Neverwinter Forest for the dreams that have faded

It was cold here, colder than the Vale, and it was dark. Always so dark. Haruki peered up at the dense foliage above him as he made his way through the forest, blue gaze narrowed in disapproval. He missed home. He missed the mountains, and the patch of flowers he used to roll in, and his family den. He missed Sumi's boisterous energy, Reiko's soft, reassuring voice, Takeshi's strong presence...

Frustratedly, he swiped a paw across his face as he felt tears sting the corners of his eyes. No use in crying, anymore. His parents may be dead and gone, but the Empire still lived on in their children. He and Hotaru were duty-bound to rebuild what was lost.

In time, at least. For now, they were stuck here in this woodland. Sure, they were free to roam, but he knew as well as the adults that he would not survive for long outside the borders. With a huff of resentment, Haruki continued on in his march, in search of a place where he could hide away for a few hours and wallow in his dour, homesick mood.

Hotaru had come to the same realization in her short time wandering the woods. Everything was so dark, even when the sun was high. It made the towering trees feel suffocating. She missed the open air and fireflies that graced the meadows at night. The stars guardians above that lit up the sky, but here all that comfort was gone. It was for this reason that Hotaru lingered near the edges of the territory where the forest thinned and the sky peaked out.

It came as no surprise that she found her brother here too. He probably also missed the vale...but— this was only temporary right? One day they could go back when they were strong and capable and didn't have to worry about scary wolves. As the pale girl neared, she could see him rub at his face, a huff escaping as he moved to continue his march. Had he been crying? She knew the signs all too well by now. Since day one she had been easy to tear up...but Haruki had not. Not in her eyes at least.

She bounded forward to meet her brother, her face quickly pressing against his shoulder as she gave a quick greeting. Too crowded for you too? She had no intention of bringing up her creeping suspicion, she hated when people saw her cry, and embarrassing Haruki wasn't exactly on her list of plans for the day.

She had been on her way to the borders when she caught the scent of the pups. They were her responsibility for now, but since she hadn't had children of her own yet, she was a little clueless about the day to day stuff. She could teach the pack pups to hunt and fight, but caring for them every day was a big job, and she worried that Mal's trust in her had been misplaced. Still, she felt bad for the two orphans, and she wanted to help them in any way she could.

So she tracked them through the trees, slowing and eventually stopping as she came upon the pair. Hey, she said. What are you guys up to? Should she leave them alone less than she did? Follow them around more? That felt like the wrong thing to do, so she had given them a little space to explore. But now, she wondered if they might be up for doing something.

The boy froze as he heard footsteps approach, the fur along his back prickling as he anticipated an unwanted conversation before suddenly the voice of Hotaru graced his ears. He instantly defused, accepting the press of her muzzle against his shoulder with a relieved sigh and offering a lick to her cheek in response. "I don't like this place," he said quietly, intending for it to be more of an offhand comment than anything. He knew as well as she did that the forest would be their best chance at survival, at least until they were proper adults.

His ears pricked as he heard more footfalls, and he peeked over his sister's ears to see the white wolf from before strolling towards them. His blue gaze became guarded, and he moved to stand slightly in front of Hotaru despite the woman's friendly approach. "Nothing," he replied tersely, unintentionally making it seem like they had been up to something nefarious.

The forest had yet to grow on her, but Hotaru wasn't sure if she would dislike it too. She missed their home, just as much as her brother, but Haruki was stubborn. She was...willing, to give this place a try, but she couldn't say that it would be a forever home. She had already made that promise, that with time and the skills or knowledge that followed, that she would go back to reclaim their lost vale. You don't have to like it forever. Like Haruki, her words came hushed, especially as the sound of another set of steps grew closer.

It wouldn't take long for Simmik to show her face, one of the two caretakers that had been assigned to the royal duo. Haruki, defensive as ever, slipped away to stand before her, as if the beta posed a threat, to which she could only give a shy smile. We were just looking around a bit. It's a lot different from our home here. In all honesty, she didn't know what Haruki was doing at the outskirts of the territory, but maybe her own answer would ease whatever suspicion Simmik might have.

She couldn't quite explain it, but she felt a little more open with the woman compared to the other adults they passed...maybe it was her fur, which unlike the rest of Neverwinter, reminded her of her own family...of Reiko.

Haruki seemed suspicious and guarded, and the Beta couldn't blame him. He had lost so much; it reminded her of when she had been a child and also lost more than she should have. She had been so angry at everything. She felt for the boy, and so she didn't scold him or act like what he was doing bothered her in any way. In fact, the way he protected his sister endeared him to her a little. 

The little girl, Hotaru spoke next, and she seemed more pleasant about things, explaining that they had just been looking around. Well, there is a lot of forest to explore, she agreed. She smiled a little at both of them. I was actually about to go on a patrol, she told the children. Would you like to come with me? I could teach you a little about it. That was where she felt most comfortable with them—teaching them things. Patrolling and border rules would be an important thing for them to learn. She looked at them both with expectation, while also hoping to portray that they were not obligated if they didn't feel up to it.