Windsong Fjord Haunting

For @Marianna

If I ever leave I could learn to miss you

Why did everywhere he went around these parts make him feel like he needed to be a damn goat? While the lowlands made him miss the trees, the never ending hills and deadly dropoffs of the Fjord made him miss the lowlands. A few trails littered here and there, but other than that it felt like he should mutate a pair of hooves. And, what made it worse was the incessant howling that seemed to come with it. The wind carried bits of snow with it, sending it screeching through the twists and turns of the land and making him puff up his winter coat irritably. He wouldn’t have come out here if he hadn’t been looking for something to hunt for the pack.

Currently the Monadnock was lacking in resources, finding it hard to keep their pack on stable meals because of the lack of meat to go around. To put it point blank, the Monadnock was slowly starving with their current population. He knew it wasn’t his friend’s fault, but he sometimes wished that Hal had picked a better place to settle down. Hell, he was surprised she hadn’t made them jump right over to Jessie and Drestig in the fields. But, still his morals wouldn’t allow him to try to do anything other than his best. While they still had mouths to feed the boy would do his best to sate their hungers. So, with a huff he continued to trudge along in an attempt to find some grub.

With sentimental boy as my nom de plume

It might have been a little further than Gent would want her to travel but – but she was a grown ass wolf now, wasn’t she!? Yeah! Yeah, she’d come all the way north from Blackwatch Canyon to find her father and his pack after a year away. If she could do that, she could definitely manage to explore around the spring and go maybe further north, and find her way back to White Fir Notch afterwards. Her sense of direction wasn’t that bad.

(It was, it really was, but Ari was happy to live in denial.)

And really, it was her stomach now that was leading the way – there was a faint scent of something dead in the distance, and the yearling was keen on investigating whatever the scavengers had left. It wasn’t as if Gent made sure she was anything but completely fed, but, well… She needed to fend for herself some, too now, didn’t she?

Besides, it felt good to stretch. And she would have stuck to that story if the wind didn’t shift, and a different smell didn’t drift into her nostrils. It wasn’t anything edible – it was a wolf, in fact, but something in that smell, no matter how familiar-unfamiliar-familiar it was, triggered a bark from the female and she leapt forward into an awkward lope, barking again as she looked for a wolf she thought she knew. She must, she must.

 

A wild dissertation appears!

If I ever leave I could learn to miss you

Kino kept his eyes out for any form of prey in the tumultuous area, winding along one of the paths carves into the Fjord by what were likely goats or deer. The trees bent and creaked overhead and he winced, knowing that they were likely to hold but wary of the fact that they could still fall over with a roar and flatten him like a bug. What a way to go, he wouldn’t even be able to tell Hal bye.

As he went a gust of wind brought a scent from behind him. It was distinctly wolf, but also a tad...familiar? He knew he’d scented it before though he couldn’t quite put a paw on where. So, he stopped and waited with auds perked forward and nose twitching wildly. Where had he smelled that before? It was really beginning to bug him when the form came barreling toward him. Well, not necessarily barreling speed wise but rather this wolf was an absolute mass. His eyes widened in shock, but as they came closer his form went stock still. Those markings...it couldn’t be, could it? As soon as he was able to see the eyes, though, it sealed the deal for him. “Ari?” he said, his jaw falling open. He couldn’t believe his eyes. His littermate. The last time he’d seen her had been at the borders before he’d left the Crest, the same size as him then. Now it seemed like he was perhaps a bit taller than her, but she certainly had him on bulk. He sucked in a breath. All of his searching and he found her now?

With sentimental boy as my nom de plume

The scent was getting closer! Marianna was spurred on by the notion that she was actually getting somewhere. Either the wolf ahead had slowed or stopped; that her memory might be wrong never occurred to her. That this other creature might not actually want to see her (or anyone) did not occur to her either, and she continued that awkward charge until a very familiar voice called out to her. Grey eyes widening, she stuttered to a halt, stumbling in the deep snow as she lifted her head and chuffed. Her entire pelt fluffed out to it’s very maximum, making her look a little more round than she actually was. Her tail struck out like a very voluminous stick and she chuffed again – it was almost too good to be true. First Gent, and now her favorite brother?

“Kino!” she huffed, tail starting to swing behind her. The gentle sway soon became a fierce wiggle, and before she knew it, the tail was wagging the wolf. Ari rocked backwards on her haunches before launching forward again, this time fully intent on greeting her brother properly, like a very enthusiastic puppy wolf. “I found you!” Even if that wasn’t entirely true, it felt good. “You’re so tall now!”

As she slowed, her limp became increasingly obvious. “Was starting to think I’d never see your face again! You with Draven, too?”

 

A wild dissertation appears!

If I ever leave I could learn to miss you

A grin grew on his face as his sister suddenly threw herself at him, a wriggling mass of fluff like a huge hulking puppy. He allowed his own body to bow and wriggle, a bark springing from his jaws as he pounced forward to gently collide with his sibling and playfully nip at her ear and push his snout to poke and prod at her cheek and face. His chest felt warm, happiness seeping into the cracks and making him feel, perhaps, a bit more whole. To now know that his sister, his dear sister, was alive and well was the best he had hoped for during their time apart.

He laughed, genuinely laughed, at her comment about his height. “Me? Look at you, I think you’d kill me with a swat of your paw,” he mused, giving her another look over. “You look so much like mom, she’d be proud,” he grinned, his own eyes shining with pride. This was one wolf he could talk about it with and not feel quite as sad and the broach of the topic was in good spirits anyways. But, his grin faltered a little bit at her limp his bright gaze narrowing on it in concern. Did she need medical attention? Surely Hal could help. His heart gave a lurch. Hal. Suddenly he wanted to grab his sister by the scruff and drag her back to the Monadnock to meet the dark girl, something in him telling him that it was needed. But, that suggestion would come. For now, he’d been asked another question.

“Ah...no. I haven’t seen him since I left the Crest. The Crest is gone too, now, so I have no clue what happened to everyone.” Not that he cared much anyways. Hopefully they were far, far away. “What happened to your paw? Do you need some medical attention? I know someone who knows herbs,” he said, his protective brother side peeking its head out with a yawn as it hadn’t seen the light of day in many months.

With sentimental boy as my nom de plume

“Naw, I’d never.”

Still, the compliments had Marianna preening, evidently pleased with her brother’s kind words after all these seasons apart. On her lonelier days, she sometimes wondered if either of the other two Lagina siblings would even want to see her again – never mind Kova and the sister she’d never even met. But those thoughts were long gone, and she butted her skull against the male’s silver should happily, either body still wagging as she went. It wasn’t likely she’d stop anytime soon, either. Why should she?

“Oh, yeah? Yeah, that’d be why I couldn’t find it,” she chuckled, blatantly ignoring her general inability to navigate even the simplest of forests. “Found Gent, though. He’s near the mountain, now.” Regardless of what that meant to Kino, she carried on blissfully – with her father was where Ari wanted to be, even if her siblings had dispersed. That was okay. That was the way wolves were, after all. Maybe Kino was gonna make his own pack, or maybe he was enjoying the bachelor lifestyle! But she could ask later, once she’d satisfied his curiosity.

“Eh, my paw is fine. You know when I got-- No, you were gone. I got lost, though. Last winter, and I messed up my food, and then I couldn’t find my way back home. This guy, Finch, took me in – they healed it as well as they could, you know? Doesn’t hurt or anything now. Just makes me move all gangly weird.” Ari laughed out loud, the noise boisterous and hearty. “Wish I had a better story than some shitty excuse, though. Ain’t that my story, though? I’m real happy to see you, Kino. Real happy.”

 

A wild dissertation appears!

If I ever leave I could learn to miss you

The news that Gent was still in the lands was disappointing, but the mountains were a big range. His mind never processed the end of it so close to his pack, only the sides and he knew that the eastern side was fine, so that only left the western front to him. Which was perfectly fine in all honesty, as long as he was away from Kino, Hal, and their future home.

He listened and she told her story, internally wincing as she mentioned him being gone. It wasn’t an accusation, something she’d merely recalled as she spoke, but it still cut him. He’d only ever wanted to protect her. Perhaps if he’d stayed none of it would have happened, perhaps he should have just toughed it out...he gave himself a mental shake. Hal’s reminder of the past being the past traveled into his mind and he clung to it like an anchor to keep him from floating away. “I missed you too, Ari. I went to look for you a few months ago, you know. Obviously didn’t find you, but I still looked. I don’t really know what I was looking for I guess...just to know you were alright would have been enough. And I know that now.”

It was also at this time that the boy allowed himself to realize that multiple scents clung to his sister’s pelt. This coupled with her knowledge could only lead to one logical thing. “So, you settled back down with him huh?” he asked.

With sentimental boy as my nom de plume

“It’s okay. Ain’t your fault. Got lost ass-backwards out in the middle of nowhere.” The youth rolled her shoulders in a shrug, clearly unburdened by the fact that any of her family had failed to find her after her disappearance. Yes, at the time, it had burned her up on the inside. Yes, at the time, she’d even blamed those males in her life for the injury, for the fact that she was lost at all, but after living amongst a group of wolves that came and went, Ari too learned to let that anger go. It wasn’t going to do her any good, clinging on to it, and in this particular moment, she was glad for Finch’s advice. Seeing her brother without being angry at him was a gift.

If she could be that sentimental to call it as much, anyways. The thought passed quickly, for Kino soon noticed that she’d become a pack wolf again, and the girl bobbed her head up and down. “Uh huh. Guess it’s a good thing he wasn’t at the old place. Couldn’t find it. Seems less weird, in a way?” Marianna wasn’t quite sure how to put it into words, not really. It just…it just didn’t seem so weird. Gent had his own place, and Minka was left in peace. Oh! Which reminded her!

“I changed my name, by the way. I’m Ari Leigh now,” she announced proudly.

 

A wild dissertation appears!

If I ever leave I could learn to miss you

He nodded to her in agreement. If Gent wanted to start his own pack somewhere that was fine he supposed, but he was glad that they were away from Minka. Somehow the area felt less poisoned, less suffocating to him. Perhaps with them away his mother’s light had finally been able to shine through and cleanse the area. It was certainly a good thing.

When she announced her name his jaw dropped in disbelief, a laugh escaping his jaws after a moment. Oh the irony, and she didn’t even know! “You’re kidding! I guess siblings do think alike,” he grinned with a swoosh of his thick tail. “I’m technically Alastor Leigh now,” he added to seal up any confusion. “After everything I just kind of wanted to separate myself I guess,” I didn’t want to be me, he couldn’t bring himself to add. “Made a new name, a new life, sort of started over. Thought of you and mom everyday though, like I said.”

At the mention of a new life he paused, thinking of the plans that had suddenly sprung up. Perhaps they could be closer as a family again? “I know you’re settled with...Gent...and everything. But some friends of mine and I are starting a pack together. Not sure where or when yet but you’re more than welcome to join us. You don’t have to answer now, but maybe at least think about it?” he said, his face a bit more hopeful that it probably should have been.

With sentimental boy as my nom de plume

They Leigh part was good, very good – after all, they never knew the Lagina half of their parentage, did they? She wondered if Draven did the same; but the thought was quick to flitter away, focusing instead on her brother’s chosen first time. Alastor. Alastor.

“What the heck does Alastor mean?” she asked, brows furrowing together. It sounded so… So fancy by comparison, much more high and mighty than Ari or Kino. (Draven was another story, but she wasn’t keen on that brother, not by much.) She might have persisted, but her silver brother had much more to say than to introduce his new calling. Because it wasn’t just a new name, but a new friends, and-- A new pack? Her ears flipped forward. That was ambitious. She’d never pegged the silver boy as an alpha, but-- Well, a lot changed over four seasons, huh?

Not sure where or when, but an invitation nonetheless? It was nice and all, but she’d only just gotten back to their father’s territory, and… “There’s a girl, huh? There’s gotta be a girl. Kino, you have a girl!” That Kino might actually want his sister to use his chosen name didn’t occur to her. That Kino might be similar to her and prefer wolves of the same gender did not occur to her, either. Her brother was all grown up! It was a cause for exploitation celebration!

 

A wild dissertation appears!