Shadow Mountain and not be so indifferent to the look in your eyes

AW! Loosey timeline.

Stag had tried to follow his mother's tracks as she left Diaspora, but he quickly learned tracking was easier said than done, and he made for a poor tracker. A veil of snow obfuscated the bulk of the tracks he had been following, and the fresh deposit muffled his ability to scent @Takiyok in the wilderness.

He was thoroughly lost as he settled under the aegis of a storm-blunted stippling of stone. It was just enough cover to shield him from the snow, which now fell in heavy flurries -- but it was not much in terms of keeping him away from the biting cold. Feeling in that moment overwhelmingly alone, Stag looked across the dismal landscape -- and wished fervently he had never left home in the first place.

steals because :(

It had taken her most of the day to return home, the heavy snow impeding her travel some as she made her way into the mountains. She, personally, loved traveling in the snow; it reminded her of home and it was probably the only time she didn't feel some level of too warm. She knew it would be dark in a few hours, though, so as much as she wanted to indulge in the winter weather, she wanted more to see Stag. She felt bad for leaving him so often. Her need to find solace was constantly at war with her need to be good mother and be there for her son, so she was often left feeling incredibly selfish any time she ventured from their borders. Had he had any siblings left in Diaspora, things might have been different, but that was not the case, and so as a result, guilt continuously simmered in her gut anytime she was away, urging her to return home.

She was close to the hollow, nose to the ground in case she happened to come across the scent of any of her missing children. The scent that made her freeze was not from any of her wayward brood but of the star of her thoughts the entire time she had been making her way home. Confusion and worry immediately followed her recognition of Stag's scent, and she quickly got to work tracking. The fresh snow made things difficult but not impossible as she slowly shuffled her way through the mountains. She knew the area well, having explored it often, and she knew there were many places to hide. So she tried to inspect any crevice or cave if he came upon it. Finally his scent was fresh and strong, and she stopped and looked around but couldn't see him anywhere. Taking a chance, she decided to call out to him. Stag? she said into the cold, winter air; it was loud enough that he should be able to hear her if he was somewhere close. She paused and listened for a few moments, hoping to hear his voice in return.

The last time Stag had hidden under a piece of ledge on the mountainside, he had been cornered by another wolf -- and had awoken, hours later, disoriented and with a pounding head. @Eshe hadn't meant to scare him, but she had -- and he had fallen down the precipice: were it not for the snow covering most of the slope, he might have met an early end.

Having no desire to replay this, Stag stayed faithfully away from the ledge, watching it suspiciously as if in any moment, the side of the canyon would leap to him, and he would find his footing stolen from him. This little bout of paranoia kept him positively rooted, even as he heard the footstep of another wolf near the cavern.

The snow dampened any defining features Takiyok had, yet as she stepped underneath the hood of stone, it was as if a veil had been lifted. Stag's eyes lit up in joy as he recognized her - "MOM!" He yipped, in a pitch that was a little too high, a little too tense, to be from a boy that was comfortable with his surroundings. Wanting to rush to her side, but terrified of the ledge to his right, Stag gingerly scooted over to her and peppered her muzzle with frantic, overjoyed kisses.

He called back to her in return, his form becoming visible as he hesitantly moved towards her. She moved forward to meet him, instantly concerned by his apparent discomfort. She returned his kisses with a couple of her own to his cheeks, pressing against him to comfort him further. Are you lost? she asked. That was the only reason she could think that he would be here, huddled in a cave on the side of the mountain. It was easy to get lost out here if you didn't know the area very well, especially with the falling snow affecting visibility. That's why she would prefer he didn't wander on his own just yet, but he was almost an adult, and she wouldn't discourage him from exploring. But maybe he wasn't lost. Maybe he had seen something that worried him. She glanced around, attempting to scan the area through the heavy snow but she didn't really see much. A quick inspection of the scents around them didn't provide anything concerning either. She looked back to Stag when satisfied that they were in no immediate danger (aside from the ledge that promised a long and fatal fall) and waited for him to answer her question.

Stag flourished under his dam's kisses, stepping back sheepishly as she inspected all around him. The cave, the winter air, him.. and then her gaze met his, and she asked him the question he was dreading: are you lost?

His ears fell to his skull, his gaze averted in abashed defeat. "N-no.." He said quietly, and then quickly followed with a guilty grin and a bright look of imploring defeat: "..Yes." He hadn't meant to get so lost, but with the snow and his terrible sense of direction.. well.. it was no wonder he was hopeless. Eager to shift the conversation from his lacking navigational capacities, Stag's tail waved and he prompted "Whatchu doing here?" He assumed she was likely looking for his siblings -- a quest he had given up long ago, being neither brave nor good with strange territory.

Her expression turned suspicious when, at first, he claimed to not be lost. Suspicion quickly turned to exasperation when he admitted that he actually was lost. Had he been younger she would have scolded him for leaving the territory on his own without making sure he could get back. But it seemed he had learned his lesson, and she wouldn't chastise him just to prove a point like her father used to to do her. Instead, she would help him learn. Once the storm ends, I'll show you how I always make sure I know how to get home. It's important to always pay attention to your surroundings when you're exploring, Taki explained. 

She sighed when he asked what she was doing here. I was exploring beyond the mountains...and searching for any signs of your brothers or sister. And trying to find some solace away from Diaspora; he didn't need to know that part, though. Then I picked up your scent on my way home and followed it here to you; I wanted to make sure you were okay. She couldn't help but worry. She glanced around again. It looks like we're stuck here for a while, she pointed out, moving closer to settle beside him. Is there anything you would like to know? They could at least make good use of this time.

Stag's embarrassment swiftly shifted to excitement (in that smoothly shameless way only a kid was capable of) as his mother mentioned when the snow cleared she would show him how to navigate. This sounded like a whole new adventure - his eyes lit up and his jaws parted in a smile as he envisioned what fun that would be.

As he suspected, his mother had been ranging for his siblings. Stag's countenance temporarily faltered. He missed his siblings, but he had long ago given up - he had neither a mother's endurance, or a soldier's fortitude, for such a hopeless task. "Do you think they miss us?" Stag piped up, looking out to the storm with observable melancholy. He hoped where ever his siblings were, they thought of him as much as he and his momma thought of them.

She quietly thought about his question for a few moments, sadness filling her expression. She had never thought too much about whether or not they missed the family they left behind. She guessed she just assumed they did. How could they not? Life had not been easy for any of them, but she hoped that when they thought back to her and Stag and Diaspora that they viewed it as a a safe place. She had always tried to make sure that they knew they could always come to her no matter what trouble they were in. But to answer his question: I think they do. She certainly missed them terribly. No matter what's happening in our lives, we'll always miss family when they're not around. She and her brother had been estranged for months, and no matter how much anger she had held for him, her thoughts had drifted to him often. She hoped he was somewhere safe too. We'll see them again, she said quietly. I know it. Whether it was just because she wanted it so bad or because it was actually true, she didn't know.

Stag was silent after his mother finished speaking. These were weighty matters, they dragged his mind downward. He was too young for such heavy melancholy; it absorbed him and warped his demeanor.

He sniffed, missing his siblings and yet, also angry. Angry they had left him. Angry they had hurt his mother. Angry they could leave and never once look back. Angry they didn't care. It filled his heart like fast burning fuel -- what had he and his mother done to deserve such abandonment?

"I miss pa." Stag finally admitted, feeling the weight in his chest cinch tighter. He might see his siblings some distant day in the future, but he would never see Stigmata again.

His admission squeezed her heart. She hated that he was hurting, even more that there was nothing she could do about it. She tried her hardest not to think about Stigmata because it was just too upsetting; it forced her to confront things she's rather not deal with right now. But she had no choice now. She released a soft sigh. I miss him, too, she finally said, offering him a comforting touch of her nose to his cheek. It hurt, saying out loud what she had been trying not to think about, but after a few moments the squeezing of her chest lessened some. It helped that she had Stag to focus on, her only remaining child; she loved him more than she could ever put into words. She lowered her head onto her paws and watched the snow fall. Normally, she would try to change the subject, but she felt like it would be disrespectful to Stigmata's memory to do so now. Instead she just let the sad moment settle over them while memories of the former General flooded her mind.

At least with his siblings, there was the chance Stag would see them again.. Stigmata, on the other hand.. His father only lived on in memory. Stag unfurled a heavy sigh, following his mother's gaze as she looked out at the endless veil of snow.

How peacefully it fell down -- oblivious and uncaring to the worlds and lives it touched. Stag blinked as the blustery gale set snowflakes upon his eyelash. Someday, the snow would stop coming.. Someday the skies would clear -- and maybe their hearts would, too.

wrap up? <3

He didn't say anything else either, and she let the silence settle over them as they both watched the snow fall. She didn't feel the need to say anything. She just quietly appreciated this moment with her son, just the two of them. Eventually, the the storm began to slow and after some more time, it finally stopped. Taki rose with a stretch and a yawn and looked down at Stag. We should head home, she said gently. Before the storm starts abck up and we get stuck somewhere else. As grateful as she was for this time, she knew all too well the dangerous of being stuck in the mountains without the safety of a pack. There were beasts much larger than she was lurking around out here, and winter made them very hungry. She would feel better once Stag was safely within the borders of Diaspora once more.

Jolted from his snowy daydream by his mother stretching, Stag looked up to her questioningly and then nodded. It was wise to go back - especially before the snow fell any thicker.

Being that he had gotten lost, he waited for his mother to start the journey home. He drilled her with questions on how she knew where they were, how she knew how to go home in the snowstorm, and, how he could learn to do the same someday -- all the while drinking in the knowledge she dispensed with hungering, excited interest.