Two Rivers Isle for we don’t care about it

they’re near the borders/two rivers isle @Cry @Minori @Takara

and just like that it was over. the trio were on the open road again. there was no clear destination for them, just endless possibilities.

they needed a home, that was certain. to pull through winter at the very least. although his wounded pride did not desire that, common sense won out. loosing their home was enough as it is, they didn’t need to die from exposure too.

he almost instinctively went to the twin rivers. they were a sort of comfort of his, or at least a very nostalgic place. what was once brimming with fresh spring life was now a ghost town. well it was supposed to be.

there was something different about it. something new. he followed his nose north, beckoning his companions to follow. the last time he’d come here there were two wolves. now scent markers flowed with the chilled air. issun sat at the bank and stared out at the forest on the other side.

Phone Post

Was it pride, was it guilt, or maybe it was shame? That he had taken them from the safety of the plateau, taken a well established member from an established pack to chase a dream? It was not that Takara really found a problem with their dream, their fantasy to be put back on the back burner to find safety once more. Yes, it did hurt. It stung to have such a thing ripped from you, it bit into her heart that those that said they would be there had just left them. Some without a word but she would be here. No matter the dream, no matter the failure, no matter the heartache. She would follow him, she had spent too long alone, too long looking for him to give up on such a simple thing.

After all she had gone through, standing up to his father and getting her ass kicked rather throughly for him kicking him out of the pack. After all the wandering and loneliness  she would follow her friends and if Minori loved him half as much as Takara, she would follow as much as she.

So she took it upon herself to be the jokester,  Took it upon herself to he the one to lighten the mood and make the two dark wolves smile when their hopes were down. She tried to give both gentle touches, nudges of encouragement. So when she was motioned to follow,  she pranced lightly beside her friend. Her tail give a soft wag as she hummed a soft song, hoping Minori might know it and hum along with her. 

When Issun stopped, she stopped. Her nose flaring at the scent markers, her pale blue eyes shifting to her leader and friend. Her head giving a dramatic head tilt to make him smile before pressing herself against him in reassurance. 

"Someone you know?" She replaced her humming for her native tongue, she might have recognized a few wolves from simply coming across their scent but she did not truly know any of them.

Her walk lacked the usual confident gait of prowess, instead she just slowly trailed beside Issun her hip occasionally brushing against his reminding her that she was by his side forevermore. Yes it hurt deeply that once again her life was uprooted and ripped from beneath her, that she could have been something at the Plateau and she had followed Issun here but she had realised that she didn't regret it. She would have been so much more unhappy if she had stayed and let him walk away.

Even so she was sad. Her season hadnt ended yet, she had began to feel the passionate urges start to grow again. Luckily her scent hadn't begun to change yet. She had traveled mainly in silence though when Takara had began to hum she felt her lips curve upward into a smile as she joined in. Their song was interruped when Issun paused and she drew to a halt by his side breathing in the markings that stated the land was claimed. She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Takara, asking if Issun knew them. "Smells fairly new, all of them. New pack maybe" she voiced her opinion out loud, her voice hushed as if they were being watched.

---

Damn it, it was cold. Trying to piss in winter was already depressing enough, but when his irritation at his pecker being problematic had come to a halt, Morgan had wondered what had stopped it. But then again, the breeze blew, and smacked the ruffian right in the face, again and again. It was carried into the direction of the woods, and though he was runnin rounds bout the place, the breeze hadn’t been much of a bother to the brute. But here and now, it kept pokin him, insisting somethin was up. 

It snatched his dome and shoved his eyes across the mound before the forest, and in the gleam of the moonlight, there it was. A triad of unknown beasts, all three of em staring right this way. Cry had warned him of his old posse, a natal pack that had somethin ta do with Nightmares or somethin, but he had told of all of them being black. Morgan squinted and tried to decipher all the colors of the staring folk, and couldn’t tell much other than them breathing and staying stock still. 

Knowing it it would be best to let Cry know of these aiming folk, he snuck off and got the attention of the dark posse leader, directing him to look at that group. Once Cry had noticed em, Morgan nodded and whispered in his rough baritones, “imma be back- gonna grab @Laroche to see if he’ll watch perimeters with me. Dunno if they gone be backtrackin or scoutin for weak spots.” And with that, Morgan padded off, keeping his ear aware of what was going on with Cry until he was out of earshot.

---

After he had been pulled to the front of their woods, Cry had eventually found who had stood before them, thanks to Morgan giving him a forewarning. He nodded appreciatively at the timber sheathed brute, and confirmed his request for backup with a “Please.” He was grateful Morgan knew something could come of this- they had Family to protect.

Once Morgan had left, Cry knew he couldn’t sit around and wait for these wolves to decide what type of debauchery they wanted to spring first, he rather illustrate to them how well these woods were watched. 

Breathtaking glacials pulled forth from from the shadows of the Shadewood Keep’s intimidating void-like threshold as Cry made himself known. A true Phantom, his steps were silent as he brought his inky athletic form to stand tall but inquisitive across the other side of the brink to the riverbank.  Without hesitation nor pause, the ebony ghost greeted the trio. 

“Welcome to Shadewood Keep. Were you all looking for someone?” His artic gaze drifted through his sentence to each of the triad, only to return to the male who stood before both of their escort. A charcoal fellow who looked oddly familiar. Artic gems narrowed at the slate dark fellow, and Cry deduced that these were not members of the Nightmare- this was a wolf he and Gwen had hunted with not too far long ago. They had feared on a caribou together before the dark male had thanked them and bid farewell, taking a nice shank back to his own home. He was a strong one, willing to brave wilderness and other hungry predators alike to feed his family. 

“Issun?” the baritones asked with a slightly incredulous icicle slung through the name. “Seems you fared well.” Or so he thought.

the touch and voice that replaces the soothing hums and ambience makes him jolt. someone you know? takara says. he gets over the shock and and sucks in a deep breath. “no,” he replied softly, “there was a couple last time i was here, but not a group.”  he lifted his head and took in another breath. if their markers could be noticed from here, than there must be many. it made him a bit wary. had they strayed too close. minori was right, this could be a new pack, one that probably wouldn’t take kindly to strangers being so close.

just then another wolf emerged from the trees. his breath caught in his throat. the stranger didn’t seem agitated nor friendly. he was just there. issun only knew when he was real when he slipped back into the trees.

an uneasy glance shuffled from minori to takara. silence lay upon them. he contemplated whether they should leave or not. they could be ambushed, but something kept him glued to the spot. childish curiosity perhaps. issun’s eyes narrowed. they had been through enough already, they needn’t quarrel with this band. the warrior grunted as he turned to leave. “i don’t like this. let’s g-”

before he could leave, someone called out to them. he hasn’t noticed him at first, he melted in perfectly with the dark outcrop of the woods. “no sir, we were just leaving.” he was stopped in his tracks again when the stranger called him by name. issun turned to get a better look at the male. the eyes gave everything away. “oh, it’s you!” it was the man that aided him in a hunt months ago. he walked closer to the riverbank with a swaying tail. “you don’t look too bad yourself.”

As they neared eachother, an appreciative dip of a crown illustrated how he took Issun’s compliment. He grew in age, but seemingly not looks. Some motto of ‘black never cracking’ flew through his mind over it, but he returned to the situation. 

“Glad you are still traveling- also glad you’ve managed to find us, again. But to travel in a band and stand upon a threshold- I have to ask what brings you?” Peripherals search the two who stand at a tense wire beside the charcoal male, a wood sheathed female who seemed unbreakably attached to him, while the other seemed more of a warrior than any he had come across in a long time. It reminded Cry of an escort mission. But escorting where? We’re they here to bring a message of sorts? 

He was piecing these links together as he stood, inquisition across his usually apathetic face. 

issun’s gaze dropped to the sheet of ice on the river when he asked their business here. he’d tell the truth, there was no reason to hide it, but the shame and guilt still ran sour in his mouth. he casted a glance to his companions before clearing his throat.

“well you see, we had set up a place a few days time from here.” his head rose to look at cry eye to eye. “we were going to start a pack there, but things went south. we lost the numbers we had and another group formed too closely to ours. we had no choice but to leave.”

the smells that wafted across the river evoked a twinge of pain and jealousy. they were two different souls with two different paths. one destined for greatness and one doomed to fail. how did he do it? those feelings were hidden behind his eyes.

“we can’t stay out here much longer.” the sentence was muttered under his breath, barely audible even to himself. issun slowly inhaled and lifted his body. “we need a home,” he called.

It seemed fate fourtuned just as finicky as when history chose to repeat- yet this time the uncanny fate happened to a friend rather than his own Family. Time and time again in his past, Cry had joined a home only for it to disintegrate just before his eyes. Again and again he was forced to pledge to others, a worker, an advisor, a warden, a source of labor and watchmen. 
Yet it fell apart just as swift as they had allowed him in. 
And he was left standing amidst the ruins, each and every time.

Had it not been for his spite against Slade and his oath to Gwen, how would he have faired? Would he have wandered from home to home, a gateskeeper to the history of fallen Empires, an omen of failed aspirations,  a testament to crumbled bonds. He carried the old leather bounds, and secreted them away in the art library of his mind. He would learn from these frostbitten failures...and he would ensure to not follow through with them. 

But the ordeal remained- could this be a plague that could infect his own? They had come so far, they had built enough of a regard for one another that they were Family. No one could ostracize the other, as they all had shared laughs, smiles, deep secrets with their fellow Keepers- 

could Cry including these ‘failures’ incorporate a sickness within the Keep? It would be a trial, certainly...but should his ideal of the standards uphold in their home, it would be clear who the true Successors would emerge to be,
while the ‘failed ones’ would come clear into Cry’s perceptive view. They would be dealt with once the time arose, should such call for it. He would be fair, liberal, holding meetings with his most trusted over the matters.

But only when such would come to be. For now, glacials softened a slight sliver, a minute crack threatening to emerge from the crisp gaze of the ex-assassin at the plight of he and his Wife’s former hunting mate. “Any friend willing to take down a dangerous prey with respect for not only their life, but our own as well, is already considered Family, here. You’ve proven yourself enough, as it is, Issun.”

Taking a step forward, Raziel gently traced a musky cheek across he and his escort’s shoulders, giving them the keycard to access Shadewood Keep without apprehension by any other Keepers. Returning back to his further  place, the Phantom King gave a slight smile as he spoke the confirmation.

”Welcome home.”

seven. this would be the seventh time he’d done this. time and time again he’d seek refuge and leave. it was a tiring pattern of his. kamiki was supposed to put the stop to it, the happy ending he needed in life. that was gone now. the pages to that book was charred. a new chapter began. he wasn’t ready for that.

when cry brushed against his shoulder, there was no happiness, no relief, no pride. only fear. anger. discontentment. that was all hidden behind the gates of a smile and bright eyes.

he couldn’t bring himself to look at minori. the disappointment she expressed when they left already broke him, who knew what she was feeling now. he couldn’t bare to look.

“thank you cry.” he turned back to the male, the false smile plain on his face. “we are a skilled bunch and we’ll happily provide.”

Should we wrap this up?

The ebony Watcher stepped aside to allow them passage into the home, his home, their home, should they feel comfortable enough to venture forth. There were plenty within that would have no problem meeting the trio, welcoming them in and showing them around the massive dormant jungle of woods. He would have to seek Issun out once they had gotten established, to talk a bit more intimately through the details, but he would give them time for such to happen. They more than likely had quite enough travelling in their bones, thus food and water would be available to the group. 

sucky phone post time! Takara will exit with the group.

The bard smiled when the warrior began to hold a tune with her, their cadence seemed to make their leader smile for a moment until they reached the border. When her question was asked, Minori was the one to be observant where she had not.  She was playing the role of jester so it was not her in her job description to use her nose in the way the dark girl was.
She gave the girl a smile before the appearance of a dark chocolate canine came and went, a spy, a border guard to look and slip away. She gave a comically dramatic tilt of her skull at the man before Issun spoke, she was going to turn with him when another dark man appeared. He was darker than Issun is the way of blacks and his eyes so bright snd clear you could mistake them for winter jewels, sapphires in black silk. He was formal until he spoke her friend's name, they knew each other.
They began to talk. One leader to another and she remained silent like a good little girl, her paws kneading at the snow covered ground. She almost danced in place before pressing into the man at her side, a little more than before. She reacted over his back and motioned for Minori to do the same, they were a unit and needed to show this other leader this front. She would touch the other girl with her cold nose if she let her, a soft swipe of affection before she turned back to the man of Shadewood Keep just as he brushed his cheek against her own.
So they were now apart of this pack, until their dream could become reality again. She gave him a smile as she pressed into his touch before rubbing her shoulder against Issun. She knew what he had to be feeling, the anger of jealousy, the guilt of lose, the pain of it all. "a very skilled bunch indeed, " she chimed in playful before loving wherever her group moved.

As soon as she had spoken up and voiced her observation, a chocolate furred man slid from the shadows to peer at them silently and then leave just as quick as he had come. Her eyes sharpened with interest, knowing the behavior of a wisened fighter on a border patrol by heart and that was one for sure. Issun suggested they go and both he and Takara turned before a man with a coat the color darker than the night sky appeared and she fastened her gaze to him warily. She naturally shifted closer to Issun, her neck extended forward so her muzzle pressed close to his throat. She would be there to protect him from death if anything happened.

It became quickly clear that nothing would as the dangerous looking man said Issun's name and sparked a long winded conversation. She watched as Takara shifted and placed her head over Issun's back and accepting the invitation she moved to do the same, ears slowly going back and tail doing it's own thing and swaying a few times behind her as Takara brushed her nose against her fur, causing a rush of....embarrasment? Affection? She couldn't place it but it was a warm emotion, uncomfortable but not unpleasant. She breathed out a quick burst of laughter and for the first time turned and willingly touched the woman of her own accord, her nose playfully being shoved into the shell of Takara's ear hoing to give her a jolt "Skilled is an understatement". Then she was back to being a silent warrior and turned just as the man welcomed them in. She was grateful for the safe home but wary of starting anew for what would be her fourth time. Even so when they all began to move forward she would accompany, pressed affectionately and comfortingly against Issun's side.

Minori Out!