Cedar Sweep hope
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#1
@Weejay first, then anyone! He is at the edge of the strath and cedar sweep.

Eljay felt rather nervous to go out there alone with Weejay, but he also didn't want to put any pressure on his pack mates. They should look for their missing family member, the missing piece to this three-wolf puzzle. Eljay often wondered if Elfie saw it the same way but he knew that both he and Weejay missed Elfie sorely. In a way not having to deal with Elfie's disappointment with him was a relief, but Eljay also just wanted to hold Elfie and know that he was okay, at the very least.

There were still some leftovers of rubble there, though confusingly so also a lot of wolf scent there. Eljay wondered if they'd found some other route or if things looked different on the other side. He decided not to look too thoroughly. Instead he turned to Weejay and said, We could circle around the Strath and kinda... Try to see if there's any, uhm... Tunnels or something, that he could've come out of? Be careful though, there's scent of wolf around. It was clear that he hadn't come out here and if he had then it was a really long time ago; but maybe he had found a different way out? He couldn't help but feel once more that Towhee should've taken care of his son. How long had he stayed trapped here? And what if he had died there, before they were liberated? Eljay frowned and decided he needed to get away from the entrance to the territory his son had lived in for some time, before more dark thoughts filled his mind.
we are biding our time, for these myths to unwind
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#2
Weejay blanched as they came upon the rubble; she had dreaded this day, but she dared not let her father see it.  Adopting a look of what she hoped was cheery hope, Weejay fell behind her father and (what if he's under the rocks?) awaited his instruction. She wished fervently that any moment now they'd come across Elfie's scent - but that was wishful thinking, and she had learned a thing or two from Elfie about wishes, and fishes.

She nodded as her father suggested they circle around the strath. Pulling over a crumbled piece of stone, Weejay (what if I find his skeleton grinning back at me, trapped between two stones?) shook roughly and closed her eyes. No scent of Elfie here. Nothing at all but the stir of the wind and her father's footsteps. Stop. Weejay growled at her interal nagger, sucking in a deep breath as she began to comb through the ruins.
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone
Brecheliant
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#3
It was a mess, and there was so much of it. Eljay wasn't too sure if they would be able to find anything at all. But he wanted to keep hope. Maybe they'd find someone who'd seen anything. Maybe they'd find some part of him or of his pack mates, some indication... Eljay hadn't even considered they might find something they definitely didn't want to find, like Weejay had, as he searched. It seemed as though the rubble was endless though, a long place to search fully.

Eljay moved along the side of it all and sniffed small holes he found, only to find they lead to nowhere. He looked over towards Weejay and asked, Find anything yet..? Hoping she had more luck. I can't find anything that seems to lead anywhere... And honestly, his sense of directions were so poor that he didn't really trust searching further and wider than the direct place of impact. He'd just get them lost.

anyone else is still welcome to pop in if they'd like!
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#4
dont mind if I do!

When Maia noticed Eljay departing with Weejay, she'd dithered a bit on following.  She wasn't sure what to make of him, even after all this time living with the Firebirds.  They'd never really talked before Wildfire and after.... well.  Maia didn't do sad very well.

She wanted to apologize for sticking her nose in the middle of his talk with Finley though, and for kind of being a spaz about it too.

Following she arrived at the site of a mass of rubble and her eyes widened as she picked her way around it.  Um, hey!  She called, galloping a little after them.  Do... you guys want help?  What happened here?  It reminded her of the place with the giants only much more recent feeling. And for one, Maia read the room before mentioning how cool it looked.
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#5
Weejay wasn't having any luck, and neither was her father. She sniffed the holes he stopped at as a precursory formality - nothing there but dirt, it seemed.

She thought she heard someone coming, and a few times she paused and looked about her not unlike a wary doe -- then, Maia appeared -- slowing only as she came within earshot of them. Weejay looked at Wraen's sister curiously, flanking her father mutely as she awaited his answer.
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone
Brecheliant
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a hundred mini dreams and a healing scar ♥
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#6
Eljay looked up with the same sort of wary expression when Weejay did. He exchanged a quick glance as to say did you hear anything? but the moments of wariness came and went for the pair of them -- it was very easy to see in that moment that they were family indeed -- until Maia appeared. Eljay turned around to look at her, soon flanked by Weejay. He wasn't entirely sure if Weejay and Maia had met yet, and contemplated if he should introduce the pair of them. He looked briefly between them but getting no clues one or the other way decided to simply respond to her instead.

You don't know? he asked, surprised that Maia hadn't heard. There was a collapse here when the earthquakes happened. We're looking for traces of Elfie.
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#7
She hadn't.  I was traveling, she responded, and as tempting as it was to go into where and who and all about her own family, his next words prevented it.  Elfie, that was who they'd talked about.  She thought she remembered Wraen mentioning that.

She didn't know Weejay; she hadn't yet made good on her promise of a story for one reason or another, but it was still definitely planned.  She remembered her from the story circle though.  Mind if I help?  I kind of wanted to apologize for busting in on you and your mom.  

Then she turned her attention to Weejay with a smile.  And I wanted to know where you heard that amazing story you told!  And if you had any more like it.  Focusing on the search was a good thing, but sometimes it helped when doing something sad or unpleasant to distract yourself a bit.
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#8
Weejay remained by Eljay's flank, timidly studying this older relative that she only briefly knew through passing. She hoped that they could all search for Elfie together - maybe Maia had a better nose, or was braver than the two of them, and could help pass the time with stories of her own adventures (for that was what Weejay saw her as, an Adventurer With A Capital A).

It was a good thing Maia chose to acknowledge Weejay by calling back to their story-time, otherwise Weejay probably would have been too shy to say anything at all while they nosed through the rubble. However, thinking of her friend in the woods caused her tail to hike up in excitement. "Deku," she started demurely, a soft smile of fondness pressing her features. "He was my friend before all the earthquakes.. He told me that story and a bunch others, mostly about the stars n' stuff."
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone
Brecheliant
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#9
Maia offered to help them search. Eljay looked at Weejay briefly and then nodded back at Maia. That would be great, thank you. He wasn't really sure what to do with the apology about bursting in when he was with mom earlier. Eljay hadn't thought much of it at the time; she was just a pack mate in the territory, as she deserved, and though the timing had been unfortunate it wasn't exactly Maia's fault. He brushed it off with an awkward smile, hoping that brought that message across enough.

Eljay smiled appreciatively when Maia acknowledged Weejay and asked her about the story she told at storytime. Eljay nosed Weejay's shoulder encouragingly as she mentioned a friend -- a friend that Eljay didn't actually know about, and would probably press about a bit later; he did remember there was a period of time when Weejay went out of the Copse at times, even though it was against Eljay's wishes, so maybe she had met him there. The friend had told her the story. Eljay felt a little stupid that he'd never asked Weejay about it. He just always figured she had made it up herself, he supposed.

Meanwhile Eljay continued the search, although he had little hopes. He knew nothing about how to search for a lost person and his navigation was very bad, so he didn't want to stray too far from the Copse, either. Maia seemed a lot more worldly, since she was a traveler and all. Eljay stayed quiet for now, wanting to encourage Weejay to talk a bit with their pack mate to build up her confidence in the social department.
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#10
Oh HECK IT WAS ME WE WERE WAITING ON!?

Oh, yeah?  I'm a big fan of star stories, if you don't mind sharing one.  My mom used to tell us a bunch.  Dad too, but mom was better at it, she said, giggling.  It hurt less to talk about them now, remembering the good times.  

She ignored Eljay for the moment, not out of rudeness, but because she tended to invest herself fully in a conversation.  Her focus was on Weejay and her friend's stories, putting a bit of a hitch in her searching, but that was fine.  Looking through this section was a dark job, one that a little storytelling might make easier!
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#11
Nudged by her father, Weejay smiled up at Maia shyly. Other than at story-telling, Weejay realized she hadn't talked to Maia much, and was overcome with a tinge of social awkwardness.

Thankfully, Maia was quick to fill in the gaps while Eljay wandered away. Weej kept one ear turned to her father, who was browsing in the rubble behind them. She didn't want to stop searching, but she didn't want to be rude to Maia either, so she did a little of both: paw here, talk here, so on.

"Do you know a lot of star stories?" Weejay asked curiously, an edging of hope in her voice. Ever since Deku had left, Weejay hadn't heard any stories at all. She missed Deku terribly, and often wondered where he had gone off to.
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone
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a hundred mini dreams and a healing scar ♥
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#12
feel free to skip me unless he is addressed directly :)

Eljay smiled as Maia and Weejay got to talking about stories. Weejay could use some more friends, he felt, and Maia seemed just the type of excited enthusiastic wolf who would be a good influence on his daughter. A bit more outgoing, but equally good at stories. He watched them converse, staying on the sidelines for now.
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#13
I know a few, yeah.  My favorites are the ones of the land of the stars.  Have you ever heard of those?  She asked, slipping into the mode easily.  She glanced at Eljay to see if he was listening, but then turned her attention back.

Maia adored kids.  They always enjoyed her stories in such a pure and carefree way... and to them, everything was exciting and new and bright, for the most part.  Even the ones who had lost something.  Weejay was getting older, but even in her shyness, some of that youth shone through.  It was a quality Maia hoped never to lose... and one she liked seeing survive in others too.
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#14
Weejay might be older, but even some of that youthful excitement shown through that Maia found herself liking so much. Her ears were cupped ahead attentively, ready for all of these stories that she hoped someday to share with Deku.. if he ever came back. A brief frown eclipsed the girl's expression as she thought of her friend in the woods.

Glancing to Eljay, Weej smiled away the troubling thoughts. "What's the land of the stars like?"
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone
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#15
It had been a while since Maia had slipped into story mode.  She felt the familiar rhythm of it and drank in Weejay's expectation.  There was nothing she enjoyed more than an audience.

The land of the stars is a place wayyy way above us.  It's made up of dark rock, and the wolves and creatures who live there have fur and eyes that shine so bright we can see them from here.  We know it's up there because a friend of mine saw a piece of it fall, once.  He showed it to me.  She remembered the odd rock that had first inspired the story, the one Charon took her to see.

The wolves who live up there can't visit us, but a lot of times they love to listen.  That's why sometimes, if I have a new story or something I need to talk about, I'll tell it to the stars.  It was good to not always feel alone, especially at night and in the dark.  Plus, it was cool to think that she could talk to someone about things she couldn't even talk about with Wraen.
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#16
Weejay could tell, as a novice storyteller herself, that Maia was the maven of story-weaving. She listened rapt, ears cupped and attention focused on Maia; after a while she forgot she was supposed to be searching for clues.

Imagining the world above them, Weejay thought of rocks like those of the mountain rubble they were on. She imagined dark crevices lit by ancient moons, and unknowable craters full of magnetizing energy. She thought of black shapes with luminescent eyes and shuddered as she imagined one freezing in the dark and turning its solar-glare upon her. As Maia told the story of the meteorite Weejay's eyes widened and she couldn't help but blurt -- "can I see it?!" before covering her mouth apologetically.

Thinking the creatures of the skyrock above could hear them, Weejay couldn't help but crane her neck and squint into the clouds. She wasn't sure how she felt about having her conversations projected to some extraterrestrial life-form, but, maybe it was just another world waiting to be explored.. She wondered if there was any mountain out there tall enough that could breach the gap between their worlds..
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone
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#17
Maia smiled, though she felt the familiar ache thinking of Charon.  My friend isn't there anymore, and it's guarded on a mountain full of fierce warriors.  It wasn't false, but it also made the story that much better.  Maybe, though, if you could prove yourself.  Something like the trials of Hercules, or the journey of Odysseus.  There was always a test in order to get treasure.

But I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem, she added with a big smile.  She loved how spellbound an audience the girl was and how eagerly she had asked to see what was spoken of.
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#18
Eljay wondered if the mountain Maia spoke of really existed, or if it was more a story-mountain. He thought to notice something in her gaze when she mentioned that her friend wasn't there anymore and wondered if it was a real place and her friend was real, too. If she lost him in some way. Maybe he would dare ask another day. Eljay glanced up at the sky and wondered about the wolves from the sky and if they were real, but he supposed that he would never find out. He smiled encouragingly at Weejay, being the ever-proud dad to see his daughter socialise so well with others.
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#19
A mountain full of fierce warriors was not necessarily Weejay's bag. Maybe Niamh's, or Towhee's -- or even the aspiring Bronco and Fig -- but not little flowerchild Weejay. She kept her gaze up, refusing to let any spell of solemnity break the mood. After all, it was likely this place was simply a story, and Weejay would never have to trouble herself with darkening their doorstep.

"What happened to your friend?" Weejay inquired, glancing to her father and catching the adoration in his gaze. She beamed back brightly, giving a wag of her tail while she waited for Maia's reply.
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone
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#20
I'm ok to wrap this if we want since I let it get old n crusty!

He's gone. Maia said, then paused so that the hint of something in her tone wouldn't be too apparent in her next words.  It was hard to think about how all of that happened, still.  Though, if anyone figured out how to make it up there, it would be him.  He used to say his mountain touched them, anyway.  She gave a small wave of her tail, as though dispelling the sad in favor of this new story.  It was a pretty good one, honestly, and she thought maybe Charon would have liked it.  So maybe he's up there too.
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#21
His heart skipped a beat as Weejay beamed back at him as she caught his gaze. He was proud of his daughter in many ways -- both for her stories as well as her empathy and love.

Eljay frowned when Maia said her friend was gone. The pause didn't go unnoticed to the empath, though he decided not to make too much of it. If it was something she wanted to talk about, she could, but he wasn't going to push it himself. She clearly didn't want to talk about it right this instant, at the very least, so Eljay let it rest for now. He smiled as she continued to say that if there was anyone who could make it up there, that it would be him. Eljay wondered if that was true, but he supposed it didn't really matter whether it was only a story or not. He couldn't help but wonder if Maia's friend had also met Wildfire, wherever they were, if his assumptions were right.

Should we head back..? Eljay suggested tentatively. I.. I don't think we'll find anything today. It was a disappointment, but at least they'd looked. It had only made him feel more hopeless, honestly, but he decided to try his best not to show it. Tomorrow was another day. They'd find Elfie eventually. He just had to keep believing that.

I'm cool with a fade too :)