Familiar Faces [Open!]

[Destiny]

The route had not changed in the several moons he'd spent chasing after a particular young pup, eventually following the scent to her - and her captor, who was actually, as it turned out, a half-sibling, pulling a very convincing diplomatic argument so that things turned for his favor, and then traipsing back across mountains to bring the pup home. By rights, he should have been followed by two young wolves, but the other had been Zethro's responsibility - Pyre wasn't stupid enough to go out there alone! - and they'd become separated in Spring thunderstorm a moon back. It was unfortunate, but these things happen.

Without a second thought, the beta - who probably wasn't beta anymore, he had come to realize this a while ago, but he didn't particularly care, at any rate. Things happen. - trodded right on into the middle of the Sheeran camp. Ah, it was good to be home. But would they remember him? Golden Wolf, he hoped so. "Hello..?" A careful greeting, just in-case he was challenged.

The wolf who stood just behind his shoulder was a pretty thing, with a particularly lovely coat; honeysuckle and gold with splashes of white around ears, on all four paws, and her chest/underbelly. Upon her unwilling departure, she'd been a pup - now she was a neophyte. Or should have been. Pyre had taken care to train her as best he could while they traveled back home, and she had become well-versed in much of what he knew. Hopefully, whoever the alpha was now, they'd accept her back in, and give her a mentor. For now, she stayed silent, looking around for a friendly face.

[Sivoncé™]

Solaris groaned wearily at the sound of pawsteps in the camp. His body still ached from the wounds and burns of a moon before; the repercussions of the battle were still being felt absolutely everywhere. He peered out of the sleeping dens, mildly annoyed that no one else had stirred but him. What if Blood Mist decided to sneak up on us in our sleep? We'd all be dead before anyone had stopped snoring! He didn't really believe that, of course, but his mood was foul from being woken.
As the ebony brute strode to the heart of the camp, his scowl faded and was replaced with a gape.
"Pyre? Is that really you?"
He hadn't know the wolf well, but he remembered with a sharp pang of sadness that his sister, Natalia, had been very fond of him before he'd disappeared -- fonder than she'd ever been of anyone. She didn't cry when Pyre was gone, as their love hadn't even had time to blossom before it was plucked from the ground. Natalia had gone down fighting Blood Mist when they first marked their new territory. And, like everyone else who'd died, she'd died for absolutely nothing. Whatever Blood Mists she'd taken down in battle had reincarnated and were well and living once more.
Natalia would never come back.

[Destiny]

Well, weren't things looking just a little bit on the desolate side here? Internally, he pondered why there had been no one on watch, for starters, and then decided to have a word with whoever the new beta was about responsibilities and making sure everyone did their duty. There was no way in Hellfire things were peaceful enough that they didn't need a constant guard; they never were.

Selia had been examining the inner workings of the camp, remembering bits and pieces, noticing slight changes here and there, and all of that jazz. Mostly, she just wanted to get a feel for the place again; she hadn't been close to many wolves before her departure, except for Zethro and Pyre, and therefore was more than a tad antsy about all of this. Without really thinking about it, she gave Pyre a nudge with her shoulder upon noticing a large nightwashed wolf whom she felt was a mildly familiar sight.

The ex-beta was in agreement when his surprised, and then pleased gaze fell upon the darkly colored wolf. As if out of habit, he looked past for a face that should've been very familiar - but she was not there. His pleasant demeanor fell a little. "Yes, Solaris, it is most certainly me. Flesh and blood, gossipy tongue and all." There was a slight wag of his tail. "It took me far too long, but I finally brought home one of those pups that we lost many moons ago." A deeply sorrowful expression slipped across his features for a brief moment, and he bowed his head. "I regret to inform you, though, that my partner in rescue, Zethro, is lost. Along with the other young'un." Almost immediately, he returned to normal. "It's good to see a friendly face."

[Sivoncé™]

Solaris swallowed hard as he took in Pyre's words. So Zethro's dead. It didn't really surprise him, with wolves falling like flies these days, and he hadn't really be friends with the wolf, but it still saddened him. The Sheerans were not faring well -- not in the slightest -- but then again, he doubted any of the other packs were, either. The Yozorans had isolated themselves from the other packs since they refused to participate in the battle, but he'd heard whispers that their numbers were shrinking by the day. He'd written this off as exaggeration, but was privately eager for the Moonless Meeting, to see if they could possibly be in worse condition than the packs that had actually fought in the battle -- condition bad enough to excuse them from participation. He knew the Siverians were having trouble, and the Destinians were counting heavy losses, but were somehow managing better than the others.
Solaris shook himself, rousing from such reveries as his eyes landed on Selia. "So Tiah's gone then, too," he murmured aloud. With sad eyes, he looked back up at Pyre. "Many are dead here. Winter's been missing for ages, so we can only assume the worst -- she left two pups behind. Luckily, we were able to retrieve Missing back before they tortured her in Blood Mist. My sister, Natalia -- I think you knew her -- died about six moons ago in battle." His last words were a bit unsteady, but he maintained his composure well. "We have a new alphess -- Kasie -- and Milo has stepped up as beta. Our plan is to attend the Moonless Meeting at the end of the month and hope we can come up with a plan with the other packs, or pray that Twilight will send us a sign."

[Destiny]

There was a steely defiance about the 'neophyte' as she heard Solaris' words, and the implication behind this. A slight, almost defensive ruffle of her shoulder fur, and a look that was more stubborn than ten Zethro's. "She is not dead. I would know if my sister were dead." Her voice may as well have been decorated with burrs.

Pyre, who had been eying Solaris, not in an friendly way of course, was mildly surprised by his companion's outburst. In an almost fatherly way, he gazed upon her for several moments, before finally raising his head again. "I pray to Twilight that they are both alive, but the blizzards in the Mountains are not kind." He swallowed uncomfortably at the mention of Natalia's death, letting an expression of sadness drift across his face for a few moments. There might have been something between them once, but she had been lost while he, well, had been doing a job for the pack. He nodded his head once or twice, simply to acknowledge the news, and the new leadership. "The pack has fared badly, I hope things will get better as the days come to pass."

[Sivoncé™]

Solaris didn't so much as blink at the sharp retort from Selia. His words hadn't been directed at her, really. His eyes and frame were weary from the tires of war. From what he'd seen in the past moons, 'missing', with the exception of Missing herself, meant 'dead' or 'you'll never see me again'. It wasn't just in the Sheeran pack, either. In fact, the return of Pyre and Zethro was a stroke of uncommon luck. He forced out a few words of comfort, though he wasn't really sure if it was for Selia's sake or for the sake of trying to have hope in general. "Of course, you're right. She could very well be alive. The Siverian healer was taken twice by Blood Mist, and she managed to escape. With luck, Tiah's just got some unfriendly weather and rocks to deal with and she'll be back with us in no time." He motioned towards the healer den with the flick of his tail. "I don't know where Lilly Pad's gotten off to at the moment, but she'll be able to see to you if you need it. I'll keep watch for the night." He didn't mention the fact that no one else had bothered to keep watch. They were too tired, too weary.
To close to giving up.

[Acacia]

Ashmil the small pup with nothing really to lose came running into the other wolves with a very disgruntled September chasing her. September had been placed on nursery watch of the younger pups by Kasie herself. Ashmil had been causing a heap of trouble by her wanderlust getting to her once again. "ASHMIL!!!" September yipped in a frustrated tone.

Ashmil looks over her shoulder only to bump into something soft. "Oops, " She stumbled back looking up to see whom she might have offended. "Hi! " her little tail wagged vigorously.

[Destiny]

Formalities and friendly greetings over and done with, Pyre gave Solaris one final nod before taking the time to give the place a proper once-over. There was something in the air that he hadn't remembered from long ago; was it fear? Shaking the thought aside, he gave Selia a light brush across the shoulder with his tail before disappearing in the direction of 'his' den. It was emptier than he remembered, but the nest he desired still lay in the same spot, though a tad unused. It had been a long journey. He slept.

Selia, on the other hand, though also quite tired, was not in the state of mind where one may lay his or her head down and rest up for a long time. Instead, she simply watched her friend go, and wondered on whether or not there were any scraps from the pack's last meal lying around. At about which point she was disturbed by something warm and fluffy running into her. It is not an easy thing to be angry with a pup, especially when it is not your own, and therefore, her momentary annoyance was quickly displaced by amusement at the cute little bundle of fur. "Well, hello there. What's your name?"

[Sivoncé™]

Solaris dipped his head, and then padded over to the camp entrance to take up his guard post. Luckily, September had stirred as well, so he didn't have to worry about sending Ashmil back to bed. A smile small curved his lips upwards at the sight of the pup. At least there's still some life in this pack.

Ashlyn and Everett stuck their heads out of the nursery. They would be leaving it soon to become neophytes -- tonight would be one of their last nights as pups. The pups watched the stranger curiously as Ashmil bounded up to Selia. Everett tensed as Ashlyn padded out of the nursery and towards the stranger, but reluctantly followed to appease his own curiosity.
"Hello," Ashlyn woofed softly. "I'm Ashlyn, who are you?"

[Destiny]

Huh! So there were still some young wolves around! Solaris is just being negative, that's all. It can't be all that bad. A quick study of the two slightly younger wolves confirmed her suspicions that these were also faces she didn't really remember. Perhaps they hadn't even been born when she'd been abducted, she wasn't quite sure. Regardless, they were her packmates, and so she turned in their general direction and slid back into a comfortable seated position. "Hi there. M' name's Selia." She glanced from one wolf to the next, addressing all three this time. "You probably don't remember me.. I wasn't born here, I don't think, but the pack raised me from practically a newborn, and I got, well, 'stolen', I guess, when I was a pup." She seemed completely indifferent about all of this, and wagged her tail in a sort of 'Yay! New friends?' kind of way.

[Acacia]

"OOOoo were they nice? I'm Ashmil!!!!" She says while bouncing about the new wolf. Her little paws seemed to get tangled over themselves and she toppled over laughing and stood right back up. "wanna be my best friend?" she asks looking up at the older wolf. her big eyes pleading as she seemed to trust all to easily.

September stood watching the younger wolves as they conversed Ashmil was like a little sister. She was calmer now that she was more awake. She stepped over to the little pleading fuzzball and nosed her over. "Ashmil it is bed time you need to sleep." she chastised as she nosed her again "Ash, Ev please head back to the nursery. It will be very soon when you will be free to roam on your own." She said to the other two who seemed to have followed the two out. "Welcome home." She said looking at the wolf.

[Sivoncé™]

Everett grumbled under his breath, but reluctantly turned to oblige September, knowing she would have enough trouble with Ashmil without him and Ashlyn giving her a hard time as well. Ashlyn, however, stayed rooted in front of the newcomer, eyes looking anxious. The young fae seemed to want to say something, but every time she opened her maw, she closed it again and her gaze clouded with uncertainty. Finally, apparently deciding to go for it, she spoke.
"You said....you were 'stolen' as a pup. Well....our mother, Winter, was stolen several moons ago. I was wondering if maybe you'd seen her?"
Of course she wouldn't have seen her; Winter was long dead, killed by a fellow Sheeran packmate. And of course, nobody but said Sheeran warrior was privy to that little detail.

[Destiny]

Selia, who had not experienced such innocent joy from another creature since she herself had been young, was mildly surprised, and then highly amused by little Ashmil. She, half-jokingly, gave the tiny pup a small flick on the ear with a paw - not enough to hurt - and said something that might've been 'I'll gladly be your friend' though it was obscured by laughter. Moments later, she straightened up to respectfully dip her muzzle in September's direction, and thank the older she-wolf.

Finally, she turned, once again, in the direction of Ashlyn, who couldn't have been that many moons younger than herself. Enough, of course, for there to be a slight age barrier, and she had grown beyond her days during the, well, events that had come to pass. "I'm afraid not. We saw many loners, but none by that name. And we lost my sister, and 'Uncle' on the return journey."

[Sivoncé™]

"Ash, come on, let's not give September anymore trouble..." He kept his voice steady, but Ashlyn's inquiry had wounded his resolve to stay strong. Everett had already realized what his sister was only realizing now: Winter was gone, and she was never coming back. He'd known it right after the battle, when the wounded warriors had trickled into camp with their heads down and eyes watering in pain. He really hadn't even needed to ask Featherswift, because he'd already known it deep down, but her response had confirmed his deepest fears and left no further traces of doubt in his mind. Winter was dead, and wasn't ever coming back. They were orphans now.

Ashlyn forced a nod of acceptence, but her body was rigid with grief, and stiff with the effort of keeping her composure. "T-Thank you," she murmured to Selia. She could no longer look the wolf in the eyes; instead, her swimming gaze dropped to the stones that lay beneath her paws. Her ears twitched, a signal that she had heard her brother and was heeding his call. With a heavy heart, she turned back towards the nursery.

[Destiny]

It was always a sad thing, watching another wolf come under the realization that a loved one was gone and would be returning no more. She had seen it on the face of Pyre when they lost Zethro, and on her aunt Yoru when she and her sister had been taken away by Pyre as well. It was never an easy thing for anyone involved, and she let her head dip slightly, in respect for the clearly fallen warrior. What relation was she to these two pups? She would ask, some day. But no day soon.

Resolving to, in the very least, be a friend for them in the future, she called out a heart invitation as they turned away - "Come see me anytime you want someone to play with, or whatever. Even neophytes can have fun sometimes."