Kintla Flatlands o wild west wind, thou breath of autumn's being

this is going to be a big group thread, so i'm only going to open rounds to the main participants. next round will start in 3-5 days depending on how quickly everyone posts, some things still need to be wrapped up first so it may take a minute to get everyone in

post order; zephyr, @Taikon, @Takiyok, @Rowan
cameos welcome; @Taktuq, @Phillip, @Electra, @Rosalie

He leads the group through the mountains and beyond, as promised. There's something calming about knowing that he'll be home soon, that safety is right around the corner. Home is a welcome thought; he doesn't think he'll be going so far again any time soon. He'll never truly quiet his wandering heart, but he can't imagine being away from his Phillip his forest for so long again. He pauses alongside the river that they'd followed from the lake, gaze drifting south, then slightly west — ah, there it is. The woods, in the distance. He glances to Taikon, then Takiyok, and tips his head back and calls — not just for Rowan. He calls for Phillip too, and for the remnants of his family gathered here. He's finally home, and he wants to see all of them.

The journey through the mountains gave him time to think. The long and short of it was simple: they needed safety. Once Zephyr had told him of his true self, they had forged a strange bond. It was one he had not shared intentionally with Takiyok, for she had her own charge to deal with under her wing. After their long conversation, Taikon was both extremely optimistic and distressed about needing to tell Zephyr, who had been avoiding him for whatever reason. Taikon's priority was Takiyok and Taktuq, for they were the most vulnerable of the group in their current state. And, he would do anything for her.
Zephyr still held him in his grasp. Taikon played with thoughts about sexuality, about gender, about relationships in general. None of it made complete sense to him, and so he carried on as a mere follower, unsure about what a new life with Takiyok would mean. Zephyr called for a team that Taikon didn't know, and he felt strangely tense. They had been through too much for him not to feel this way, but he trusted Zephyr. So, he glanced to Takiyok, offering her a comforting smile, happy that they had made it across the mountains. Protection was on its way. They would finally be safe.

Cameo, just maintaining visibility for Electra.  Please feel free to see her come and leave! ❤️

Her brother's voice breaks her thoughts; he is calling some of their group for homecoming.  The names continue until finally, he lands on hers.  She feels slighted by this somehow; he had an entire crowd he could call on and share his joy with.

She realizes, belatedly, that she is alone here.  It makes her feel out of place, like something that didn't belong. Maybe it wasn't true.  But maybe it was, and it really stuck in her craw.  With a newfound bitterness and uncharacteristic apathy, she lopes towards the forming crowd, stopping at a distance.

She really has no place to show her face at this happy gathering and ruin it with her sourpuss mood, so instead she turns to the woods — her new home — to find somewhere to sleep the rest of the day off.

It was strange to be back in these woods. To her, the represented a very different part of her life and a very different version of herself. She still felt the uneasy feeling of being watched as they waited on the edge of the forest, and she shifted close to her niece protectively. 

Her head had bothered her all day, the relentless throbbing making her quiet and edgy. She felt dizzy and like she needed to sleep, but she knew the pain would keep her awake for hours longer. 

She was silent and watchful, though, as Zephyr sent out the call, and she offered her own strained smile to Taikon when he looked to her and smiled reassuringly. Then her gaze focused on the trees as they waited to be joined by whomever was summoned.

A summons spread through the forest.
Stone squawked at him, then took flight.
It was for him, no doubt about it.
It was Zephyr.

He took off after his crow, weaving through the trees to the source.
Zeph had been gone for some time. Rowan hoped they were ok.
He slowed as he neared the border, catching his breath.
Zeph had brought more to them.

Rowan smiled, tail waving - friendly in greeting, high with dominance.
Electra was leaving. Strange. He'd try and talk to her later, make sure she was ok.
"Welcome back," he grinned.
"I'm Rowan, this is Ivory Rose." He spoke to the newcomers, sure that Zeph had already mentioned so.
He waited for them to introduce themselves.