Moonspear rock the boat

When he had left the Teekon Wilds, Nikai had still had four legs, but he returned with his left hind leg taken away. Nikai didn't remember exactly how he and Alya had gotten separated; there was a patch of memory missing where he had lost his leg. One moment they were still together, and another he came to, dazed and woozy, not far from where he last remembered being with Alya. She was gone, of course. Sometimes he dreamed of cages and all sort of things he didn't understand, and sometimes he dreamed of Alya leaving him, wanting to return home where he wanted to discover the world more, but he couldn't decipher whether any of these dreams actually had a note of truth in them.

Maybe visiting Alya's mountain would tell him more. He felt giddy as he arrived at the mountain. Nikai was able to move quite well on three legs these days, though he would never be as fast as he used to be. Losing the leg altogether had actually worked out better for him; it was as if a burden had been taken from him. He'd also gotten beter as he had been ill often, the wound on his leg still burning often too, when he had still had his leg.

At the mountain's borders Nikai waited and lifted his nose to call. Dusk was falling over the mountain as he raised his nose to call for @Alya or either of her sisters @Lyra or @Hydra so they may tell him of her whereabouts, were she not here presently. There was excitement settled into his heart, for though they had been parted for some time now, he'd not forgotten about Alya. Thinking of her still made a flutter in his heart shake up every time, even if he did not remember how well or poor the terms they'd parted on were (in his dreams, they were different each time).

Alya hadn't forgotten about Nikai, either. There was something about the man that made her feel as though they belonged together, even if he didn't set her soul aflame the way she had always imagined love would.

But she had thought him dead — How could he not be? — and so she had moved on.

Hearing his voice was like feeling someone walk over her own grave. She gave an involuntary shiver and then, swiftly, turned to meet the call before any of her family could. If he was not a spectre, she was not yet sure she wanted her family to hear anything he had to say.

Nikai, she greeted her mouth hardly able to form the word. Her stomach churned with guilt, and her heart was hammering at the back of her tongue. Unbidden, her throat let out a strangled sob, and she realized she was incredibly, ardently, deliriously happy to see him again. I thought you'd died, she wanted to say, but instead, You survived. And he was down one leg, now, but he'd made it back to Moonspear without her help.

Because she had abandoned him to his fate. Do you hate me? she asked softly, and today, her vulnerability was no act.

When a dark wolf appeared, Nikai's heart skipped a beat. He thought for a moment it might be one of her sisters -- he had no proof she actually had come back here, after all, so she may as well still be out somewhere -- and he was not sure what sort of news he would even be able to give them of Alya. But then there was something in her step that he recognised. Maybe he was just lying to himself, but he was sure that it was Alya -- had to be. When that name came from her lips there was no doubt in the world that it was Alya who stood in front of him.

A soft smile danced across his face, a total mismatch with the rollercoaster of emotions that Alya seemed to go through. But it was all explained with her next words: You survived. She must have thought that he had died. Had she still been with him when he had been taken away to the places of his dreams? Was the place real? He knew he might never find the answers, but at least he had found back Alya.

When he finally thought of something to say, a question broke the silence again -- Do you hate me? -- and there was a rueful smile on Nikai's face. If he was capable of hating at all, then it would never be Alya. Could never be Alya. "I missed you," he said, throwing out what he had wanted to say before her vulnerable question. "And I could never hate you, Alya." Nikai's tail swayed in soft greeting and he closed the distance to press his head against her neck. It had been altogether too long since he had felt such closeness to another wolf -- to Alya.

His easy dismissal of her question had the air whooshing out of her lungs like a well-aimed punch. Sometimes it was hard to understand Nikai - and other wolves in general - when her own mindset was so different. But she remembered talking with Aditya as Chaiyya, and trying to process a similar goodness in Morningside's leader. She couldn't help but think that no one would ever be as genuinely good as Nikai, though. It had made her uncertain in the past, but now that she was older and a fair bit wiser, she found herself more able to appreciate this quality in the male.

He embraced her without question, and Alya let out a tiny sigh and folded herself into her old friend. Her oldest friend, actually - she wasn't in contact with anyone else. Remember when we met? she asked, the memory bringing a sheepish grin to her face. She'd been quite taken with the boy even then.

It felt like forever since they'd last been together; perhaps even longer to Nikai because his memory was so hazy in regards to what happened as and right after they'd parted. Somehow it didn't seem to matter what exactly had come to pass, though; Nikai simply cherished that he had found Alya back. Only a very small part of him thought she would have actually gone back here. A bigger part had thought he would more likely run into Hydra and Lyra, and that they might not like what he had to tell them (about losing track of Alya). This made everything so much easier. He leaned against Alya, a touch that felt natural and like he was exactly in the place he belonged. It had been some time since he had felt that way.

At her question, he nodded, then, as he realised she wouldn't see (but would feel his head bob along her neck), "Yeah. I wasn't entirely sure if I was dreaming or if there were really three of you, the first time..." Nikai remembered being quite captivated right from the start, though he didn't really remember all the exacts of the conversation they had had then, except that it had been playful and he remembered one detail: ".. princess." He reluctantly withdrew from the embrace and grinned at Alya. How his heart fluttered to see her again. Nikai was a very feeling wolf so even when he was with his mother or Steph or friends or other family Nikai felt good -- but Alya was something different altogether. If everyone else he loved in his life were like steady rivers, Alya was like a roaring waterfall.

Although she would not deny his words, Alya had found in herself a growing conviction that there was only one of her. One of each of them. They were still three parts of a whole, but they were not quite as interchangeable as she'd imagined in her youth. And Alya was different from Lyra and Hydra, as Hydra was different from Alya and Lyra, as Lyra was different from Hydra and Alya. And for better or for worse, it was Alya that Nikai had called for, that he'd travelled with.

That had abandoned him...

He pulled back to look upon her, but she followed him only a beat later, smooshing her face against his so that their foreheads were together, eyes - blue and green - only inches apart. Alya had closed, hers, though, wondering how she'd mistaken the sweet-steady pulse of Nikai's affections for boring and unremarkable. She thought about all the boys that she'd chased after or manipulated - how Bruges had had to be coerced, how Aditya had run from her, how Vaati had tried to master her. But Nikai had always been her friend first, and a good friend, at that. And she was a terrible one! She hadn't even been able to face his - "We have to tell your mother," she blurted, remembering that Valette had not heard any news of her son's whereabouts since he'd parted ways with her.

Alya pulled back this time, glancing over her shoulder to be sure there were no onlookers in sight. Although she would not be able to keep it under wraps for long, she didn't want her family knowing she was planning another long trip just yet. "Have you been back to Easthollow?" she asked him, thinking about how worried her own family had been after just a few week's absence. Nikai had been gone for months.

Nikai sat down after he took his distance, his legs aching from the journey. The last months without Alya had been tough, though hunting on his own was easier now that he had lost the dead weight. Still, it wasn't -- and never would be -- the same as it was before, and he noticed it in moments like these, when he had decided to travel a bit further that day because he was almost there. Alya was not ready to let go, it seemed, and Nikai smiled -- not that she'd probably see it -- as she pressed her face up close against his.

Another might think sudden talk of one's mother wasn't very attractive, but Nikai thought it was endearing how Alya thought of Valette. And she was right; they must be worried, considering he had left with a wounded leg and he had been away from home for almost a year now. He nodded, but before he could respond verbally she asked if he had been back to Easthollow yet. Nikai responded: "I haven't. I came here first, because it was on the route -- well, almost, anyway. I wanted to see you. I'm glad you found your way back here." Nikai, too, had felt guilty for a little while as Alya had gone from his side. "But you're right. Valette must be worried. We should go and see her." Nikai realised only at the very end that he had assumed 'we' when it might as well be 'I' but he waited to see Alya's reaction before apologising, for maybe it would be unnecessary if she felt the same way.

Alya nodded seriously, but her determination was tempered by deep guilt. She looked down at their paws - dark against the snow - and opened her mouth to speak several times before finding the words. I tried to go see her when I got back, but I just couldn't face her,she admitted, throat tight. I couldn't tell her... Nikai, I'm so sorry. I should have tried harder. I just didn't know what to do, and it was so loud and you were... She swallowed back her excuses and fell silent for a moment, heart pounding unevenly.

I'm sorry, she repeated. There's no excuse. I was a coward.

Shh, he murmured when Alya embarrassedly explained that she wasn't able to tell Valette about him. It's okay, Alya, it really is. I know this is a tough realisation, but we're all just... Wolves trying the best we can. Not superwolves who always know exactly what to do. Nikai wanted to approach again, seeing Alya worried about disappointing others like this when he was used to her being confident, if not overly so. He supposed it was a longer fall back to humanity when you climbed so high.

She had admitted to being a coward and it was a step towards realising that the world wasn't always exactly in her and her sisters' grasps. Do you want to -- Can you come with me to see her..? Can they miss you for that long? He wasn't the fastest so travel took longer for him, after all. And what would they do then... Would they join Easthollow or would he come live with her here at Moonspear? Nikai's heart was torn between the woman he loved and his family, Valette and Steph.

Alya's dark eyes glinted at the suggestion that Nikai might've gone without her. "Of course I'm going," she said sharply, only softening her voice through great effort. "They'll make due without me," she added, giving his cheek a perfunctuory nuzzle. She couldn't seem to stop touching him now that he was back in reach. It was odd, because they hadn't been overly affectionate on their trip, as far as she remembered. But it had been a different time, too, and Alya had still been recovering from her various heartaches.

But she was healed, now, and more wholly herself than she had ever been. As Nikai had surmised, she'd begun to see that she was not always right, not always supreme, and entirely mortal - but it was more than that. She was learning to be kinder, and more patient, and less prideful. And she was still a holy terror, honestly, but that was too hard ingrained to ever truly be trained out of her.

"But before we go, there's something we have to do," she decided, firming her stance. "I'd like to formally declare my intention to court you - so I want to introduce you to my mother and father." Although the first half of the statement was gently teasing, there was no mistaking the determination in her eyes. This time, she would not sit around waiting for the prince to sweep her off her paws. She would the prince, damn it!

Her answer was satisfying, to say the least; the smile that broke through on Nikai's face was proof enough of that. When she nuzzled his face he felt truly happy, a jolt of lightning running through his spine. It was different now, different than on their journey and different than before. There was just something about Alya and everything she did that made him feel so over the moon.

Nikai was about ready to go but he also understood she had to inform her family of this. What he hadn't expected though was her announcement that she'd want to'formally court' him. Nikai nodded and said, after a quick nudge to Alya's cheek, Alright, let's call them. He waited, feeling a little bit nervous but if they were anything like Valette then surely it'd turn out fine.

Unfortunately for Nikai, Alya's parents were nothing like Valette. She didn't expect there to be any trouble, but she also didn't expect Charon and Amekaze to be happy to see her traipsing off again after what'd happened the last time she'd gone away. Too, she was sure they'd be able to tell that this was something of a goodbye - Alya knew she would come back to Moonspear eventually, but she also had a feeling that this trip would be longer than any she'd yet known. It frightened her, a little, but then she looked at Nikai and his fine black face, the freckles across his nose, his bright green eyes... and she knew that things would be alright. She might be leaving this family, but he would be her family, too.

Without further ado, she moved to stand beside Nikai (partially covering his missing leg) and lifted her head to howl for Charon, @Amekaze, @Hydra, and @Lyra. The other two girls knew Nikai well enough, of course, but she didn't think either of her parents had met him - certainly not while realizing who he was to her (ha).

She gave Nikai a gentle, fortifying nudge as they settled in to wait.

Lifting her nose from a fresh marking, Ame wrapped up her most immediate doings for this circuit, and cast a dour stare off towards the faraway horizon. It was her daughter's howl that distracted her in very near that instant, before her focus could wander, reaching beyond what was at her reach here. Without further ado, she turned off towards the call, and slackened up a trot to get herself there soon.

She smelled no immediate trails on the others, yet, but found Alya and another beside her in time. Alya, she greeted fondly for her daughter, and moved towards her first to aim a nudge to her cheek—should she have it.

On the way, her head lifted at the sight of a stranger—a dark-coated and very lightly speckled fellow, interestingly missing one leg. Though she flared her nostrils his way, definitely curious of what his implications were, she did settle her sights, and her greetings, mostly upon Alya who she did not doubt would fill her in promptly.

He came from the direction of the forest, and arrived shortly after Amekaze did. Alya was there, alongside some other. Charon vaguely recognised this man; he'd seen him before somewhere, but he didn't remember where. Unlike Ame, Charon didn't notice the missing leg, as Alya hid it more or less and he wasn't paying that well attention.

What's going on? he asked, a little more sharply than he had intended.

Nikai waited, a little nervously so. It didn't go unnoticed to him that Alya stood in front of his leg, almost protectively so. Another might have been insulted, but he understood that she just wanted to make him look as good as possible... And missing a leg definitely wasn't that.

Her mother arrived first, a stoic looking woman who looked powerful. Nikai found it impossible to tell her age. He also noticed her gaze slipping towards his missing leg. Next arrived her father, a man that bore many scars and seemed inpatient in the speed with which his demand slipped out.

Madam, sir, Nikai greeted humbly, his posture dropping a little to show his respect at their borders. I am Nikai. Alya and I have travelled together earlier this year. He was unsure how much she'd told them of him, so he left the rest up to Alya, including the bad news.

Alya wagged her tail and returned her mother's nuzzle when she arrived, fondly remembering the "talk" Amekaze had given her when she'd been but an inquisitive youth. She knew better, now, and suddenly wondered what Nikai might think of her short dalliance with Bruges - but she couldn't think of a reason to tell him, so it didn't really matter.

When her father arrived, however, her ears flew back in uncertainty at his sharp tone. She was remembering a very different conversation with her father, where he'd promised to continue loving Alya and her sisters when they went off to claim their own mountain. It was not yet the time for that - but she still considered this a departure of sorts, and she knew her father to be a man of emotion more than a man of his word.

"I've chosen Nikai as my mate," she added when he's said his piece. Of all things, she did not expect that to be contested. What came next, however... "I know I've been in and out a lot lately, but... We need to go and see Nikai's mother, Valette. It's what I meant to do when I left before, but... well, we're going to actually get there, this time."

She looked between her parents, heart thudding unevenly in her chest.

Hydra had been marking the borders, determining to keep her distance for their reunion despite her curiosity. She would find out soon enough all that had unfolded... and when she was called, Hydra swiftly quit her activity to make her way to her sister. @Lyra was soon alongside her, and in due time they arrived before her right hand. Her mother and father had both been closer than she and her twin, and she greeted them with a chuff before her gaze turned upon the one-legged, freckled man. 

Like her father, she had not noted the missing leg to start with. Alya covered it well enough, and Nikai hardly looked unstable on his feet. Her eye was not critical up until the point Alya finished her first sentence, and her own gaze beheld Nikai in a different light. Mate. She knew it was Alya's decision, and Alya was right to know she would not contest this. It was clear this was what Alya wanted, and Hydra would never rob her of that. 

You will put her first in all things, Hydra began, slowly, fight for and alongside her? Protect her? She pressed. Hydra would ensure it, and assist him, too, to boot—but wanted to hear it, to know he understood what it meant. Her gaze did not shift to Alya yet, and it would not up until the moment Nikai confirmed this to her. 

As for her trip, well, Alya was a Scout; in and out as she had been, she had always returned with valuable information. Hydra understood this, and though she worried given what had happened the last time, if she was traveling with her mate (should he agree to her words) she would not fret too much over it. Alya had healed, in any case, and the injury she had suffered hardly took away from her capabilities.

Charon tailed her, arriving shortly after her, with Hydra and Lyra not far behind that. She passed a quiet glance over them, though lent the bulk of her focus to Alya and the stranger—who was soon revealed to be of great importance. Greetings Nikai, she breathed, appreciating his measures of respect. Matching a face and a name to the wolf her daughter had traveled with months ago had been one matter, to be her mate an entire other, so now with that in mind, she could view him in a different light. Ame arched a brow, her expression otherwise subtly lit in interest, perhaps enough to overshadow some of the scrutinizing undertone.

She wondered what it was in him Alya saw, exactly, and hoped that she knew him well enough to claim him as such so that it may be a strong, lasting bond. The mother only knew they had scouted together, and known each other before, but finer details were lost.. not necessarily hers to behold.

She didn't know who he was beyond this, what his bloodlines may speak of, and what it was that had left him three-legged just to begin. At first glance, he certainly seemed respectable—and at least not some slathering, hulking beast believing he could lay claim to her daughter's sanctity. In a familiar habit of hers, she visually traced over his peppering of white freckles more than once, and it was Hydra's drive for the point that snapped her focus elsewhere, bringing with it an interest in closing in on him. She withheld for now.

Ame stood straighter with a firm nod to back her daughter's words—as if to say well?, and watched him interpret this much—and she hoped he sensed the depths his answer might speak. Would he? Could he? Questions burbled, but she needed to hear his reply first.

The words that came from his daughter's mouth were the last that he was expecting. He'd never really thought of his daughters hanging around with boys in that way; in a way, they were still his little girls, even though they were far from little today. He not remembered that this was the man that had taken Alya away from the mountain before, and he instantly wondered if this 'trip' to Easthollow would be short or long term. Charon looked taken aback for a second or two until his cracked façade was put back into place, an unforgiving, cold expression on his face because it was the only way he knew how to hide how he felt.

Hydra was quick to pose a question to the man, asking him if he would put her first in all things, but Charon's questions were of a more selfish nature. "And after seeing Nikai's mother, will you return?" He looked pointedly at Nikai as he asked. It wasn't that he was entirely opposed to them moving away or staying out on a trip for some time, but Charon selfishly wanted his children close and the thought of Alya not being there when spring arrived and there would be young siblings once more made his heart throb. The questions were all on the table now, left for the pair to answer.

Nikai waited under the scrutinising looks of Alya's parents, starting to feel a little nervous. One of her sisters arrived, though Nikai couldn't immediately pinpoint which; he just knew it was the bolder of the two, and thought to remember that was Hydra (but he also considered it might be the bolder name that made him think so) rather than Lyra. The latter arrived shortly by her sister's side, and Nikai was sure which was which now by demeanour, though still was not entirely sure on their names. Alya's mother was so quiet that it made Nikai feel unnerved, even though he wasn't usually easy to startle. She greeted him friendly enough, but didn't introduce herself, and neither did her father. Maybe they assumed Alya'd already told him all about them.

Hydra asked a question -- a few, actually -- after which their mother looked upon him with a pointed questioning look. The first question was easy to answer, of course. Nikai glanced briefly at Alya before looking back to her sister. "Of course I'll put her first," he said, a thing that needn't asked in his view, but he understood they needed to be sure. Nikai didn't have a lot of experience fighting and he wasn't sure if he would be as good at it with his missing leg, but he would do his darnest whenever it was needed. "I'll protect her and fight for her when it's needed." He smiled at Alya as he looked at her; he'd see when the time got there how well he would do at it, but truthfully, Nikai hoped that it would never arise. He was head over heels in love, though -- Nikai felt that he would die for her if he needed to, so it wasn't hard answering the question.

Alya's father's question came as a surprise. Nikai hadn't given much thought to where they would settle until her father asked him -- Nikai would follow Alya where she pleased for them to go, really. He would love to show her his world, his Easthollow, his home... But he also understood the drive to be home, and for her to show him her world and home instead. He felt the same, after all. "I'll go wherever Alya wants," he answered, "But if we would choose to stay in Easthollow, we would visit to let you know." He hoped this wouldn't make anyone angry at the thought of taking Alya away more permanently, but Nikai wanted to be honest with them and at this point, he wasn't sure yet. He felt a bit put on the spot because he and Alya hadn't had time to talk over their preferences yet and he would've liked to have done so without her parents present; but hopefully she felt the same as he answered.

Alya was a bit surprised by all Hydra's questions. Although she understood why they were asked, she also felt, on some level, that it was more her job to take care of Nikai. Not because he was missing a leg, but because there was no one more capable of taking care of herself than her sisters and, well, herself. But after the questions were posed she began to think that maybe it sounded nice, having a partner like that. Not quite like the Cerberus, but perhaps just as good.

She preened when Nikai gave his confirmation, even as she shot Hydra a half affectionate, half exasperated grin. Before she could say anything more on the topic, though, Daddy asked his question, and Alya knew that it would be better answered by herself than by Nikai. Of course we'll come back, she replied, giving Nikai an affectionate nudge before moving to thread herself between her parents. You know how much I move around, Daddy. Nikai and I will be back before you know it. And then we'll go somewhere else, and then we'll come back, and then somewhere else, and then back. She was lying, a little, but she thought it would be better to ease Charon into the idea of her moving away from home. It'll be just like it always is, she said pragmatically, Except now I'll have someone with me when I'm gone, and you'll have to put up with both of us when we get back.

Of course, of course, she heard from them both, all of it sounding well like assurances—and though they sounded good, her deeply-rooted skepticism remained a heavy underline for her, one that nothing right this instant was going to lift away entirely. Still, Alya seemed happy, and the boy appeared sensible enough to act accordingly, so she had to tough it out.

After a bit of a pause, assuming no one else launched a question of their own, she had to but in after a soft sigh. Just please be safe, and smart on your travels, she said to them both, deathly sincere as she stared him down longer. He might have the will in him to want to protect Ame's daughter, but she couldn't say for sure in looking at him that he would even be able to. And do let us know, she added, being a little extra cryptic with her tone, but Nikai had led her there innocently enough. She had more to find out, whether they stayed in Easthollow or not; this had all come upon her quickly, so she would need some time to understand--which, in their meantime, they could enjoy their merry little trip and see for themselves what life had in store.

At his sharp question Nikai answered that he would go wherever Alya wanted, which quickly made Charon's strict gaze land upon his daughter. He loved her, but he was loathe to see her go. He just hoped that she would let them know what she decided, at the very least. Alya said that it would be as it always was, but there was something in Charon's heart that told him it wouldn't be so. He glanced suspiciously between the pair and then at Amekaze, who was silent initially.

Then, after Alya finished speaking, Ame wished them safe travels. Charon just stared at Alya as if he was trying to figure out what was going on in her head. He just wished she would tell him truth, but at the very least he'd know approximately where to find her if she stayed away too long. Easthollow wasn't a place he'd often frequented but Charon was a good navigator and he remembered passing it by in the past, when he still used to travel often and far.

Have a good journey, he wished them, though mostly Alya. Amekaze asked that they let them know, to which he nodded. Then, almost as if he did know that it would be the last time that he would see Alya and Nikai in a while, he moved in to Alya's side and nuzzled her cheek softly, brushing his nose through her fur. Take care. I'll see you soon. The latter was something he told himself more than anyone else. But he promised himself there and then that if they would not have returned by the end of winter, he would travel east to find them himself in Easthollow.

There was nothing left to say, but to wave the pair good-bye now. As he took his place back by Amekaze's side he nuzzled her cheek, too, grateful that she had been his anchor to come home to throughout his life. She would always be there upon their prized mountain, and he would always stand by her side.

Nikai watched the good-bye between parents and daughter silently. He wondered if he should offer Alya some more time to say good-bye to her parents, but then, she seemed eager to go. Maybe it would only unearth more questions. Alya's mother picked up on what he had said about letting them know, and he nodded in silent promise. Once he and Alya made up their mind, he'd make sure to inform them one way or another. Right now it was all still up in the air, and Nikai was unsure whether they'd settle at Easthollow or if they'd return to find their home on Moonspear instead. Or maybe something else altogether. You never knew when you were a pair of travel-lusty wolves, even if Nikai's leg wouldn't permit him as much travel as before.

He waited until Alya was ready to depart, ready to go any moment and though tired, giddy for the journey they were about to undertake.