. Yet, Sebastian knew that he would have to guide her through this. The fen was covered with water and waterways. If she would be reminded of her family she was going to have a tough time. He wanted to create good memories with her around the water.

Sebastian smiled. "Don't worry Odette. You can always tell me things if you want to. You seem hesitant around the water and swimming, but I promise we will have fun alright? The water what is present in our fen is what makes the fen our fen. The greenery that comes with it, the fish and the moose. These are all key factors that make the fen so perfect for wolves to live here. The ground is soft, and you might have noticed that the softer ground connects to the kinder personalities that live here. The mountain is a rough terrain, hard and angular. It makes the wolves more rough and act differently. That is not in either way bad, it is just how they are. It is a different way of living, maybe not even living but surviving," Sebastian explained calmly to the girl. He hoped to give her some perspective. He wanted to be a good father, or well, uncle for her.

Odette listened to Sebastian quietly as he spoke, finding herself slowly starting to agree with him that it wouldn't be so bad to go swimming, that they would have fun.  Then he talked about the mountain and she found ehr fluffy coat bristle a little bit as she disagreed with him.  The mountain wolves had had a choice.  You never had to do something, but instead you choose to do it.  They didn't have to eat her Mother, they could have just burried her instead.  Steady didn't have to place her Mother's meat before her.  He chose to do it.  That was another main reason why she did not wan to go back.  Majority of those wolves had done wrong in her eyes, by choosing to do something that would scar her forever, by eating their own kind.  Cannibals was what those wolves were.  The cannibals of Silvertip Mountain.  "They choose."  Odie whispered quietly, unsure if Uncle Seb had heard her or not.

She was silent for a few seconds before she contiuned to speak, this time about swimming and in a louder, yet still quiet voice.  "I think I would like to go swimming Uncle Seb."  Odie told him.  "I think it might be a... fun expierence...."  She trailed off, hoping that she had made the right choice.  Swimming again couldn't be too bad anyways though.  She would be fine, wouldn't she?

Sebastian nodded towards the young girl when she spoke about wanting to go swim. He heard something faintly from the girl but he decided it might be too much for the other to make her repeat it. Sebastian quirked up his lips. "Of course," he spoke with a smile. He nudged her in a playful manner. Yet before he went Sebastian buried the pheasant so they could eat it later.

The large male then walked towards one of the fen. Fisherman's Fen where the water is clear and where he could show her the fish. Sebastian trotted towards it at a light place so she could keep up. Though when they reached the water he ran in, laughing. He went in towards his knees. He let out a happy bark towards Odette to coax her into the water. He smiled to her.

"Can you swim? You have to paddle with your paws, and kick your feet. You will get it it in no time!," he encouraged. He was standing close to her in case she needed his help. He was not going to let her drown.

Odette watched and waited as Uncle Seb burried the pheasant and then started to walk away.  She followed him her pelt tingling with nervousness and excitment all at once.  She was excited to go swimming, but also found herself hoping that she wouldn't drown and of course she was also thinking about her family.  Yet who knew, maybe this would be an amazing expierence.

Upon reaching the the Fen area that held gorgeous clear water Odette stared at it hesitantly for a second, as she suddenly found herself wondering why she was even here.  Suddenly this all seemed so very much unappesing... until Sebastian ran in, laughing.  She watched him nervously as he gave her a happy bark, asking her if she could swim and then explaining how to if she didn't know.

Odie didn't know how to swim... well of course she had an idea and Uncle Seb's input helped, but she didn't really know how to swim herself.  Of course she had splashed around with her Mother and siblings, but that had been different... because she had not actually been swimming, truelly swimming.  Fear shone bright in her features, but suddenly just then she thought of her family.  Would they want her to act like such a wimp?  No.

With out a second thought Odette ran faster than she ever had before and jumped right into the water.

Odette plummeted to the bottom, although this area was shallower and if she really tried, she could probably surface on the top, while touching the bottom at the same time.  Yet for about ten seconds she just found herself suspended here at the bottom, holding her breath on instinct.  It was beautiful.  Suddenly she realized that she had to come up for air and so she kicked her hind legs against the floor of the fen and shot up, trying otu the motion that Uncle Seb had told her to use.  At first her technique was rocky, but soon it began to improve.  It was like running... or walking on the ground... it felt natrual to Odette, like she had been born to do this.  "This is amazing!"  She barked excitedly to her Uncle, staring at him with two sparkling bright green eyes.

You could say that Sebastian was kind of tense when the girl ran in and she instantly went down underwater. He sped forwards towards her, but when he looked down in the clear water he noticed how calm she looked. That surprised him. Though the male was still a bit anxious about the fact that the girl stayed under. Luckily she came up for air soon enough.

Sebastian let out a calm sigh and watched how she was trying to swim. He walked next to her, because for him it was still too shallow to swim. "Good!," he let out. She was a natural. He knew it! The male smiled and followed her to deeper waters. He started to swim too, smiling at how much she was laughing. It was also great because it was summer and great to cool off. He nudged her. "Look at you! Little diver!," he hummed. "If you get tired you can climb on my back!," he spoke to her. This fen was quite big after all.

"This is fresh water," he started to explain. "You also have salt water, it is by the sea. You can't drink it though, but it does have fish, other kinds we have in our fresh water fens. Maybe once you are bigger we can travel to the sea! These freshwater fens have all types of fish in it. You can watch them if you dive underwater because these waters are so clear. It is like a different world! Very cool huh?," he grinned as he explained.

Saying that Odette loved this fen was an understatement.  She thought it was beyond extraordinary, beyond exquisite, beyond the perfect piece of art.  It was something that she could just simply not describe... and she loved it.  She felt so wieghtless here that it was like magic.  Of course she had no idea how to float, only swim, but Odie could only imagine how magical it would be to float... marvelous.

She listened to Sebaastian tell her that if she got tired that she could climb on his back which was nice, but Odette wanted to stay swimming, for now at least.  Then Uncle Seb continued on to speak about the fen and sea.  One day Odette wanted to go visit the sea.  She closed her eyes for a moment, imagining rolling waves and colorful fish swimming in the deep.  Her imagination made the sea a beautiful place.  A place of true wonders.  She smiled at the thought.

When Odette opened her eyes again, not much had changed, Sebastian had finished speaking.  Yet she had no intent to ask questions or anything like that.  She liked the quiet... it was peaceful, especially out here on the water.  She gave Sebastian a happy blink, then started to swim around the fen.  Going deeper.

Sebastian was pleased to see that Odette looked so calm and at peace. He smiled at her in return. He knew he tended to talk much around her, because he wanted her to know all the things he knew, but now, in the moment, the quietness was nice. Odette seemed to understand that.

In the winter their territory was even more serene and so peaceful. Sebastian loved it here. It took a special type of wolf to live here. He had a feeling that Odette would fit here perfectly. He waded through the clear water of the fen, fish quickly swimming away from them in shock with the movement. It was a beautiful sight and Sebastian was happy to see the girl smiling around water.

Odette sighed, clearly enjoying the moment.  She wished that life could be as simple as swimming.  Smooth, sweet and pleasing.  Although sometimes life had those traits, it had many others to, good and bad that could fiddle with the simple sweet life.  Want, need, cruelty, anger, jealousy, death... love.  They could sometimes be good, but they had their downs too.  Odie frowned.  She wished her parents and siblings were here.  They all probably would have enjoyed the swimming to.

Odie's sweet green gaze flicked to her Uncle Seb.  "Why does life take so much and give so much?"  She asked in a sad whisper.  She wanted her family back, whole again with her Mother Zaria, Father FitzDutiful, brother Solemn, brother Stoic and sister Adeline.  A small whine escaped her.  "I wish life was as easy as swimming."

Sebastian gently steered her back to the edges of the fen, they were swimming for awhile now, but he decided that a break would be better, especially since Odette asked a really deep question. He could really reflect that back on himself. "You know. It might not seem that way, but I had a very rough childhood. My parents weren't like yours, or well, my father wasn't. He wasn't a good man, then my mother died, the one wolf I loved very deeply. I was so conflicted, scared I was just as bad of a person as my father was," he explained.

It had not been easy. "Now it turns out I am not like him, because I made certain decisions. Life throws these difficulties at you to learn about yourself, and make choices. The day we met and you came with me was one of those big choices, even the one choice to leave the territory. Life can do funny things. What if I hadn't made to choice to go to Silvertip or take another route, we would not have met," he tried to explain but he was not sure if his point was getting across. "The point being; You wouldn't live your life if everything was perfect and as easy at swimming. You wouldn't learn anything. Life might seem difficult now, but in the end you will grow stronger out of this. A pup the same age as you might have less maturity or a view of life than you have. And that makes you extra special, at least I think that. You are special Odie. I truly believe that."

Odette listened quietly as Sebastian spoke.  It was very true what he said and she felt bad that he had a rough upbringing, but one thing that really caught her attention was Sebastian's Father.  Uncle Seb said that he didn't like him, that he wasn't a good man.  Odie almost instantly found that she ahd something to say about this, something that affected her personally.

Still paddling through the fen, Odette looked at Sebastian with sad eyes.  "I don't really know my Father.  He died when I was young.  Yet... whether he was good like everyone says, or whether he was bad, I would do almost anything to have him back.  If he was bad, I would give him a second chance.  You still have the chance to try and reconnect with your Father though despite your differences.  Imagine what it's like to lose your Father like I did and never truelly get a chance to know them..."  Odette trailed off here, with a single sad sob.  She didn't know how Uncle Seb would respond to what she had said, but she knew from her own expierences that whatever her Father had truelly been like, she would love to have him back.  Anyday.  Anytime.  Same for her Mother and Solemn.

Sebastian watched Odette when she returned to him that she should give him a second chance, and that she would do that in a heartbeat. Sebastian was about to 'argue' that she wasn't entirely right when he thought of something. Something that might be able to make her reflect more. "It is true that you have not known your father. But what is unknown you can't really predict if he was good or bad. You can't change that." Sebastian paused for a moment and looked at her. "However, you have an Uncle that loves you very much, and by uncle I don't mean me. Uncle Steady. He took over the role of your father when your actual father died. He is the brother of your father after all. So maybe you can think of your own words and try to find some forgiveness for him too?," he spoke calmly. He was not sure how she wold react to that.

"In a way I already lost my father. I went to him to make peace, but he is a difficult and stubborn man. We never saw eye to eye. However he visited this place recently, while I was finding you actually. He talked to Pearl and said to her that he was impressed with my pack, yet not to find him again. For my father that is basically a forgiveness," he explained. "What I am trying to say is, even if you forgive your uncle Steady that doesn't mean that everything is okay. You can still dislike him, but at least you have some peace in your own heart," he explained and pointed his big paw towards her chest. Sebastian smiled in a kind way at her. Really feeling that he had this father figure role down. At least he hoped so.

Don't mind me, quick Pearl cameo bc this thread is precious

 

Pearl had been intending to spend some one-on-one time with Odette for a while now, but couldn't seem to work up to it. It wasn't that she was scared of her, but that she didn't really have much experience with little kids. Even back in Donnelaith, not much of her time was spent with Lasher's pups. She kind of regretted that now. 

While sniffing Odie out, she came across Sebastian's scent mingling with the pup's. Smiling, she padded quietly to the fen where she could see two forms talking in the water. Not wanting to disturb the moment, she sat and listened to the voices that carried over the water contentedly. It sounded like Seb was practicing his fathering skills, and they sounded really good from the fragments she could work out. Seb was going to be a great father. Pearl watched for a little while longer before silently padding away with a gentle smile on her face.

Odette didn't hear or pay attention to much after Steady's name was spoken.  Uncle Seb actually suggestingt that she should try to make peace with him.  Her face showed no expression, thoroughly shocked that Sebastian could say such a thing.  Steady was a cannibal and he did not deserve the title of her Uncle, despite being her Father's brother.  Steady was different.  Steady was wrong.  Steady was a cannibal.  Steady was as good as dead to her.  She hear a little bit about Sebastian, basically saying that he and his Father had sort of made peace.  His Father couldn't have been a cannibal like Steady was, he could not be so cruel.  Uncle Steady's Father had to be better despite Sebastian's descripton of him.  In her prespective, no one could forgive a cannibal who had eaten their Mother, asked the pack to join in, cut a slice for the offspring, then place the meat before them and then dig in like it was everyday meat along with everyone else.

Her eyes closed tightly, pained by the memories.

Fearful, depressed looking eyes stared by at Sebastian as she remembered that horrible, terrible day.  "Steady is dead to me.  He cut a b-bloody piece of m-meat from my M-mother and gave it to m-me, then asked the rest of the pack to eat, d-digging in himself like i-it was everyday m-meat."  Odette stutter fearfully.  "I b-bet you never expierenced t-that.  I-imagine y-your U-uncle d-doing the same t-thing.  W-would you forgive h-him?"  She asked Sebastian frightenedly, hoping that Uncle Seb would understand her pain.

She had him right there. Sebastian's uncle was not a nice man at all, worse than Steady, but Odette was not seeing that. Steady was a good man trying to feed the pups of his pack. However his uncle was worse. A rapist and used his females as slaves. Aviana was proof how broken the man could make you. However, rape was not a topic he wanted her to know about yet. She was so young.

"I'm sorry Odette," he spoke, sincerely. "I actually have a worse Uncle than Uncle Steady, but that is a story for when you are older. I didn't mean to make you upset. I just hoped that you might be open to forgive him, and that doesn't seem to be the case, so why don't we stop talking about uncle Steady," he suggested. "Life has it moments, good and bad. If Steady hadn't done what he had done then you wouldn't be here living with us. I really like having you around," he admitted to her and moved in closer to give her a big lick over her cheek.

Odette was silent while Uncle Seb spoke, but found anger bubble up within her when Sebastian continued to call Steady, Uncle Steady.  Steady did not deserve that title.  A sudden uncontrolled growl slide from her throat as soon as Sebastian finsihed, flinching visably away from his attempted lick to her cheek.  "Steady is many things... but he is not my Uncle.  He doesn't deserve that title."  She hissed.  She wasn't angry at Sebastian, she was angry with the world and what it had taken from her.  She was angry at Steady for the cannibalizism of her Mother.

As she thought more and more about how she might have come off angry at Sebastian, she almost instantly felt guilty.  "I'm sorry, it's not you..."  Odie whispered quietly, her eyes beginning to water.  Then without waiting for any response from Sebastian, she began to swim towards the shore, clear pain reflecting deeply in her eyes.  She wanted her family back.  Her true family.

Sebastian was quite shocked when his lick was rejected. The male let his ears fall back and looked at Odette with quite the surprised/sad look. She spoke so venomously about Steady. Sebastian wasn't sure if he liked that. Yet, it happened so recently so Sebastian decided not to push it. Technically he was her uncle.

She then whispered that it wasn't his fault. Sebastian watched her swim back to shore, the male followed and shook out his coat once he was with four paws on the ground again. "I just want to help you, that is all. But I won't talk about him if you don't want to," he explained to her. "However I do think that it would be good to get all that hate out of your system. Maybe we should just focus on the good things?"

Odette felt terrible.  Why did she have to be rude to Sebastian of all wolves?  When she reached the dry land and shook herself out, she realized that Uncle Seb had followed her.  She pinned her ears back submissivly as he began to speak.  He looked sad, suprised... it made her feel even worse.  As soon as Uncle Seb finished, she found her tail tucked submissively between her legs, she didn't move it.

"Why do...."  Odie began very quietly, but stopped herself.  It wasn't her place to ask and she wasn't entirely sure if Sebastian was mad at her or not.  She tried to focus on the good things.  She had a new family, good swimming areas and good adoptive parents.  She still missed her family though, her direct by blood family.  Stoic,  Adeline, Solemn, Zaria her Mother, FitzDutiful her Father.  Odette whinned, casting a nervous glance at Uncle Seb.  "I want my family back."  She whispered extremely quietly, unsure whether or not Sebastian had heard her.  For the moment she didn't entirely care though.  Her family was gone, she wanted them back.  The words were out.

Sebastian sat down next to the small female, actually sitting next to her. With his paw he pressed her gently closer if she wanted the comfort. "What was that? What do you want to ask?,"he questioned softly. The young alpha looked at the younger and then laid down, so he was more on her level. "You can ask me anything, you know that," he offered to her.

The male heard the whine and the whisper because he was more on her level. "I know, Odie. I know," he spoke and looked at her. "But I can't give you that. I am sorry. It is not in my power. But I can offer you a warm place in my family," he spoke softly, hoping that would make her feel better. Technically Odette had already taken that spot but he wanted her to know that it was truly hers.

Odie pushed closer to Uncle Seb as he spoke, seeking comfort from him.  He seemed to understand in a way from his answer, but Sebastian had never seen his Mother cannibalized.  He had never been offered a piece of his Mothers dead body at three months old.  He didn't know.  Not really.  Still she stayed next to him with a sad gaze, just staring off into the distance.

"I know..." she began in the softest whisper, "but... but sometimes I wonder what could have been.  I want to be apart of your family... but...."  She stopped as tears sprang to her eyes.  She blinked them back, but was silent for many minutes after that.  Finally though she spoke again.  "I once had a brother... his name was S-Solemn.  He was probably my favorite out of all of my siblings because of his personality and always looked out for me... I think he might have been one of the main reasons that I survived the famine.  S-Solemn would give me his shares of food... a lot during the famine.  I tried to stop him a few times, but other than that I really didn't do anything at all."  A single tear slide down her cheek.  "I think he died because of me.  I helped kill my family.  I helped break it down.  Solemn never spoke a single word."  Right afetr that Odie was sobbing... sobbing her heart out.