Ravensblood Forest suddenly he's up and gone

backdated to the morning of July 4

Illidan was gone. He hadn't expected that. And Vercingetorix was now both worried for the young man (he hadn't seemed in his right mind when he'd been challenged; he sincerely hoped the dude didn't go jump off a cliff) and fretful that he was headed to find Caiaphas. Oh, yeah, and Raleska had dipped, too, and that big gnarly-looking dude. Fucking hell.

It was probably a terrible idea to leave Rusalka in such a fragile state, but whatever, he was the alpha and *insert I DO WHAT I WANT sound byte here*. Verx began to follow the former alpha's trail that night and was doing a good job of it when he was distracted by a wayward deer, separated from its herd. He chased it for a while, into the wee hours of the morning, before it led him into a forest that he'd never seen before.

Spooky, he murmured, staring up at the sap-coated trees. They didn't smell like blood, but they looked enough as if they were bleeding to raise the hairs along his spine. Maybe it had been an awful idea to leave the sound so soon into his tenure. Maybe this was a sign.

But hard-headed Vercingetorix had never had much use for prognostication, so he wandered further into the woods, nose lifted as he searched for the doe.

Mom was busy with the rest of the kids, the other adults sucked, and Reyes was a touch too fixated on the man he'd encountered on the beach; so he'd begun to stalk him as best he could (which wasn't exactly subtle). When the man departed from Rusalka's claim Reyes was determined not to lose sight of him; he wanted to know who this man was, if he had any connection to his mother - and most importantly, he had the beguiling idea that Verxingetorix was his actual father. So he'd ignored the rising dread in his heart and followed after the man on a long-winded journey along the coast.

He'd followed him all the way out here, and as intimidated as Reyes felt to be in a strange new place far away from his moms, he wasn't about to be a sissy and cry about it. The man's path wasn't always obvious but by some twist of fate, or the virtues of luck, Reyes managed to keep up and came upon the man's resting position in the woods. He was breathing hard and his heart raced, but Reyes wasn't going to let himself get distracted or get lost; he barrelled through the woods towards the prone figure and when he reached Verx, he collided with his hindquarters like a bull chasing bait.

Too good an opportunity to pass up, let's say this is sorta during this and when I can make my cameo post there I'll figure out a reason Dragomir is here by himself!

In these moments, it was perhaps fortuitous that Dragomir spent a lot of time exploring Diaspora on his own when he was younger. He didn't balk at solitude and he was used to walking long distances, firstly from tramping up and down the mountain day in and day out and more recently from crossing the Sunspires with his mother and sister. Being left alone seldom bothered him, but when she left them in the company of a perfect stranger, Dragomir had shouted and howled and made a ruckus. But not moreso than Isilmë, who had taken so much of Sanguinus' attention that Dragomir was able to take off after Aurë at a long-legged sprint.

Being in new territory and panic-stricken, he forgot to utilize his sense of smell to find her. Had he done so he would not have missed his mark. But he was overwhelmed not only by an anxious feeling of abandonment when Aurë left (thanks dad) but by the unfamiliarity of where he was, and rather than locating her, he found a path down from the plateau and wound up in a forest that was as unlike Diaspora's forests as anything he had ever seen. The trunks were dark and tall and clumped with blood-red sap. There was more moss here than he'd ever seen; it draped from the branches like beards. Here was a humongous mushroom, there was a salt-encrusted stone, there was dad...

Wait.

Dad?

Dragomir's head came up and his ears shoved forward as his eyes snagged on the dark form of his father. He might not have recognized the man but for the ragged scar across his throat, not unlike the patchwork of pink flesh across his mother's face. Something surged up in his breast and he nearly ran for the man, glad to have found someone in this eerie forest, but after two or three steps he faltered. Right around the same time Reyes slammed into Vercingetorix's hind end, Dragomir's hazel eyes flicked between the two and hardened. He didn't understand enough yet to make a biological connection between the two, thank god, but it was clear to him Vercingetorix had replaced him and Isilmë by hanging out with some other kid.

You left us behind, was all he could say with a sharp, accusatory glare.

The deer ended up being the least of Verx's worries today, and Raleska might as well have been a thousand miles away. Everything happened all at once--the slam to his behind, the achingly, terrifyingly familiar shadow up ahead, and the barbed words aimed toward him. The brute wheeled quickly, hoping to address (and quickly) the first of these assaults to his senses.

What the-- The kid, from Rusalka. . .Reyes, right? What the fuck-- (Don't cuss around the kid, you dickwad!) What the ffffffalling star are you doing here, dude? And YOU!

Fury rose in him, sudden and swift, as he turned to bear down on his own child. He wasn't mad, not really, just scared. Unfortunately for Dragomir, it manifested itself in anger. What are you doing out here? Where's Isi? Where's your mother? WHY AREN'T YOU IN THE MOUNTAINS?!

His voice cracked on the last word; it came out more a bleat than a holler, and he cut off abruptly, gasping for breath. Then, without warning, he began to cry, sinking down to embrace his son, even though he knew he would be pushed away (and Drago would be well within his rights to do so). God, you're here, you're here, Verx sobbed, shaking his head. I was gonna come back--I swear--but Drago, why, oh my god, why are you here. . .

Reyes, unfortunately, was for now forgotten. Sorry, kiddo. . .he's trying.

He hit the adult and fell, clipped by an unyeilding limb, to the forest floor but he was back up within moments, springing to life like nothing had happened. Kids were like rubber - and Reyes was a resilient creature on top of that, considering he managed to follow Vercingetorix all the way here from the beachfront. The flurry of words caught in Reyes' ears and made him glower, then grin, because he liked how flustered his arrival made the man; he felt a strength there, because he'd come out of nowhere and the man had no idea he had been followed.

Then things seemed to spiral out of control. One moment they were staring down at Reyes, the next they were yelling at another presence, retreating from the red-furred boy in pursuit of someone else. The words didn't really affect Reyes that much; he hadn't exactly been living with the most pristine of creatures, and Rosalyn had been known to cuss under her breath when things did not go her way. Still, the booming voice was a bit unsettling. Reyes stayed prone against the dirt until the adult dissolved in to a weird mixture of happy words and tears.

He stood up and waddled closer, but made sure to leave quite a distance between the emotional man and -- was that another kid? A boy. They were dark-colored and almost merged with the adult because of their similar composition. Reyes was silent as he watched the chaos unfold, unsure of what to do around such a violent display of emotion.

Things happened much too fast for Dragomir, too. His eyes had settled narrowly on the dark, ruddy-haired child standing behind Vercingetorix, but they snapped back to his father when the man began to shout. What are you doing out here, Vercingetorix demanded. Why aren't you in the mountains? The boy, dark just like his sire but easily differentiated by the sprinkling of silver throughout his coat, flinched back. His ears fled for the safety of his ruff and his eyes were blown wide with shock and despair.

Between the appearance of another pup in his father's company and the way Vercingetorix said those things, Dragomir was struck with the intense feeling that he wasn't wanted. There had been fury in him, too, the fury that would have made him a fine Drakru warrior, but it deflated completely in the wake of that feeling, replaced with emptiness. But only for a second; it came roaring back so loud his ears practically buzzed.

Vercingetorix's tearful descent into an embrace was therefore baffling to the boy, whose face was wet with tears of his own—not the exhausted relief and fear that Vercingetorix's were born of, but the deep and unsettling melancholy that came with feeling suddenly unworthy—and he shoved away from his sire with a growl. Liar! he sobbed in a strained voice, with his ears still pressed flat to his head and his tail curling indignantly for the sky. He was still little compared to Vercingetorix, but he was much larger than he had been and he had been distressed by his father's absence so long that he felt positively mighty with it.

You said you would come back before and when you did you left again, and you said you'd come back again and you didn't and then we had to LEAVE and then MOM LEFT TOO, he blurted in a voice that was quick to crescendo into shrill shrieking. A temper tantrum of epic proportions. Of course, Aurëwen hadn't left the way Vercingetorix did, but anxious Dragomir had come to expect that leaving meant not returning, so when she had left them with someone unfamiliar instead of leaving them on their own like she normally did, he had assumed the worst. That was why he had taken off after her and ended up here instead.

YOU LEFT US AND REPLACED US WITH SOMEONE ELSE, hollered Dragomir, who was full-on bawling now, and now his attention cracked back to Reyes and his teary hazel eyes burned. His legs wobbled unsteadily as he pushed forward a few steps, flagging his tail rigidly skyward and sobbing, WHO ARE YOU?

He did his best to stifle his sobs, to quiet his emotions in order to better hear out his son. The brute flinched with every word lobbed out in (quite good) Trigedasleng, ears folding back atop his head. Still, he lay and listened, eyes widening when the news about Aure came out. Before he could ask about that, another accusation. This one cut to the core.

Verx shook his head slowly, casting a despondent stare upon Dragomir. No, goufa. I would never, ever replace you and Isi. You two are my heart and soul and even if we lost each other, somehow, there would be no way that I could find anyone to replace you. You're irreplaceable, Drago.

He turned to nod at Reyes, face still soft as he looked at the other child. This is. . .Reyes, from the place I live by the sea, he explained, glancing between the two of them. He has parents already; he doesn't need them to be replaced, either. But he can be your friend, Dragomir--when I go back, you're coming with me. I mean it.

It was too soon, too soon to make that call. Raleska still lurked, as did her mother, and Illidan. . .that was a wild card if there ever was one. But he'd rather face a thousand furies like those three than disappoint his son again. If push came to shove, he could send Aure on the lam with the kids and take whatever was coming for him. But he wouldn't return to Rusalka without his family.

I never meant to upset you, Verx whispered, blinking slowly, softly, at the distraught face of his son. Without the slow blinks to concentrate, he might start crying again, and he really needed to take control of this clusterfuck--being, you know, the adult in the room. I'm sorry, Drago. I'm really sorry.

If it were possible for him to pale at the shrieking of these voices, he would have. Instead Reyes felt his tail drop and tuck close to his belly, and he shrank back, down, away - trying to make himself as difficult to notice as possible, because this whole thing was upsetting and he wasn't even supposed to be out here experiencing it. He didn't like the raised voice of the other boy - and more than that, he didn't know what was being said. It sounded like words, but the words were off, they were just wrong enough to lose any resemblance to what he knew. He wanted to be back in Rusalka with his siblings, and his mothers. Somewhere familiar with the sound of the rushing tide to calm his racing heart. The boy focused on his memory of the sea and squeezed his eyes shut for a second to focus, and when he opened them again it was to face-off against the earth toned boy as he hollered at full blast in Reyes' direction.

That was it, he'd reached his limit. His ruddy coat bristled and as nervous as he was of the loud voices, he wasn't going to be scared off. His limbs trembled and his tail remained slick againt his belly, but he stalked a few steps closer and glared haughtily at the angsty, emotional boy; he opened his mouth and prepared to shout something back, but was cut off by the strange words flowing from Vercingetorix's mouth. Was this something he should know and understand? How did they both have this secret language shared between them -- what about him? Would he learn it one day, or remain in the dark? It wasn't fair! What was going on and why was everyone crying!!!

But then the man said his name, and Reyes' scowling face with its infernal glare shot to him, his ears pivoted forwards and caught the unwelcome plan of befriending the other boy, which would've been great had this not been his initial experience with them. Reyes flashed his teeth at the other boy - this Dragomir - but he didn't say a word, not knowing how to convey his own feelings when they were both using a language he couldn't possibly understand.

On mobile, so italicized speech = Trigedasleng.

Reyes' reaction was neither what Dragomir wanted nor expected. His nerves lit up with nervous energy as the ruddy sea wolf pressed forward a few steps and flashed his teeth; right now, riddled with anxiety and fury and confusion, it came as an unwelcome intrusion. It didn't help that he assumed Reyes was his replacement. He bared his own teeth in a fearsome growl the likes of which would have made Mahler proud. He flung his tail toward the canopy and took a menacing step—so uncharacteristic of Dragomir, who was not known for being fierce or mean—but was halted by Vercingetorix's voice.

As a child, Dragomir's control over his feelings was tenuous at the best of times, let alone when he was reeling with emotional pain. He allowed his father to say his piece only because he was too upset to scream more. He began to sob harder instead, stumbling back until his hind end hit the forest floor.

Reyes was not forgotten; Dragomir's shining eyes found the youth again and he glared. You lied about coming to get us, Dragomir accused Vercingetorix, his voice high and shrill with emotion. and you lied about us coming with you. And then we had to leave Diaspora. Mom said we were coming to find you but she lied too.

You lie, said Dragomir, and only then did his eyes leave Reyes. There was nothing calm about his voice and demeanour but a part of him knew this was all Vercingetorix's fault, not Reyes'. You woulda stayed if you cared 'bout Isi 'n me but you didn't. We coulda stayed with Die'spor but you left us an' mom wanted to look for you. It was all his fault. I don' believe you. Sob. I don' BELIEVE YOU.

Verx shot Reyes a warning glance when the teeth came out, his gaze censorious. More anger would only make this situation worse, especially misguided anger. He could sympathize with the Rusalka boy, though; he had no idea what was going on, and the Trig certainly didn't help matters. He let his eyes soften before turning back to Drago, mournfully nodding.

I don't blame you for not believing me, he said, switching to common tongue for good, now, if only to make Reyes feel a little bit more at ease in the clusterfuck of a situation. I haven't done a good job with any of this. I messed up, Drago. But now I'm trying to fix it as much as I can.

There were still many questions to be answered, the most pressing of which was: Where is your sister? Why isn't she with you? Could you lead us back to her? There was time enough to figure out why they were here, why Aure had left Diaspora, why Aure had left them. Seriously, what the fuck?

But right now, he was most focused on seeing his daughter, too. And lest he forget-- I don't want you trying to get back to Rusalka alone, Verx said to Reyes, mouth twisting in worry. Come with us, and then we'll all go back together.

The child glowered at his opponent but he stayed planted, bristling and showcasing those useless little teeth of his, when Vercingetorix shot him a look. That curbed much of the fire that Reyes was spouting; he didn't know how to fight and even if he did, there was an adult present who wouldn't allow for any such shenanigans. The poor boy was confused by the unfolding events, flustered by the shouting voices and the oceanic crash of emotions between the pair - he was not at fault for reacting negatively.

Thankfully they began to speak more plainly, and as the sad man explained, they would head back to Rusalka - except that there was something called an Isi that they needed to find first. Reyes turned his attention away from the shouty boy as he heard this. What was an Isi? Why did they need one? Couldn't they just go home to where it was quiet --? I don't want you trying to get back to Rusalka alone, the man cautioned, as if he could read Reyes' mind.

Come with us, and then we'll all go back together. At least it was a question, not an order. It gave Reyes a moment to pause and reflect on his next move - he looked over his shoulder at the twisting woods around them, trying to imagine the route back home, and knew it would be safer to stick with the man even if the man seemed unhinged right now. The boy put away his teeth, and shyly looked around Vercingetorix at the young boy beyond him, asking, Is that OK? It seemed right to Reyes that he get the approval of the upset boy; he didn't want to cause further chaos.

As his shout died off, the last of Drago's fire died with it. He wasn't made for these sorts of emotional engagements; his flame burned hot but it burned very fast, leaving him bereft of feeling not long after. He had no more energy to use on further arguments against Vercingetorix. The dark-haired man admitted he messed up and all Dragomir could do was deflate and dissolve into quiet sobbing as Vercingetorix addressed Reyes next.

He still didn't believe that Reyes wasn't some replacement child. Why else was the red-brown pup here and not with his supposed parents? But he lacked the spark necessary to set fire to his resolve, and it wasn't in his nature to up and attack someone even if they were being hostile toward him. Posturing was one thing but actually hurting someone? That was another entirely. I unno, said Dragomir in a thick, miserable voice, gesturing over his shoulder to the plateau that loomed over the trees. Up there somewheres. Mom left us with some stranger. I tried t'follow her. Isi's still there I think.

He didn't at all expect the soft-spoken voice of Reyes; for some reason, Dragomir had already assumed the boy was a bully and wasn't expecting a tone not unlike his own. Then again, it wasn't like Reyes would expect him to be reasonable and gentle either, not after how he'd acted here. Dragomir couldn't feel remorse for it. Vercingetorix had well and truly fucked his son up by leaving twice with broken promises and he would feel no shame for the poor way he handled it. Still, his voice was soft too as he said, yeah, even though he didn't believe Verx about Reyes being someone else's kid. That wasn't Reyes' fault, just as it wasn't Dragomir's fault that his father had messed up so bad.

He sniffled and looked to Vercingetorix then and felt his heart stutter with relief, because in the end, no matter how angry he was with his father and no matter how little he believed him, Dragomir had wanted nothing more than to find the wayward man and either bring him home or stay with him. Now it seemed he might get to. What about mom? he wanted to say, but instead he said nothing, waiting for Vercingetorix to lead the way.

Some stranger? Verx echoed, his brow furrowing in some irritation. Goddamn it, Aure, what the fuck were you doing out here with them? Leaving them with strangers? Ugh. He figured it was a mess he'd have to clean up, and he added it to the pile. One mess labeled Illidan, one labeled Raleska, one labeled Caiaphas, one labeled. . . Fucking hell.

Well, at least Isi had stayed put, hopefully. With a sigh, he nodded, and then his attention was grabbed by the soft query from elsewhere—

Aww, at least Reyes was courteous about it. His heart melted a little at the request before focusing on his son again, the tension in his shoulders easing still more as Dragomir agreed. Thus, it was so. They would find Isi and travel back to Rusalka together. Let's go get her, then, he rasped to the boys, rising with a groan to his paws.

Whatever came next. . .he'd cross that goddamn bridge. He was just happy for this moment, calamitous as it had occurred.

The situation seemed to resolve itself. They'd be roaming together and at some point turn back to Rusalka, and the thought of home made Reyes look askance over his shoulder, hopeful for that eventuality. It would be nice to have more kids around, he thought. More people to play with - but also to protect. As soon as Vercingetorix had corralled the kids together they'd be on their way to find Dragomir's sister - and all the while, Reyes was content to trail behind the man-and-son duo, protective of them just as he was protective of his half-siblings.

Yeah I dunno who he is, Dragomir replied, voice sharpening into a defensive edge at the very end, but that died just as quickly too. It was plain from his eyes alone that he was overwhelmed and worried and frightened and lost; who could blame him for having little control over his emotions at a time like this? Later he could feel ashamed for losing his cool, but right now Dragomir just needed patience and tolerance, and thankfully, Reyes was perfect for that.

He may have his doubts and suspicions about the boy, but Dragomir was blessed with Aurë's empathy. He could practically smell the change in the other pup's mood. Though he couldn't interpret it in any concrete fashion, he knew it was positive. That helped. If it was just Vercingetorix and Dragomir alone, it was likely the boy's nerves would have remained frayed, but he felt himself relax just a little in Reyes' comforting presence as he trailed after them.

He hoped Isilmë was all right.