Ravensblood Forest Reunited

for @Luka once he's accepted!

Violante had given Lorelai a lot to think about - where did she want to be within the pack? Today, Lorelai followed the border that the Vicera had made, but her small form stayed half-hidden behind the massive sequoias - this was a safe space, but out there? Lorelai shivered slightly. She would not seek to leave this place. From the safety of the forest, Lorelai let out a long, low howl, then she laid amidst the gnarled tree roots, wondering if anyone would respond.

It had been too long since Luka had been given the chance to breathe in the heady scent of his sister. He hated to be away from her for any length of time - but this was easily the longest they had been apart. He had followed her scent this far - and he knew he couldn't be far now... A single lonely note rose over the landscape around him and he felt blood flood his veins as he changed direction abruptly in the direction of the song. Finally, rounding a final stand of trees, his eyes found her standing there. Lorelai... He slowed his pace to a trot until he stood only a few feet from her, tail and head held high as he took in the sight of her... "Sister..." he breathed, his pale eyes drifting shut as her smell washed over him... carrying with it strange and alien new smells which caused his nostrils to flare and eyes to snap open once more.

"Where have you been?" His tone became guarded, wary... accusatory even as he sized her up, suddenly afraid to take another step towards her.

No other call came, but after a short time, Lorelai heard the sound of fast-approaching footfalls. Her hackles bristled and she rose to her paws, but she was frozen as the scent of Luka washed over her. When he approached and spoke to her, Lorelai stared, wide-eyed, unwilling to believe it was actually him. 

"L-Luka?" she whispered, her ears falling back slightly. She moved forward to sniff him, then her deep cerulean eyes welled with tears. "I got lost!" she suddenly wailed, the tears spilling down her face. "The n-night-m-mares came and... and then you were g-gone..." Lorelai trailed off, sniffling. She wiped her face with her foreleg, then remembered the scabs from her chewing on it the night before. She swallowed, trying to hide her paw, then said, "But... a mated pair took me in and... and they're forming a pack here." Which meant Luka was trespassing. "They know I was waiting for you - I should call Violante..." She lifted her head and let out another call, this time for the Vicera.

The distrustful fury within his breast subsided to a dull burn as tears welled up in Lorelai's eyes. Though something about her smelled... off, he couldn't stay truly angry with her when truthfully he wajust thankful to find her mostly unscathed. The fresh wound at her paw had not escaped his notice, but he knew her well enough to know it had been her own doing rather than something inflicted upon her by another - and that was at least a small comfort to him. He close the distance between them as she started blubbering, pressing his neck over hers and pulling her closer to him with one massive paw. "Hush, love... I'm here now..." he purred against her ear, eyes drifting closed as her scent covered him. He frowned slightly as she mentioned calling for another, though he tried to bear at the forefront of his mind that this stranger had at least been kind to his sister I'm his absence. "If she's been a help to you, then it seems I find myself in the debt of a stranger already... I'll have questions for her, as you can imagine, regarding her intentions with you. But your wishes are important to me also - so if staying is what you desire... I'll take that into consideration. It's my fault you were left defenseless after all..."

Violante heard the call, and she arrived swiftly, her hackles bristling slightly as she scented a stranger. She arrived at the scene to see Lorelai speaking with a stranger who was embracing her. She caught the tail end of their conversation, and she pushed through the undergrowth, looking to the large male. Violante was dwarfed by him, but she was confident, tail and head held high.

"Luka, I'm assuming?" The Vicera queried, one brow raising up. "I am Violante Cruor - my mate and I have been watching over Lorelai for the past few weeks. You stand upon the grounds of Sacrarium - a sanctuary for all."

They didn't have to wait long after Lorelai's call for Violante to arrive. Luka perked as she came pushing through the underbrush to stand before them, and he sized her up briefly. She was much smaller than him, but she carried herself well - her very presence suggested a hard fought battle to stand here before them in power. He offered a nod of greeting as she spoke, his lips pulling into a half smile. "I take it my sister has told you of me, then... You have my thanks for watching over Lorelai. You must know how important she is to me, so you find me already unwittingly in your debt..." he chuckled, gaze darting between his sister and the stranger who had cared for her in his absence. "I'll count myself lucky that the wolves who found her were kind hearted... Tell me your intentions in starting Sacrarium - what would you require of my sister and I, should we choose to remain here together?"

Violante and Lorelai shared a look, and the Vicera took that as affirmation to speak of her present condition. "It is recommended that you both stay here for some time. Your sister is carrying my half-brother's children, and I'd be damned if I don't raise them as my own." She knew he would have a million questions - but, so did she. Violante sat, and surveyed Luka carefully.

"As far as intentions, I seek only to create a home here, for my mate and our family. We are hopeful that I am expecting a litter of my own." Here, she would pause to let him speak.

Luka stood silently and listened as Violante responded to his queries, fighting the urge for his hackles to rise slightly as his fears were confirmed. He turned his head slowly to Lorelai, locking gazes with her for a moment as he processed this new information. Within him, fury with both himself and Lorelai brewed violently - but he could not fault his sister. The blame here, if there was any to lay, was his alone. He should have been here to protect her... But Violante and her mate had stepped up to the plate instead. He certainly could not fault them there. "I can understand your desire to watch over Lorelai, in that case... though it is a bit of a shock. I place no blame upon you, or anyone but myself," Luka answered after a moment of shocked silence.

Internally, he was waring with his own emotions - but he tried his best to focus on the relief that his sister was at least mostly unharmed and as he had left her. He heaved a heavy sigh, turning his head to roughly kiss the top of his sister's head, and then locked eyes with Violante once more. "We will stay then... So long as your intentions with my sister and her children are pure in nature, then I can't deny any of us that small comfort. I will do whatever is required of me to repay you for your care of Lorelai... I would ask only that the pups be granted the same courtesy and care that you have extended to her so far. I wouldn't dare step on your toes, as they'll be as much your blood as ours."

tagging for continuity, no posts needed. @Azarov @Avery Cruor

Violante had been expecting this day, if not in the same fashion. When Luka spoke of staying, the Vicera got to her paws. "I will take you to the dens. Feel free to explore the forest, but for the time being, I ask that you do not stray too far." She doubted he would, as Lorelai had expressed no interest in leaving, and she was expecting him to stay with her, now that they'd found each other again. "My mate found a cave system for us, it's just to the northwest of here." She had made sure that Lorelai's room was large enough for Luka to stay with her. "Should you need anything, you may call for me."

Once they were at the dens, Violante would bow her head and then set off, to let her pack know of Sacrarium's newest member.