Lost Creek Hollow As information
nomen est omen
1,069 Posts
Ooc — Jennifer
Master Guardian
Offline
#1
All Welcome 
As far as she knew, their general region had been spared a good deal of the trouble that other areas might be having.  But things weren't all just happy and normal.  She had seen the clouds on the horizon, but that was a distance away.  Here was just... Strange.  Things weren't quite right even though from a passing glance perhaps it looked normal.  And standing at the edge of the territory, it seemed like nothing was changing.  No surprises this day.

And so, with the patrol done, she turned inward, heading into the depths of the territory.  Her goal was to seek out some of the newer wolves, or perhaps the ones she hadn't spoken much to, confirm all were doing okay.  It could have been worse, that much she was certain, but it wasn't like the lack of larger prey was helping any.  They had to be somewhere but where had they all retreated to?  They had to come back.  Sometime.  Why not now?   Whatever.  Packmates.  She raised her nose to the wind, picked a direction and adjusted her path.
Arbiter is often not a nice person and will think mean things without acting on them.
If you aren't sure whether her snarky thoughts might be readable, just ask!  IC≠OOC
159 Posts
Ooc — Hela
Offline
#2
The days since finding his father's mangled and lifeless body had passed by in haze. He wasn't prepared to deal with such a loss, and since his mom and siblings had dipped out on him before he could barely walk, he now had no family left to turn to. The lack of prey hadn't really been noticed by the golden boy since he hadn't felt much like eating lately, although the rumblings hadn't escaped his attention; they gave him more reason to miss his dad because when the quaking frightened him, he didn't have anyone to go to for comfort. So, he had been quiet and distant lately, trying and failing to wade his way through his grief and loneliness. 

Arbiter's scent wafted by on the breeze as he meandered along the borders and before he realized what he was doing, he had tracked her down and was looking at her form in the distance. He hadn't spoken to anyone about his father's death, but they had to have noticed his absence by now. He suddenly panicked, wanting to turn around and run away just to avoid having to answer any questions about his dad, but it was too late for that. He increased his pace to a trot until he was closer, chuffing softly when he finally caught up to her.
nomen est omen
1,069 Posts
Ooc — Jennifer
Master Guardian
Offline
#3
Aha, and the wolf that she found -- well, found her -- was one that was a good idea for her to seek, out of both curiosity and duty.  She bowed her head in greeting to him.  For a brief time, he wondered if the boy and his father were gone permanently, but obviously Pheiros had returned.  So where was Cortland?  Had he gone and pulled an Indra/Laurel?  Had he been alone Arbiter wouldn't have wondered, nor would she have thought too hard if Pheiros had also disappeared entirely, for the obvious solution would have been that they left together.  

But this was not some ideal world.  Cortland was a question mark and there was a boy here alone, and he didn't seem to have the determination that Merrick did.  How did one deal with this?  She was not a particularly emotional creature, nor was she always the best at relating to others.  She was practical.  Practicality called for whatever would be the best path that would keep things running smoothly, but whether that was to express pity or pretend as nothing was awry, she didn't know.

Instead, she picked the route that she felt would have the strongest chance of letting him guide, Pheiros.  Interested in seeing if anything stirs in the warrens for dinner?  Or what is it that has you wandering?  Choice.  No matter what the world did, there was always something that could be chosen.  Perhaps from his reply, then she'd know what her next step would be.
Arbiter is often not a nice person and will think mean things without acting on them.
If you aren't sure whether her snarky thoughts might be readable, just ask!  IC≠OOC
159 Posts
Ooc — Hela
Offline
#4
He was quiet at first, unsure whether he wanted to take her up on her offer to search for food or if he wanted to tell her what was on his mind. He loathed the idea of bringing it up and getting all upset in front of Arbiter, but she needed to know, right? He hated the idea of anyone thinking his dad just deserted the pack, which is what they would all naturally assume if he didn't tell them what happened. He swallowed the lump of nerves and despair that was lodged in his throat at the thought of saying out loud what he had seen that day. Um, well, I need to tell you something, he finally said, his voice quiet and unsure. The idea of hunting right now suddenly seemed way better than talking about dad, well way easier was more like it, but easier was better right now. But that would be weak, right? And it wouldn't be fair to dad. He deserved to be remembered for who he was and not as a traitor or deserter. He held his breath and waited a little nervously for her to respond.
nomen est omen
1,069 Posts
Ooc — Jennifer
Master Guardian
Offline
#5
Something else?  Interesting.  But quite obviously it wasn't a good something.  Now she wasn't a child psychologist or anything but you didn't have to be blind to see that it wasn't good news.  But he was a kid.  It wasn't like he was off adventuring super far off across the countryside.  Probably.  And she was not the kindest wolf either, but she could be respectful and quiet.  But since Pheiros  wasn't of her own brood, it was likely best to directly prove she was listening instead of doing the one ear pointed at them while walking along which her own kids would have gotten used to by now.  She looked his way, calm as usual.  I'm listening.  Do begin.  Besides, it wasn't like she was speaking to a shrimpy little three month old or something now either.  All the pups in the pack were nearing full grown at this point unless someone had secretly become frozen in time.
Arbiter is often not a nice person and will think mean things without acting on them.
If you aren't sure whether her snarky thoughts might be readable, just ask!  IC≠OOC
159 Posts
Ooc — Hela
Offline
#6
He was quiet for a few moments, trying to decide how best to word what he wanted to say. How was he supposed to do this? Just come right out and say it? Well...my dad had been gone longer than normal, so I went to try and find him. His heart began to race at the memory of what he ended up finding, his temples pulsing in response. He swallowed. I found him....but he was— Pheiros paused and drew in a deep breath, fighting the tears that threatened to well in the corners of his eyes. He would not cry right now; it would be so embarrassing. He was dead. I don't know what happened...something awful. His dad's bloody, mangled body assaulted his thoughts, making him close his eyes. He wished he could stop seeing that, but anytime he thought of his dad, his brain tortured him with the gruesome image. I just thought you should know... he added quietly once he could speak again. He wanted her to know that he hadn't just abandoned them.
nomen est omen
1,069 Posts
Ooc — Jennifer
Master Guardian
Offline
#7
Bad news.  Her ears flipped back a moment as she listened.  The pack had gone and lost another member.  The ones that disappeared were simply insulting, but the ones that left when it was not their choice were more weighty.  She hadn't gotten to know Cortland at all, really.  Their meeting at the border and perhaps a few quick brushes by inside the territory had been all there had been.  I'm sorry.  That is not something anyone should have to find by themselves.  Combined with that she obviously hadn't been able to guard him wherever it was he'd gone to -- her reach only went so far.  What else could she do?

Yet she was not the type to assume that he wanted comfort -- Pheiros wanted to show that he was strong and pass through this all by himself, then her overstepping would be an insult.  She'd let him make the choice, What about you?  What do you need?  Or want? But since that wasn't particularly clear, she explained a bit, We had one pup left here last year who decided that when his parents left, he wanted to join the adult ranks early.  I don't expect you to make that choice, nor make one now, but you are the one in charge of your future.  And you'll not be left out in the cold unless for some reason that's what you want.  Just tell us where you are on your path, and where you're going and we can help guide you.  If he wanted to be treated as an adult, sure, they could see about having him prove that he was ready.  If he was not, well... There weren't exactly a ton of adults in the pack that would be able to take him under their wing, so it probably rested on Terance and herself if it came to that.  Arbiter was practical, at least, and the only rational thing was to focus on those who could still be helped.
Arbiter is often not a nice person and will think mean things without acting on them.
If you aren't sure whether her snarky thoughts might be readable, just ask!  IC≠OOC
159 Posts
Ooc — Hela
Offline
#8
He nodded when she offered her condolences, gaze drifting to his paws. As much as he had been dreading this conversation, he felt kind of relieved to have shared it with someone else, someone who seemed better equipped to deal with such a devastating situation. The images of his father's body and the way he had found it still lingered in his mind, and he knew he would have trouble sleeping tonight, but he didn't regret his decision to let Arbiter know. 

What did he need and want? He had no idea. How was he supposed to do this? He had no family left. His dad hadn't chosen to leave him, but his mom had. And she had taken his sisters while leaving him behind. Was it because she didn't love him? Was there something wrong with him? He swallowed the lump of sorrow, pushing away the dark thoughts that only found their way into his mind when he was weak. He knew one thing for sure: he was nowhere near ready to be an adult. He couldn't even figure out how to continue his daily life with such despair darkening his view of everything. As far as his path, well he wasn't sure about that either. The only thing he could think that had interested him lately was healing. Maybe he would be able to prevent others from losing their dad if he knew how to heal. Um, well, I've been kind of interested in learning about caregiving, he finally answered. But...I don't think I'm ready to join the adult ranks yet, he added quickly. That seemed like far more responsibility than he was ready for.
nomen est omen
1,069 Posts
Ooc — Jennifer
Master Guardian
Offline
#9
Maybe Arbiter asked him to understand too much.  But at least maybe she'd plant the seed of what she was trying to explain and he'd understand it later.  Maybe.  Fair enough.  Packs are family, even if not by blood, so you should come to Terance or myself if you do need something.  No matter how mundane.  She figured it'd probably become clear what he missed and what he needed in time.  Arbiter's only hope was that he wouldn't be like Seabreeze and company who apparently kept their issues to themselves and never brought it up. 

But then there was talk of the future.  Really, Arbiter was getting kind of annoyed that it seemed like the number of possible joiners had dropped off... Again.  What was with that?  They should have had a new healer join their ranks by now. Oh well. When I get the chance I'll swing by Easthollow and see who they've got in their ranks who could teach.  With Sarah off wherever, it certainly left them with less wolves to defend the territory.  Yeah, sure, at least Easthollow wasn't far, but that didn't mean that Arbiter really wanted to be gone for long, even for that journey.
Arbiter is often not a nice person and will think mean things without acting on them.
If you aren't sure whether her snarky thoughts might be readable, just ask!  IC≠OOC
159 Posts
Ooc — Hela
Offline
#10
Her offer was just as surprising as it was comforting. He didn't expect this from her, nor had it been his intention to gain such support from her when he had decided to inform her of his dad; he just didn't want anyone to think that he had deserted the pack. How could a someone who wasn't his mom offer him so much when his own mom hadn't even been bothered to stick around? It felt like more than he deserved, and he suddenly wondered if it was too much. Maybe he should decline? That would be rude, though, and he couldn't bear the thought of being disrespectful after she had been so supportive. Okay, he said quietly. Th-thank you. I'll come to you or Terance if I need anything, he promised. The next few months were bound to be lonely and confusing, and he would probably need someone to talk to sometimes. 

Again she offered to help, and again he wondered if it was too much to ask. I can go if you want...I know you're busy, he offered. He was old enough, and he could probably make his way there if she told him where it was. He'd hate for her to leave because of him and then something happen while she was gone.
nomen est omen
1,069 Posts
Ooc — Jennifer
Master Guardian
Offline
#11
Good.  At least that part was covered. Terance might be a good one to speak to specifically.  Perhaps Arbiter could make sure that she knew what would be best to say to him... Or she should direct Terance to him to make sure Pheiros was doing well -- Arbiter wasn't exactly the nicest wolf around, so things that she would simply work through might be worse for others.  He at least would be a good second pair of eyes (and extra brain?).

But for the trip, It's your choice.  I was looking to see how our packmates were doing today with all that's gone on.  As long as the earthquakes and other oddities continue, I'd suggest not traveling far.  Easthollow isn't far, but wandering much farther is inadvisable.  She could only do so much to protect those who were beyond the borders, Pheiros himself had become aware.
Arbiter is often not a nice person and will think mean things without acting on them.
If you aren't sure whether her snarky thoughts might be readable, just ask!  IC≠OOC
159 Posts
Ooc — Hela
Offline
#12
He nodded. I can do it; I'll be careful, I promise. He wouldn't go any farther than Easthollow, and then he would return straight home. He hated the thought of letting Arbiter down, especially now after she had offered to help him make his way through such a devastating situation. 

His gaze drifted off in the distance, towards the warrens she had mentioned earlier. He looked back at Arbiter. Can we go see what's in the warrens now? he asked. He was hungry and eager to find something else to focus on; hunting rabbits seemed like a good way to take care of both.


last from me <3
nomen est omen
1,069 Posts
Ooc — Jennifer
Master Guardian
Offline
#13
She nodded.  The pack couldn't afford anyone being reckless at this point, and even if this boy didn't have anyone assigned by blood to guard him, the pack as a whole would have to be doubly sure he was looked after, even if the months where he would be reliant on the pack were passing quick.  Yes.  Let's see what we can find.  Perhaps we'll even have luck on our side..  It wasn't like it, if it existed, had blessed them at all recently.  Figures. 

Luck, what a fickle thing.  How long would it be before things turned around?  Perhaps things had to get even darker before dawn occurred.
Arbiter is often not a nice person and will think mean things without acting on them.
If you aren't sure whether her snarky thoughts might be readable, just ask!  IC≠OOC