Blacktail Deer Plateau I am no upstart demon, scrabbling in the dirt of the soul.

He's burdened by the loss of their home, the howling of the wind and the crashing of the waves reverberating inside of his ears, inside of the core of his being, even after they've made it safely inland. He followed as best he could; lagging behind to make sure the others were keeping pace, as was his tradition, and then when they arrived Reyes dropped to the dirt and he slept. His dreams were blue and storming, and when he woke up he had been moved - perhaps by @Erzulie - somewhere safe and warm. 

Reyes kicks himself awake and rolls from his side to his belly, his momentum carrying him up, and he looks wearily around himself for other signs of life. His belly groans but he ignores it. He feels pressure on his bladder, and half-rises, but then ignores that too, choosing instead to stare at the forest that surrounds him. Had they returned to the Sound already? Where is @Marisol and @Nieve and the rest..? Where is his mother, has she resurfaced too? But he remembers, as the sleep fully drifts from him, that she was gone before the chaos started.

The boy chuffs to himself, then looses a boyish summons to whoever did survive: his shrieking howl rises around him in the woods but does not penetrate beyond.

Nieve was up early and already on her way back from an extended bladder break when Reyes called. Well, shrieked. There was no way every single animal in the forest wasn't awake after that. So much for maybe finding some unsuspecting mouse to snack on. With a fond snort and a toss of her golden head, she hurried through the woods to his approximate location, where she had to pause and rely on her nose and ears to carry her the rest of the way. It was easier to sniff him out without the cloying scent of salt that the coast brought.

But it was awfully lonely without that smell, too. Alien.

Oh, Ray, she greeted him quietly, sidling alongside him to press her flaxen flank companionably against his darker one. Her tail beat a soft tattoo against a nearby trunk as she peered at him, all cherubic cheeks and large blue eyes. Was he worried? She was, too. And terribly hungry, but she was loathe to admit that despite the too audible growling of her stomach. They all were. Whinging wouldn't fix that, or that's what she imagined Rosalyn might say. When do you think the sea will stop being angry?

He doesn't know what to do with himself here. The terrain isn't too different from the coast, but it is comprised of more hard edges and tough surfaces, making him miss the soft crunch of sand underfoot. The trees are sighing with an undulating wind but that doesn't compare to the deep sound of the waves, which he pretends he can still hear, at least until some kind of foreign bird flies overhead on its way to some place safer: the beating of the wings catches in his ears too, the sharp sound of it calling out for family. It is hunting for familiarity just as much as he is—and moving quickly away. The boy's nose tilts up as he sniffs the air, trying to keep himself composed, until the sound of motion is gone.

Oh, Ray, his sister says, so softly that he almost doesn't hear it for all the distractions the forest provides him. She presses against him just as softly, like he's the one that's foreign, agitated, barbed and ready to lash out. A part of him is. He wants to charge back to that beach and find their brother Scarab; but Erzulie had tried that, and she was an adult, she was stronger and faster and knew where to look—if she failed, then he was gone. It was a heavy loss that felt worse the more he thought about it. Thankfully Nieve was there to ask, When do you think the sea will stop being angry? But he doesn't know what to say.

He glares at her—not meaning to direct his ire at his darling sister, but unable to keep himself composed as reality throttles him with images of chaos and destruction. He thinks the worst. Never, he corrects her with a grim little frown. I never want to see the water again. It took everything, Nieve. Mom, Scarab, home. but he knew it wasn't the ocean that was at fault, it was the land. The land shook more and more every day, and the sea was just as confused as the rest of them.

Nieve couldn't help shrinking back a little when Reyes' glare fell upon her. She knew it wasn't really for her, but her brother's anger swept through her all the same. It was enough to push Nieve back a step. Not out of fear. Not because she was worried he would hurt her. It was more like just giving him space.

You don't truly mean that, she thought, but wisely kept to herself. How could any wolf who was raised with the sea want to be anywhere else? She couldn't imagine not returning to the ocean, even though right now it railed against its bonds and smashed the shore that shackled it in a frightful fury. Unlike her brother, Nieve believed the ocean was angry and the land was shaking because of that ... what little she truly knew about how the world worked.

I know, she said, reaching out to nose at his flank and nudge him reassuringly. Rosalyn's and Scarab's absences were keenly felt. I miss them, too. Licking her lips, the girl tilted back her head and snuffled at the air. The scent of salt was there, but extremely faint.

Hey, she prompted, blinking at her brother. D'you find it hard to sleep here? It's too quiet, isn't it? Compared to the roar of the waves that had always accompanied them in the Sound, Blacktail Deer Plateau was practically silent when the wind wasn't blowing.

He wanted to bask in this new feeling of hatred and anger for as long as possible, but Nieve wouldn't let him, and that was probably for the best. She drifted closer to him and eventually, affectionately, nosed at his fur while he simmered. The boy thought he meant what he said: in the heat of the moment he was full of loathing and couldn't imagine the seaside without his brother's silhouette roaming along, collecting whatever trinkets caught his eye. Thinking of the Sound without Rosalyn there doing her patrols—or teaching her children—hurt him on a deeper level that he had no words for. For now Reyes was adamant; the plateau would become home quickly enough and he'd eagerly turn his back upon the sea.

But when Nieve went on to mention the stillness and the quiet, he took notice. It was hard not to. The ocean had always been present in some way, whether it was the booming of the tide or the sound of the gulls screeching overhead, or the crunch of sand underfoot. Here there were trees that shimmered as they shook, but their sounds were thin, like comparing lo-fi music to the likes of a world class orchestra.

D'you find it hard to sleep here? she had asked.

Yes, he confirmed with a pathetic sag to his shoulders; he took to leaning lightly against his sister's golden figure poised beside him. He sat for a few silent moments to listen, and there weren't even any birds twittering in the trees. It was like all of life was suspended oceanside and they'd fled in to a place utterly void of it. Reyes did not connect the dots on that; he had no idea that the quakes and repeated disasters would cause the animals of the woods to flee from their homes as the little famly had from the Sound.

Do you think--- he starts to ask something, but it catches in his throat and he feels like he's going to choke if he continues, so he shuts his mouth for a moment, his jaw muscles straining. When he's composed himself a little bit better he tries again and says, D'you think mum will find Scab? The anger has melted from him by now, leaving only a depressed look on his face with the smallest glimmer of hope in his gaze.

Nieve took comfort in her brother's affirmation, even though his spirit remained heavy with his anger. She wasn't cowed by such things. She was the daughter of Erzulie and Rosalyn ... and though soft-spoken and gentle by nature, she could rise to the occasion of intensity well enough. Her mothers raised her to be strong. Should Reyes' anger bubble over, she would be there to talk him down. Or help him blow off steam by trading blows. Whatever it took.

Her blue eyes searched the lines of Reyes' face, noting the bulge of his jaws when his teeth clenched together and the moment when that tension was released and the anger began to drain from him. When he voiced his question, Nieve didn't hesitate. Yeah, definitely, she told him. Mum is the smartest wolf I know, and she never gives up. She'll find him for sure. If there was any wolf in Rusalka with the drive necessary to find the missing pup, it was Erzulie. She was matched by Rosalyn and Raleska in that sense, but she also had a mother's instinct to guide her. Nieve was an optimist and she was positive Scarab was out there, not dead like Erzulie and Reyes feared.

But, we can help, too. Look for him, I mean. If you wanna.

His love of his mother was the only thing keeping him going; his love for her, his trust in her abilities. Nieve was supporting that with her optimistic commentary and the boy was deeply appreciative, although he wasn't able to express that right now. He wished that he could take comfort in knowing Rosalyn was safe as well, that she was successful in her own hunting if that was what she'd set out to do days ago - having forgotten that she was questing for Clementine; it seemed both mothers were destined to struggle for their broods. It was like herding cats, but at least they were off the dangerous beach.

We can help too, Nieve had offered, and while Reyes wasn't sure how they could exactly do that, he turned his ears attentively towards his sister and nodded quickly. I want to help. If mom is busy trying to find everyone, maybe we should help her? Or maybe... Maybe the others. I think we're staying here until things get better. As grim as he felt over the changes in his life, Reyes was a creature of action and he could not sit around while everyone else did the work, even if he was young. What can we do? He resorted to asking, his face laced with a frown.

Nieve agreed—they definitely weren't going back to the sea anytime soon. It hurt her heart to be away from the sound of waves against the cliffs and the rise and fall of the tide, but they had to make the best of their situation. The sea was dangerous right now. They could make a home of the plateau if they pitched in, and they could search for Scarab in the meantime.

We should go back to the forest first, said Nieve. It's at the top of the cliff, it should be safe there. We can start there, and work from the coast inland. Maybe see if we can find other packs to ask around at? If Scarab was alive, she reckoned he would find somewhere to stay as soon as he could. None of them could survive without others, and all of them were born survivors. All of them would do whatever was necessary to stay alive.

At least she hoped that was the case.

Nieve was more level-headed than he was; maybe as a by-product of having Erzulie as a mother. She had a plan in mind that Reyes listened to eagerly, although he was still nervous that they might fail, or that something might go wrong if they even attempt to do the adult thing and search for their sibling - he wanted to find them of course, all of them. To keep the family whole. He was impatient to get started even with his apprehension and was on his feet, roaming away from where he had been sequestered beside his sister, and paused only for a moment to await his sister's nimble accompaniment.

Okay, lets go. We can go to the forest - maybe we can find food there too? Do you think mom would go back to the beach? It was crazy when we left, I really... I'm scared that something could've happened. She's bigger and stronger than us, but that ocean was insane. He was rambling; his nerves manifesting as thoughtlessness and nearly manic conversation as he started to stride along the ridge.

Reyes seemed eager to get going, leaving Nieve temporarily in his dust when he lurched forward. She faltered for just a second before leaping into action, trotting to catch up with Reyes' frenzied stride. To go along with the purpose in his steps was an atypical loquaciousness that Nieve recognized for the nerves that fuelled it. She couldn't bear to think what might have befallen Rosalyn on the coast, if indeed she had gone back there ... nor could she bear to crush Reyes' flickering flame of hope.

Besides, Nieve believed just as firmly that, I'm sure mom's okay. She's strong, stronger than anyone. Rosalyn had, in Nieve's opinion, always been the strongest wolf in all of Rusalka. Caiaphas was undeniably more cunning, Erzulie more driven, Raleska more devoted ... but Rosalyn was the strongest of these main fixtures. The ocean would be insane to take her on, she quipped, and desperately hoped that was true.

He felt better once he was moving. Better because he needed to act and because Nieve was with him, fixing his moodiness by giving him a task to focus on and the company of someone much loved to dwarf the alienation that had recently begun to distill inside of him.

Of course he fully believed his mother was one of the most capable wolves of the coast; he wanted to trust in that so desperately that he remained quiet as Nieve spoke her piece, letting the sentinent bolster his faith and wear down some of the doubts and fears nagging at him. Still, he could not help thinking that Rosalyn's absence was his fault; if he had kept better guard of his siblings then Clementine would never have wandered so far, mother would not be out hunting for her.

He broke his silence to say, The ocean is insane right now. That's what frightens me. And he shot his sister a bare look of worry which he swiftly hid, unwilling to be weak for long, even in her company. But it was a small window he offered to her - something few managed to see.

For once, Nieve was at a loss for anything optimistic to say. It wasn't that Reyes' negativity was weighing on her. She could easily buoy herself out of any amount of negativity by trying to turn it more positive. No, it was more that he had a very good point and she hadn't considered it. The ocean was crazy right now. If only an insane ocean would take Rosalyn on, then who was to say it hadn't already done that?

No, she couldn't think that way. Nieve had to believe that mom was okay, just like she had to believe that Scarab was okay, and Marisol. It did them no good to wallow in the what ifs. I know she's okay, Nieve reassurred him. I can feel it. It was a bit of a lie, but it was one she hoped would make him feel better. Wouldn't they have felt something, some cliche sense of dread or wrongness, if Rosalyn or Scarab or Marisol had come to harm?

Wasn't that the interminable bond of family?

They were fast approaching the plateau's edge and the towpaths leading down to the river and the forest. Nieve sought to jostle a shoulder against Reyes' and asked, you wanna lead the way, or do you want me to?

His mind was heavy with too many thoughts. The boy almost missed what his sister was saying, but caught on just in time to say, I'll go. He hadn't been strong enough to protect Rusalka from the raging sea or the quaking earth, he hadn't been good enough to keep Clementine safe when she had vanished, and now he pined deeply for his mother, yet another loss he wasn't about to let stand. Rather than follow behind as he typically did among his siblings he would take the lead for a change, and maybe that would be enough to keep Nieve safe, at the very least, while they hunted for their wayward mother.

Without waiting, he slipped ahead of her along the path and began following the descent of the plateau's edge, running at times when the incline became so great that he couldn't help himself; weaving between the trees, utterly focused on the path ahead as it trailed away from their new home. Somehwere out there was Rosalyn, and the two kids were determined to find her.