Swiftcurrent Creek As my garden grows aches and the turf drinks old rain

Swiftcurrent Creek. Kel was beyond relieved to come to the border of @Lestan's pack, having found the man very disagreeable company. Strange and silent, with darting eyes made all the more unsettling by their multicolored aspect. He stared into the distance and at the sky often. Kel sometimes found himself paranoid that if he stood too close to the man, he would suddenly snap at him. So he didn't.
He kept his distance even now, approaching the border slowly and stopping a good way off. Resisting the urge to dismiss himself immediately and turn back for Riverclan, he turned to Lestan. Okay. Am I just dropping you off? Or do I need to talk to your leaders? Formally hand him off, so to speak. Kel thought better of putting it that way. He just wanted to go home.
He wanted to see Faun.

"just here, i think." lestan's voice was a mumble; he stumbled away from kel and sat down in the wet grass, where he called long and loud for @Arric, @Akavir, and his own golden fairy, whom he had no idea was in possession of a child.
or that @Moss might also be along.
he panted out. "you might stay and retrieve whatever thanks or reward my hide could fetch," he joked, airily, crazed, tucking the deer-bone under his paw.

Reverie was asleep when Lestan's call rang out over Swiftcurrent Creek. She woke in a daze, and didn't quite realize what she was doing as she gathered Blossom and set off to answer. Lestan is back, she thought tiredly, without really feeling anything about it. Lestan was back. He was home.
That was strange.
He had brought a man with him, too, Reverie saw as she approached the border with Blossom firmly in her grasp. A stranger! Her hackles flared and she stopped some distance away, staring between Lestan and the strange man as if she knew neither of them. Then she realized that Lestan was hurt, he was unwell, and went to him thoughtlessly. She didn't get so close, though; not as close as she once might have. She set Blossom between her paws, anticipating some kind of explanation, some kind of — something.

quick cameo! Blossom can be acknowledged but she’s also a kid who has become fascinated with Everything Else Besides Adults so she won’t react unless touched or prompted

In true purse chihuahua fashion, Blossom was hauled off to the new sound. Her flailing paws tucked to her stomach and chest, her tail tucking, and she let out an involuntary noise, a meek little yap of a sound, before setting into this familiar routine.

She watched her surroundings go by in a steady up and down with her mother’s bobbing walk, focusing on every new color she could see and then some! Wasn’t the world just peachy?

Blossom thought so.

She was sat down between Reverie’s paws, gentle as she ever was, but she released a little “oof” anyway. Her response to all of the goings on was a momentary string of babbled noises, like a bubble machine, before her attention would be caught by a passing insect that she would proceed to nasally mouth-breath at.

Of all the times for the man to come back, he did so in one of the moments when Moss strayed from Reverie’s side to hunt something for her to eat. She abandoned her chase the moment the howl reached her ears, gnashing her teeth together in frustration. A swipe of her paw against a tree left fresh claw marks. Her paw smarted, but she grimaced and carried on toward the borders regardless.

Her pupils narrowed when she caught Reverie’s scent, so heavily mingled with that of Blossom that Moss assumed the child was in tow. The giant wolf hastened her pace, until she set sight on the clutch of wolves.

She did not recognize Lestan as being one of them- not since he’d left, and he returned now with a stranger. The auburn wolf looked young, and uncomfortable. Lestan had clearly been through some sort of ordeal while he’d been away but he received no charitable welcome from Moss- who brought herself to a firm stance at Reverie’s side. She regarded the two with a frown, expecting now to hear some string of excuses.

The call was good news—or, so he thought, given Arric’s statement of Reverie missing the wayward Mayfair. Akavir was quick to intercept the caller, but unfortunately not enough to beat the welcome wagon that greeted Lestan.

Reverie had Blossom in tow once more and Akavir sent a pointed look to both Reverie and the stranger upon their borders—allies or not, why would she bring a cub to the pack borders? Moss, also, took a guarded and cold stance—and with one last lingering look at the wreckage of his cousin, the Alpha bristled, his own stance becoming firm—protective of the man, even as his gaze drifted over to both of the creek women. “Reverie, I know you have much to say, but I need a moment with my cousin. Moss, why don’t you take her to go rest… and get Blossom from the pack borders.” It was a statement worded to be kind—but his tone did not offer much room for argument that would be taken well.

A small nod was given to Lestan’s companion—though he spoke no more, waiting for the other two to leave.

Arric can still hop in but is it alright if we keep this short? <3 Big group threads are overwhelming for me!

Kelsier glanced at Lestan, unamused by his joke, and only became more uncertain as wolves filed in to answer the call. The women who first came were silent, unwelcoming. He stepped back in his own silence, ears twitching and swiveling as he tried to make sense of this greeting. And why had one of the women brought a child? Kel didn't like it one bit.
Things became only a little less confusing when a dark-furred wolf arrived. Kel maintained his silence still, looking between the pack wolves. It wasn't his place to intervene, but he had a feeling this wasn't going to be the happy reunion he had imagined. That was a sinking feeling; the feeling of having done this for nothing.

Just a cameo

The sight of Lestan was a welcome one, but the sight of Blossom at the pack borders immediately made his hackles rise. There was a threat, a freaking threat and she brought the baby to the borders. He was quick to circle around on her other side. He smelled like Riverclan, so allies, but holy shit. It was a baby at the borders! What if that she wolf was somewhere watching and took the time during their moment while they were all distracted to take Blossom. 

I Know enough healing to get him into the borders Rev. He couldn't heal like Reverie could, but he knew enough to be able to help if needed like now.

there was nothing, only the sound of breeze above swiftcurrent, and then there were a thousand things at once.
reverie first; his eyes went to her; lestan was rendered helpless by love, and then speechless by what she carried.
the deer bone fell from his jaws.
he grabbed feverishly for it but stopped; he could not take his eyes from the child! the child! his?? his!
and now mouth dry he formed shaking words, trying to speak her name aloud, gazing at her figure with its new curves and the tiredness of her flawless face.
and then a shadow fell across it, and lestan blinked up towards the stern features of moss. had he been a scant more observant he might have questioned why she stood so close, but for now he saw only the unwelcome she brought with her.
what was happening?
akavir next, speaking in his careful way, calling him cousin. lestan's head turned toward him almost blearily before he snapped his eyes back to reverie, sickness and shock and horror and love, love, welling inside him all at once. "is —"
lestan felt faint. his mouth tasted of salt. but he would not be sick here before them. arric was last to arrive, and the mayfair looked at him in the same empty, wondering way before he tried to speak again: "reverie?" voice weak even if she had already turned away with moss and with their child.

Okay....I'm so sorry

Moss's presence was an unwelcome addition to their reunion, as was Akavir and Arric. Reverie wanted none of them here. This moment, she felt, belonged to her and Lestan alone — and with each new addition she grew more agitated. She grasped Blossom and closed the last of the distance between herself and Lestan, paying no mind to the deer bone or his shock.
He said her name, and she softened. Moss was lingering uncomfortably close, moving with Reverie even as she stepped intimately close to Lestan. She growled softly through Blossom's fur, half under her breath, and shifted to try to put Lestan between herself and Moss. Only then did she place Blossom between them and reach for Lestan, as she'd wanted. There was so much she wanted to say to him, but Akavir was telling her to leave, and Reverie could not help but wonder why everyone was so intent on keeping them apart.
Everything had been so dark since Lestan left. Why would they want to send her back to that darkness? I don't want to leave him - please, Reverie looked to Akavir as she made her plea, still tense, ears turned toward Moss. But it was Lestan she turned to with desperation in her eyes. Not again. Don't leave me again.

Moss nodded when Akavir drew toward them and spoke- but before she could shepherd Reverie back, she picked up her child and moved toward Lestan. If it hadn’t been for the child she carried, Moss would have simply blocked her. 

She moved behind Reverie, whether or not she was wanted- with her mouth full, she couldn’t ward Moss off completely. But with Moss so close, the stranger would have absolutely no chance at endangering Blossom, either.

And the second she placed Blossom on the ground and reached instead for Lestan, Moss pivoted and placed herself opposite Kelsier, in a manner intended to again shield both Reverie and Blossom from the one wolf she did not know.

The one wolf she did not trust was the one Reverie reached for, and the motion- which she quietly allowed- shattered her heart.

A glance was given to Akavir. She wanted nothing more than to take Blossom and get her away from all of this- the child was far too young to be this close to the borders. For all the good intentions Reverie seemed to have for her daughter, inexperience led to brazen choices.

None of this was sound- but there was nothing Moss could do about it.

we can have a sep thread for Kelsier and Akavir... or BTS? Either way, Akavir's exiting this thread with his grumpy self. <3

A lot happened in the short amount of time the wolves gathered. Lestan was laser-focused on Reverie and the child she held—as he should be. Idly, his gaze drifted down to study the dark man, clinging to a bone, looking far worse for wear than Akavir had ever witnessed. It drew a small frown of concern from the man, who stole a glance to Arric then—the steadfast Beta who tried to reassure Reverie Lestan would be taken care of.

Of course, she did not listen. He felt the prickle of his hackles in that moment—the brazen way she encroached further to the injured man, reaching for him and pleading with Akavir about not making her leave him—despite the pointed glare she had come with. In truth, Akavir simply wanted to give Lestan a moment to breathe—but that became less important to him when Reverie simply put her very young child down once more on the ground—away from the safety of a warm den—at their borders that had not only been threatened, but with a stranger in front of her.

Moss was quick to act—he appreciated it—and his own eyes met hers, his a myriad of emotions… growing frustration and anger—a tinge of sadness.

He was about to expend the entirety of the pack’s resources because Reverie had been in complete fear for the safety of her baby… and now baby Blossom was here—in the most precarious area where she shouldn’t be.

So it was with this growing ire his eyes flicked coldly down to Reverie—“He needs rest, Reverie. And just maybe you should take your pup back to the warmth of her den and away from the borders given you were the one who informed us she was in danger,” he ground out, the last of his words turning to a low growl.

Yeah—his patience was thin in this moment. He looked to Arric, his eyes quietly announcing to his comrade that he was removing himself from this situation for the moment.

And then, to the poor man who had brought home their missing pack mate, he looked to. “May I have a word with you?”

New thread sounds great!

Kel just kind of stood back and let it happen. What was he going to do, anyway? He couldn't possibly begin to understand the dynamics between these wolves — but surmised quickly enough that the only sane ones were the two dark-furred men. He stared with wide eyes until one of them addressed him.
Yeah. Sure, He felt like he was in a fever dream. Kel registered, quite belatedly, that the blonde's name was Reverie. A cold shiver went down his spine, and he looked at Lestan with a brief flash of fear. What was going on here? But Kel reminded himself that it wasn't his business, and turned to follow the dark wolf wherever he led.

Moss is out.

Reverie had made her choice- she’d clearly been wanting Lestan all along, as Arric had said. Strung along, Moss felt spite growing within her, and a murmur of self-loathing. Maybe if she’d been able to give Reverie the sort of love that was physical, she wouldn’t have longed for Lestan so much. 

But the feeble man was who she wanted, so much that she was willing to haul her vulnerable child to the borders to greet him. 

Akavir seemed to sense how Moss was feeling, and he gave his recommendations- leaving Moss with no task at hand. She drew away from Reverie’s side, tail curling indignantly. 

To Akavir in passing, she spoke briefly. ”Find me when you need me.” Toward him, her gaze was steady, even while it flicked over his wounds. The witch-woman was still out there, and she was still keen to put an end to the creep’s influence. 

She said nothing to Reverie, having been so easily discarded. She roved away, gritting her jaws together until her head ached.