Moonspear it gets better

Vela was glad once they were past the burned forest. Something didn't sit well with her looking at those dark trees. She decided that she preferred living trees. Though, she was curious to explore it for the sole reason that he father said it was dangerous. Vela was getting a bit fed up with this trip, however, she didn't complain. She wasn't used to traveling so far to something that she wanted to see. Then again, she usually stayed around their territory. Not traveling so far as she did now.

It was clear her father was familiar with this forest and the path he was taking. Vela followed her father eagerly as he continued. She didn't care if there had been a pack before. Her father hadn't mentioned if it was a strange pack or the pack he had been in. It would probably not be the latter as her father was getting old. Vela didn't mean any disrespect by that thought, but from his stories, she could easily deduct that her father had been at Moonspear for a while.

She hoped that they would reach their destination soon. The girl wanted to know what her father's obsession, correction, love for the ocean was all about. Vela wondered if it would have the same impact on her. Perhaps it was extremely disappointing as she had been living to this moment for a long time. However, she took in as much as she could. Her father lived here when he was young when he was her age. That made her think of the future and where she might end up a few years from now.

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Without a clear-cut timeline on the age of this burnt forest, he simply focused on taking it in instead. He, being nosy anyway, he lagged more towards the back of their little trio again--especially while they were more devoted to covering ground. But, they made their way along and while he was not particularly used to such lengthy treks, he was still holding out pretty well since he was easily comfortable at a good cruise.

A different sort of forest seemed to serve as some boundary, and Jarilo traced the treeline before they pressed onward with only half a mention about a pack. He recalled the random wolves he had met claiming that they had claimed it, but evidently, that had not lasted long enough. His nose traced over the old, faded markers and signs of traffic too. Either way, it was in their favor; they continued on and in these unfamiliar places, he readily followed until they found beach.

It came to them suddenly and the yearling could practically start at the sheer horizon that opened beyond. He couldn't even see all of it yet, but gathered himself and trotted up almost-next to his father. Do you ever miss it? he asked, being frank but disgustingly curious.

They continued through Stavanger Bay's forest, a pleased smile creeping onto Charon's face as he made his way through the pathways that he still knew so vividly from youth. They travelled in silence for a while, until Jarilo asked Charon if he missed it -- the ocean, presumably. Charon would've loved to have had a mountain by the oceanside, but he was fine living at Moonspear too, for such a large mountain befitted his status better.

"Sometimes," he said noncommittally, "But there are many things Moonspear offers the ocean does not, so I don't regret leaving." It had been necessary at the time, especially because he and Ame needed to give up equal parts -- both needed to give up their home, or it would always be as if one had simply joined the other rather than creating something from the ashes of both their packs -- and Moonspear fit their legacy so much better. Yet he could not deny the pull the ocean had on him, and how good it felt to be here.

There were butterflies in his stomach, and Charon felt young again as he breached the forest. The ocean's soft waves were heard and he smiled as he stepped onto the beach, the salt of the ocean in his nostrils. He woofed encouragingly at his children before breaking into a galop towards the softly rushing waves of the wide ocean.

Vela moved in silence with her father and brother. She wondered when they would reach this sea. Her brother asked if her father missed this. At first she got a little shock when her father said sometimes. She loved the mountain, she didn't want to move. Luckily he clarified that he liked the mountain and that it had his advantages. "I wouldn't want to leave the mountain," she spoke. She didn't feel like she would ever leave the mountain. Maybe only for traveling, but she would always return to her home. She was starting to like the idea of traveling more.

Then they finally arrived at the ocean. Vela rushed after her father to finally see the the wide ocean, hear the crash of the waves, and feel the rush of the wind. Vela's mouth opened when seeing the large water, but after her first initial amazement she felt disappointed. What was so great about this? She frowned when trotting closer to the water. She looked at it skeptically. She let the waves wash over her paws. It scented different than normal water. But was that it?

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He struggled to envision an attachment to anything else, not one so strong as home. I wouldn't either, he added, after Vela. He was enjoying this and these sights, sure, but when it was all said and done, he would still be glad to return to what he knew best of all, deep in his bones. But, his father's demeanor towards it all certainly had him interested, and he was eager to enjoy what was to come even if in the end he did speak in favor of the mountain above it. Vela may not be so keen, he realized somewhere along the way although he only had suspicions to go on right now.. but he certainly wasn't waning quite the same. He just kept moving on, thoughts jumping from focus to focus.

Consumed in the sights as they came, finally opening towards the ocean, he flung his ears forward and perked his head entirely up when Charon woofed out to them both. In the very next instant, he readily gave in to the contagious energy his father was looking to foster here, and without another second spared, he took off after him. The footing was strange, the scents in his nose were bizarre--and there was simply so much all around, with the sea rolling up to the lands.

When they reached where the waves reached, he did not slow immediately and skimmed their edge. Even the wetness was different, somehow, and he let his perceptions spread far and wide in his vain attempt to take it all in. Nevertheless, awash in good spirits, he romped, and explored, as their father guided their path across the sandy stretches of his birthplace.

Charon could not hide a small proud smile when Vela said that she wouldn't want to leave the mountain. He definitely didn't want either of his children to leave if he could help it, so them staying tacked right into his plans. Charon didn't mention that he was glad for this, but it showed clearly on his face. It made him feel all the more chipper to continue on towards the ocean's rolling waves.

The sand crunched between his toes as he made his way onto the beach at a swift pace. Vela was quickly behind him and so was Jarilo, both of them rushing with him towards the waves' ends. Charon, upon reaching the edge, leaned down to roll in the shallow waves, soon reducing him twice in size as his plush fur was wettened. As he looked up, Charon saw Jarilo eagerly explore the shoreline, but Vela just stood there staring at the shoreline as if she had expected more. Charon licked his lips -- a crucial mistake, he realised soon after as he felt the salty drought tickle his tongue -- as he looked at her and wondered, even though it was clear from her lack of enthusiasm she may not share these sentiments: "Amazing, isn't it?"

Vela watched as her brother rushed to the sea and her father even roll in the shallows. The speckled female snorted. She stepped more into the water but it felt different. The ground under her paws was also different. The young girl snapped her eyes up when her father said that it was amazing. "It is just some weird big water," she spoke, though her voice sounded like she was complaining. She glanced from her brother then back to her father.

The female scowled for a moment and then looked over her shoulder to the beach. She had just thought more of it. But it was just a massive lake one couldn't even drink from. "So you grew up here then?," she questioned. "Can you tell me more about the pack life you had here?" Perhaps she could understand the sentiment of her father better if he told her more about it.

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Taking cues from his father was working so far. He gained a little courage the more he romped in the swallows and the strange waters. Watching his dad play so casual about them, too, did immediately make him feel better. More and more, the experience got him loosened up and he kicked up his heels, enjoying a splash when he found a deeper spot of them to pounce.

Although.. he wasn't brave enough to roll in it. For right now, he would pass on that, but thanks to a few exaggerated leaps and running romps, he had done a good job covering himself in seawater still—enough to notice, and fill his nose so much despite all of his sniffing around. It was easily a weird sensation for the mountain-born boy.

Amazing? Maybe. Jarilo was learning and getting used to it, but he was excited by the new. He gave a big obnoxious kick of his heels and a yap to voice his opinion, and slowed down somewhat after—mostly when he heard Vela's question. He was curious too.. but wouldn't stay still yet, and drug his paws through the swallow waters continually with his ears pointed towards his speckled family. He was having a good time, though.

The great water would never cease to amaze Charon. It was a mystical thing, as mystical as the stars to him. Things he could not grasp were things that Charon valued above others, wanted to learn about. There was something positively grand about the ocean and being here made him feel childlike. He might never have had much of a childhood growing up here, always forced to take responsibility from young age, but this place still reminded him of what it was like to be young.

His own children grew up spoiled, he realised when Vela said that it was 'just some big weird water'. She hadn't faced any of the hardships he had when growing up. Or maybe it was simply that the mountain was for her what this was for him. Charon decided to gloss over his distaste for his daughter's words, indicating with no more than an irritated wrinkle of the nose that they got to him, and focussed instead on the questions that followed.

Charon shook his fur, sending salt water flying everywhere, and stood still in the shallows as he explained what it was like growing up in Stavanger Bay. "It's a very diverse territory. As you've seen, there's the sea and the ocean, but also the forests," he indicated to the forest they'd just come out of, "With a sweet-water waterfall in there, and there's the cliffs that surround it." Charon gestured at the cliffs that looked small and far away from where they stood. On one side they were tall and proud while on the other side, there were a lot of collapsed pieces of rock that the storms of many years ago had whipped up from their place.

"My parents died when I was very little, I barely remember them." He remembered that his mother's name was Julooke and that she was white, and that his father's name was Verrine and he was something dark in pelt; Charon did not remember anything else. "The Alphas of this pack, Thistle and Ragnar, took me and my siblings in and raised me and Levi, my brother. My other brother, Kevlyn, was killed when I was little and my sister, Li..." He tried to remember the rest of her name but couldn't, "... She died too." She didn't remember much about his sister's death, didn't remember for sure if she had died, but it was the easiest thing to remember.

"I had many siblings through Thistle and Ragnar, though, such as your uncle Flóki." So many wolves had gotten lost. Ragnar had died and Thistle... She'd gotten lost, but Charon didn't think that she or Flóki were still alive somewhere. It was easier and fairer to believe they were dead, too. More realistic.

Vela noticed the little wrinkle on her father's face. She felt guilty for a moment but couldn't help herself that she didn't have the connection to this territory which her father had. She kept a stoic look at him, shielding her own expression from him as he hadn't seem to like her previous comment. So she would keep them to herself from now on, after all, she didn't want to hurt her daddy.

Vela watched the big water and then followed her father's gaze to the forest. "Are the sea and ocean different things?" she questioned. The female then kept her eyes on her father as he explained more about his life. He had not been fortunate to grow up with his parents. He had different parents that took him in. Curious, she had not known that. "So technically, you aren't born here then," she stated.

"I'm sorry you had to miss so many wolves, Daddy," she spoke then. "But I am glad that these wolves took you in. I am grateful that they did that," she nodded. But she was not going to appreciate this territory more just because she was grateful for the wolves that had lived here. To her it still felt like a big water, correction, useless water since one couldn't drink it.

He was mostly listening part way--too consumed with feeling, smelling, and seeing whatever he could. What he did catch, were much appreciated anecdotes about the territory itself. It was yet another motivator to pull his sights wide, sweeping towards the horizon, and everything that surrounded them.

When he did hear the subject turning a bit, he fought off distraction a little better so he might listen. He knew his father came from a history very unlike their own here, but the minor details were lost on him--so explanations like these were quick to perk his ears up. Jarilo knew they were lucky, and he glanced to his sister when she spoke. His own expression had sobered somewhat.. notably, after hearing of all the wolves that had died on him, and how his parents had never even been his to know exactly. He wondered how they all had died and what had become of those that hadn't perished.

He was thankful too, though. Yeah, really. It's a good thing they did, he added after his littermate spoke, happily piggybacking on her expression of her gratitude and all else. Do you remember how they.. ah, died? Any of them.. like was it something that was because of here? Or? he asked, almost hesitantly because of the subject matter--but inquiring minds wanted to know.

Well, he knew it could be anything. Was it nature of the coast? He knew mountains killed wolves before by falls and rockslides and hunting accidents, just to name a few. Were his family members all victim to some power of the lands here? Did it eventually play into why they didn't continue to live there? Maybe the waves, he theorized, if so, but he'd wait to hear more first.

Charon shook his head at the question. He supposed one could say that the sea and ocean were different things if one would look at the words precisely, but he had never consciously thought of them that way and anyway, it was easiest to just explain this with a 'no'. Charon glanced out into the ocean and shook his head again when Vela said that he had not been born here. "I was born here. My parents were Betas." Well, not technically, but Charon didn't remember their exact position in the pack and anyway, it didn't matter very much. "So the Alphas of Stavanger Bay were their friends -- that's why they took me in." Almost like family. Admittedly, if any of Charon's friends at points in time had gotten pups in Moonspear, he would've taken them in and cared for them in their absence too.

After his children had shared how grateful they were Charon'd been taken in, Jarilo asked if his grandparents had died because of something here. Charon nodded and explained, "They were killed by bears while protecting one of my brothers." A hero's death, however sad it had been for a long time. But not so much now, many years later. A lifetime later. Charon felt at peace here, thinking of his courageous parents as well as all the other family he'd had and lost here while the swooshing sound of the waves in the background calmed his mind.

Vela glared slightly at the brother when he asked such a question. What if that hurt their father. She kind of wanted to give him a stomp in his face for being insensitive but her father seemed to answer his questions anyhow. Vela turned her attention to her father as he explained. So he was born here but only to a beta couple. Interesting. She could understand that they would adopt her father as a young wolf. She wondered how her father would be when young. It was silly to imagine. Her father... young.

"Well, that is very heroic. Sounds something you would do as well, for us, I mean," she spoke. Vela didn't have a doubt that her father would rescue her from a bear. Not that she needed to be rescued now, but you know, when she was little. Vela stepped forward and then nudged her father's shoulder. "It is good to see this place dad. Though I do prefer our mountain."

Vela's glare at him slicked back his ears, but he shot her back another look as if to say what? He was just looking out for them, and really, it was sad, but their dad had never seemed all too torn up about the deaths of his family and packmates. He considered it fair enough game so long as he wasn't a complete insensitive jerk and thankfully, Charon did answer interestingly enough: bears. He would be remembering that and nodded gratefully for now, deciding not to say anything at the moment.

He looked out at the horizon over the water with a pensive look on. When his sister mentioned the mountain, a piece of him missed it. Despite the thrills here and everything there was yet left to see.

Yeah.. it's nice. And nice to know now.. he said a few beats after Vela gave her remarks. He wasn't sure if he was starting to get tired soon, or just needing to keep moving before everything really began to catch up to him. They had covered a lot of ground and seen plenty already.

Charon smiled as Vela said that she could imagine dying for a bear to be something Charon'd do for them. He remembered well doing that for Galaxy when she had been taken. Well, rather, he had taken care of Vela and Jarilo at the time, while Amekaze and his daughters freed Galaxy from the clutches of the bear. It had been terrifying to not be there. Charon also remembered fighting the bear to save Flóki and Jorunn, alongside Atreyu, right here at Stavanger Bay, though a little further along the coast.

Suddenly he heard that very snap of the leg in his head and flattened his ears. It was only a split second that there was a look of terror on his face as he recalled that day and the sickening sound of Atreyu's cracking bones as they were tore off his rump, before he turned back to his normal self. He glanced at both his children by his side, adults now, no longer so easily in danger, and nodded. "Yes, I would." He knew he would, because he had done so to his adopted siblings, and because he would always be ready to fight for his family were they in danger.

Jarilo and Vela thanked him for showing this place and again he nodded. "It's a nice place. Packs have claimed it a few times since then, so I'm glad it's free of clear scent marks now." Charon liked to visit this place at least once a year -- or more, but time was often not permitting -- so it was good to know it was currently unoccupied. Hopefully it'd stay that way.

Vela had seen the expression that came on her father's face. She was blaming Jarilo for it. Vela shook her head and stepped closer to her father to nudge him in comfort. "So, will we stay here for a bit then? Before we travel back?," she asked her father. She didn't mind staying for a bit, after their travels were quite long. She could do some resting.

"I'm glad that no one took your old home," Vela nodded. Maybe spending the night here would make her father feel a bit better! And some hunting. "Is there something we can maybe hunt?"

He was relieved as well that none others had claimed this. Sensing some of his father's attachment, some protectiveness over the neutrality here started to take root in him on this trip. It wasn't his home, not even immediately bordering it, and nor did he plan to make it so any day soon.. but he did like the option to visit freely. So, therefore, it was worth keeping free in his humble opinion.

He knew what mom always said, that packs rarely lasted in any one place for all too long. It seemed this was true here over and over again. Weird to him how it worked out that way (he came from stable roots apparently), but Jarilo decided not to question it right now since it obviously worked well in their favor. If the last pack here had come with any staying power, then this whole venture out would have been cut short, and they would have been denied seeing this.

Anyway, Vela mentioned a hunt after staying, and honestly, he latched pretty readily onto that idea since all of this newness had worked up an appetite now that he took the time to realize it. Yeah food sounds good actually, he piped up with, and offered no complaints on staying. Just some happy tail wags, glad to be here and with them both.

It warmed his heart to hear his daughter suggest they stay a little longer. Charon didn't even consider that she may say it only for his benefit; he figured that she liked the place as much as he did. "Sounds like a good idea to catch some rest before we return." It was a bit of a journey, after all, and it would be nice to spend some more time here in his birthplace.

Vela's suggestions remained good and Charon nodded after Jarilo agreed: "Good idea." Food was fairly the same here if they were to go into the forests, but maybe it would be a better idea to give them something else; something they didn't yet know. "How 'bout we follow the shoreline this way," he said, and he started to make his way towards the sealion shores. "Keep your eyes open for anything that looks like food." If they didn't find anything on the way, then maybe they were lucky and could find a deceased or weak sea lion.

Vela was pleased to hear that her idea was to her father's liking. She felt up for some hunting, especially in this new territory where everything was flat and felt relatively easy compared to the mountain side. She dipped her head shortly and then trotted past the big water. She followed her father's directions as he knew this territory better.

However, as she continued Vela noticed some strange rocks on the beach before them. She stiffened into place when she saw that they moved. She had never encounters seals before so this was quite strange to her. She was instantly on high alert but also looking at her father. "What is that!!" she questioned.

Entirely agreeing, he fell into stride a pace or two behind Vela as their father led the way after laying out the plan for them. He shifted gears to hunt-mode rather readily with hunger encouraging, although he did not know quite what to expect. In company like this, however, he had confidence they could rustle up something decent enough before too much longer--even without the yearlings having any experience in what the seashore might grant them.

As Charon instructed, he was eyes peeled for food, and his nose set to constant work to decipher the scents they crossed. But, a bit like Vela, he had at first discounted the rocks that were actually not-rocks at all. He'd noticed a weird smell moments before, although there were a lot of those, so he didn't even immediately make the connection--not until he saw them move too. His hackles gave a subtle rise thanks to his confusion. The mountains didn't have any of those.

Squinting at the unknown creatures, and torn between worried and.. well, hungry, he eyeballed his dad to explain that phenomenon as friend, foe, food... or something to ignore entirely.

It seemed there wasn't a whole lot of food to be found on the way to the sea lion shores, it seemed, but that didn't matter. Maybe they'd be luckier on the shores. It took a little bit to get there but apart from a few small trails that lead to nowhere they found nothing on the way in terms of food. Once they came out of the bay's forest and onto the shores with the rock-like creatures, both children responded in entirely their own way: Jarilo was wary where Vela was instantly on guard and wanted to know what she was looking at.

They are sea lions, Charon explained to his children. It's best to see if we can find one that's wounded or dying, because they're dangerous to face head on. Though with the three of them they would stand a better chance, often Charon found that these creatures could be surprisingly fast for such large, plump creatures. He started to wander along the edge of the group of sea lions, hoping to find one that matched the profile.

Vela frowned when there father spoke about finding one that was wounded. They didn't look dangerous at all. "But they have no claws! They are so round," Vela instantly complained. She felt that she could take on one of those animals alone. They looked fluffy and slow. Vela glanced at her brother. She didn't know there were different kinds, and that sea lions were more dangerous than seals.

Vela instantly trotted closer her father to try and see what he was looking at. She didn't understand why they had to pick a weak one. "Will we hunt one if there aren't any wounded sea lions?" she asked curiously.

Sea lions. His brows were crinkled in concentration as he sized up the peculiar creatures that Charon marked as potentially dangerous. The way they moved was odd to him, and the more he saw, he still felt vaguely weirded out by them. Much like Vela, he saw the ways they lacked--compared to traditional prey and predators that he was used to observing. No claws, no horns, no hooves, and frankly, they didn't look too fast to him. They don't even have real legs... he said, skeptical, but willing to believe his dad since he knew best, having grown up in a place like this. Still, they were strange sights to see. How do you even tell if they're limping? he asked, since they looked like they just drug themselves around anyway.

He didn't see any immediate signs of sickness on them, not that he could tell well what that was supposed to mean for the likes of sea lions. They were difficult to judge for him. There's that smaller one over there, he said, gesturing to one sort of away from the rest, but not by much, and it didn't look dying necessarily. Just smaller. Maybe younger? He didn't know. By the tone of his voice, he wasn't overly convinced that this was a worthy pursuit; maybe Dad had better ideas, or could eyeball them better. Jarilo was just guessing really.

The children were quite incredulous about the dangers of sea lions -- as Charon had once been, before he realised how dangerous they could be -- and had all sorts of arguments why they were't. But their mass alone was a force of nature and Charon wouldn't take any risks, especially so far from home. Just believe me on it, he answered curtly, not explaining in detail what exactly was dangerous about them or how you could tell if one was limping. Instead he kept inspecting the group, hoping to find a wounded or smaller one on the outskirts.

Jarilo pointed out a sea lion first, even though he did not sound too confident. Charon looked at the smaller sea lion and assessed the situation, then decided: Let's try it. It was on the side of the group at least, so it would be easier to cut off. Stay away from their mouths, they're very strong and surprisingly fast. The neck or back is the easiest target. They have throats like any other species but it's harder to rip it than a deer's, and unsafe because it's so close to their mouths. Charon had not that often hunted sea lions himself, usually he just scavenged, so it was a bit of a trial and error whether they'd actually make it. He started making his way to the side of the ground, where the little one -- a young one, indeed -- was, who had not noticed anything so far. But soon as they came closer another -- presumably a parent -- started barking and the little one raised its head. Cut it off, but be careful the adults won't close in. If they do, we have to run away. It would be too dangerous to stand between the adult sea lions and their cubs, so their only bet was cutting it off and being menacingly enough that the adults decided this pup just wasn't worth the risk.

Vela agreed with Jarilo's sentiment. They didn't even have legs, what kind of weird creatures were they? Then again, she did believe her father that they were dangerous. If they didn't have legs to run then they had compensation somewhere else, so it must be their mouth then. Vela was eager to do something, her father mentioned to cut the pup off from the adults.

Vela charged forward, between the cub and the adults. Without fear, as she was not sure what the expect she made a lot of noise to chase the adults, so then her father or someone else could grab the baby and drag it further away, she felt that was the best think to do to a think without legs.