Broken Antler Fen Rollercoaster

Aduin had thought about the meeting with the two members, and remembered he had not met the pup. He had forgotten her name, so another reason to set out and find her. There was a chance Sebastian and Pearl had taken her in as a daughter, and he thought that made him an uncle. So with tail wagging low to the ground and a smile on his face, he went to find her.

@Odette

After meeting Charon, Odette found herself very much spooked about this Lazarus guy.  What if he came here?  What would he do?  Cause more ruckus?  Odie shivered at the thought, she hoped that she never ever met him.  After all why would she want to end up face to face with a bad guy?  The thought just did not seem at all appetizing to her.

She walked for a little while on her own until suddenly she caught sight of a male.  Curious about who he was, although he did look vaguely familiar from the distance, Odette began to slowly and cautiously make her way over to him.  Although he did smell of the pack so he had to have Pearl and Sebastian's approval, so that meant he had to be a good wolf right?  Not a bad wolf like Lazarus.

Aduin's gaze settled on who he was seeking out after swivelling his head back and forth. She was coming slowly over, possibly out of caution. Thinking that, he lowered himself to make himself look less of a threat. He treated all pups the same, no matter their age.

"Hey. R-Remember me? I'm Aduin." It had been some time since theysaw each other, and he hadn't recalled her name as of yet.

Odette instantly liked that the male tried to make himself look less threatening by lowering himself.  It made her feel much more comfortable.  After that he reminded her of his name and when he stuttered Odie instantly remembered who he had been at the meeting.  She nodded.  "I remember you from the meeting."  She whispered quietly.  "I'm Odette by the way, or Odie for short."  She finished, just in case he had forgot.

Then Odette began to scan him.  He wasn't very threatening, so he couldn't be Lazarus.  He wasn't terribly injured too.  She instantly felt safer.  This meant that Aduin probably wasn't a bad guy.  She flashed him a small, yet slightly nervous smile.

"Odette, that's right" he murmured. She flashed him a smile, and that made his widen. "H-How is it here? You liking th-the Fen?" He really wished he could control his nervous stutters, but old habits die hard. Aduin was curious if she had managed to make any new friends here, and settled in well. His mind itched to ask if Seb had taken her in as a daughter, or just another member. But he did not ask as of yet.

Aduin seemed to sorta remember her name after she reminded which made her feel good for some reason.  Probably because it felt like she wasn't just forgotten.  Then he went on to ask how she was liking it here, how she was liking the fen.  For a few nervous moments Odie stared down at her paws before answering.  She wasn't trying to be rude, but she still just found herself naturally nervous or scared around those that she did not know very well.

"I love it here actually.  I love swimming in the fens and I really like the wolves here... it's great."  Vaguely Odette found herself wondering if herself some months ago before her Mother had died, when she had still trusted Steady would have thought someone crazy if they told her that one day she would come to love a place called Broken Antler Fen, that had a ton of water and was very different from Silvertip Mountain.  She probably would have thought they were insane and run away.

Aduin smiled as she told him. She seemed to enjoy life here. Swimming, which he still had yet to do, and liked the wolves here. Until there was a pause. It made him cock his head a little, an ear flopping down toward the ground. His tail stilled as he observed her.

"Odette. Are you sure?" he asked, trying to be sure. He looked for any breaks in her expression. Anything that showed other feelings underneath. A light 'hmm' escaped his muzzle. He knew that a break like that sometimes meant something was up.

Aduin had probably caught her pause, since he asked her if she was sure and Odie found herself looking down a sheepishly.  Soon enouch though that sheepish look was replaced with a sadder look.  She loved it here... but she wanted her family back.  Mom, Dad, Solemn, Adeline and Stoic.  She missed them all and thought of them everyday.  She just wanted to have them back in her life now though, maybe more than anything... she just wanted to be reunited.  Still she had a family here at Broken Antler Fen, she was lucky in a way.

"I miss my family."  She whispered quietly, her ears and tail drooping to the ground as images flashed through her mind of what could've been.  In all of those images her family was together, whole, happy... not in the land of the deceased.

The look she had gave even more away. There truly was something else. And he half expected her answer. Aduin's own tail and ears drooped lower at her answer. Losing family was quite possibly the worst thing that could happen to someone so young. Losing everyone they know and love.

"Odette..where is your family?" he asked. Sebastian had said nothing about what happened to Odette's family. If they had died, been lost to the famine. Or when they had been lost. And knowing this would help him in helping her.

The question... Aduin just had to ask about her family.  She sniffled as memories plagued her thoughts.  Her family was dead and missing.  Father: Dead, Mother: Dead, Solemn: Dead, Adeline: Unknown, Stoic: Unknown.  She would do anything to have her family back and did not like being in the dark of the aliveness of Stoic and Adeline.

"My family is d-dead... two of my siblings are in the dark to me... I don't know if there dead or alive."  She whimpered, her now sad, green gaze settling to the ground.  "I would do anything to have them back.  I miss them."

Aduin held back any sobs at what he was thinking. He too had earned the same fate as little Odette. Mustering his courage, he brushed his muzzle across her head. "I know...I know how that is..." he paused, moving his head back after the comforting gesture. "But you gotta live through this. They'd want that. Don't you agree?"

Aduin claimed to know what it felt like.  Yet Odette was confused as to what he fully meant by this.  Was he just saying that?  Did he had the same problem with his family.  When he told her that she just had to live through it, that they would want that, it touched her heart in ways.

So in response to Aduin's question Odie just nodded her head quietly.  Still questions remained.  What had happened to Aduin's family?  Was he speaking literly or was he just trying to comfort her?  So in the softest of the softest voices Odie asked him a very personal question.  "Where is your blood family?"

Aduin claimed to know what it felt like.  Yet Odette was confused as to what he fully meant by this.  Was he just saying that?  Did he had the same problem with his family.  When he told her that she just had to live through it, that they would want that, it touched her heart in ways.

So in response to Aduin's question Odie just nodded her head quietly.  Still questions remained.  What had happened to Aduin's family?  Was he speaking literly or was he just trying to comfort her?  So in the softest of the softest voices Odie asked him a very personal question.  "Where is your blood family?"  As soon as she asked the question she suddenly remembered something from Pearl's story.  "Like H-Haven."

She seemed to understand what he meant, or so he thought from her nod. Then, she brought something up. It felt like a slap to the face, hearing that name. Had Sebastian told her? Besides Brandy, he thought Seb was the only one who knew the story. That name, to be more specific. "W-Who told you that?" he stuttered, stumbling over his words.

But with her being a pup, he answered anyway. "I don't know. I...she could be dead. Lost...But I've learned to get past that." Well, he had. Talking about it opened up some old wounds. "The rest, well they have disappeared. Or were killed in th-the...the fire."

She nodded slowly listening to Aduin's story.  The mention of death by fire made her very sad and the unknown status of the rest of his family.  Odie knew how that felt.  Yet through all of that sadness there were bright sides.  At least Aduin hadn't had his Mother cannibalized before him and offered a piece, at least he hadn't had to protect his newly deceased brother from being cannibalized.

"At least your Mother wasn't cannibalized in front of your eyes... At least you weren't offered a piece of her meat.  At least your brother wasn't almost cannibalized."  Odie whispered ever so softly, eyes trained hard on the ground.  "That's why I ran away Aduin.  I never ever want to go back to Silvertip."  She whispered softly.  "I'm sorry about your family though.  I'm sorry about the fire.  I'm sorry about the unknown statuses too."

Aduin came to understand that despite both of them having gone through a tragedy, Odette had gone through it at a much younger age. It would have been terrible, losing everyone and to be so young at the time. But now she had Sebastian, Pearl, the whole of Broken Antler Fen to back her up. To raise her. And he would help in any way possible.

"I am sorry, Odette. But hey, we all got each other now, right?" he asked, trying to put a happy touch to he mood. Then his face went back to serious, as did his tone. "I'm sure that won't happen here. I can promise you that."

Aduin's words were comforting, but a sudden thought occurred to her.  One that made her very uneasy
although this possibility seemed to have a very small chance of happening.  Still it was always a possibility.  She would have to be careful.

"Even the best wolves can go downhill."  She responded softly as she remembered how Steady--Uncle Steady back then had been her Hero, a shinning light in her life.  Yet he had failed her.  He had gone to the wrong side.  He had eaten her Mother and offered her a share.

Anyone could go to the darkside, but then made if they could go to the dark side they could come back.

Aduin was a little surprised at what she said. Even though it was true, it still shocked him. "W-Well sometimes they do. But that doesn't mean they can't change, does it?" he asked her. Even though her uncle had cannibalized her mother, he recalled how harsh the famine had been. Maybe one day, he could get her to go visit her uncle. Just once, to make amends. But for now, he would help her put the past behind her.

The more and more Odette thought about the words that had come out of her mouth the more shocked she became.  Had she really just said that?  Had she really?  Aduin seemed quite surprised and asked her if she believed that they could change be good again.

"I have faith in Broken Antler Fen, don't get me wrong.  Although to answer your question I think that perhaps some do and some don't...."  She replied with not much more that she could think to say about that.

Aduin gave her a sympathetic look. He couldn't let her feelings get the best of her. That could lead to many things. Things he considered bad, or things he would never do despite having been a bit on the down side himself in the past. He couldn't let the depression he had happen to her. She could end up beng jumpy, tail low all the time.

"Let's change the subject. What do you want to do when you get older?" He wanted to make the mood a lot better. "I want to be a counselor. Which you might see plainly" he added with a light chuckle. A good laugh always brought up the mood with him. Through this entire conversation, he had become so much more confident with talking to others. As long as he knew them.

Aduin decided to change the subject and Odette went along with it.  What did she want to be when she got older though?  That was a very tough decision.  She could be a lot of things really... a scout, a healer, a counselor like Aduin wanted to be, a mercenary, a hunter.  There were so many choices.  Yet there was one that stood out pretty boldly to her.  Astronomer.

The thought of being an astronomer had always interested Odette because of her love for the stars.  The stars were so beautiful... she wanted to study them and adore them, teach everyone about them, because talking, looking at or admiring the stars was Odie's happy place.

"I want to be an Astronomer when I grow up Aduin."  She told him in a peep.  "I've always loved the stars, I want to explore them and their ways.  Actually do you know any of the stars names or constellations Aduin?"  She asked curiously.

Astronomer? That was an interesting choice. One he had never thought about, having rarely even looked at the stars. "Astronomer, huh? Interesting choice there. I haven't looked at the stars that much." He didn't know many astronomers.

He shook his head to her question. He didn't know of any constellations off the top of his head. Never really looked into them, never asked. In fact, he never really noticed patterns in the night sky. "Maybe one day you can teach them. That sound like a good idea?" In his mind it did, and every time he looked up at them he could remember them.

Aduin seemed surprised by her choice as Astronomer, but when he suggested that she could possibly teach others about it one day, she nodded her head excitedly.  It sounded like a great idea!  This way everyone could know about the stars!  What a lovely world that that would be.

"I love that idea Aduin."  She exclaimed happily, staring up at him with bright eyes.  Suddenly a question popped into her head.  "Do you know anyone who teaches or knows about astronomy Aduin?"  She asked him curiously, really hoping that there was someone out there who could teach her.

Aduin smiled to see some sort of progess from this conversation. He had brought her mood up. And the idea was a great one, a way to learn from another. He couldn't wait. Whenever she would teach him, he would think of those constellations every time he looked up.

"I'm sorry, I don't. Maybe you could ask Sebastian. You might be able to visit another pack with someone that has knowledge." If Seb would allow her to go. "If yo want, I could go."

Aduin's offer excited her and her tail wagged at the thought.  Yet who would she go see?  She didn't actually know anyone who knew about the stars.  She thought and thought and thought.  Then suddenly a possibility struck her.

What about Charon Ostrega?  She had never asked him but he could know about the stars and the trip would be fun anyways.  After all she did know where he lived.  She. Could pay him a good old visit!

Happily she looked at Afuin with bright eyes.  "I met someone in this forest next to Btoken Antler Fen named Charon.  Charon Ostrega.  I don't know if he knows about he stars but...  at least the trip would be fun!  After all it's worth a shot."  Odie's tail wagged hard as she hoped and prayed for approval from Aduin to ask Sebastian about it, Aduin as her guide.