Paradise Falls like a dream where your feet won’t run

It had been a couple of days since Riv had been allowed in by Chan, and he decided he’d done enough tiptoeing around. He had been hesitating, unsure if Adelard would even want to see him in the first place - he had come into his new home uninvited, after all, and it had been a long time since they’d seen one another. He might have an entirely new group of friends, an entirely new life that Riven might be barging into.

It wasn’t his intention to interfere. Truly, he hadn’t even thought it through much before coming here. It was presumptuous of him to assume that Adelard would be just as excited to see Riven as Riven was to see Adelard.

And this wasn’t even considering the reaction to his appearance. He looked different now - drastically so. Riven wasn’t particularly vain, but he was aware that he wasn’t nearly as appealing to look at anymore.

But waiting around dwelling on the what ifs was getting him nowhere. At the end of the day, he’d rather know than not, and if Adelard sent him away, then he would accept that. But he needed to approach him first, much as it made him feel like he was about to throw up.

The sun had long since set - the former leader had always been a night owl, Riven recalled, - and the forest was quiet and still. The healer paced around a bit, wearing a small trench into the snow, before he steeled himself and tilted his head back, howl low and seeking out one wolf in particular.

@Adelard

The healer was anxious, waiting on his arrival. His heart was in his throat, choking him. His body was trembling, his tail was low, but he kept his head up, peering through the trees in search of a familiar shape.

(This post was last modified: Apr 13, 2024, 03:27 AM by Riven.)

Having become a simple creature in the frozen months, Adelard found it easy to exist in solitude. When he wasn't tailing Isla or stalking her recent paths, he was outside a small cavern well away from the pack's den. Other times, he was deep in the valley, proving he was being on his best behavior, tending to caches. However, it was common knowledge that wherever Isla was, the dark-furred guard was bound to be close by. All it took was a bark or the slightest hint of her discomfort to summon him.

Tonight, Adelard had the idea to sleep when Isla slept instead of standing guard over her 'til morning. He had been curled up against her side, nestling his chin into her shoulder in an attempt to sleep, when he heard a call. A familiar one.

His eyes blinked open wide, and he looked around before nibbling at the base of one of Isla's ears. A wordless promise that told her he would return shortly. He peeled away from her and set out into the night. His eyes squinted with suspicion as he used his nose to pinpoint the healer's position. He kept canting his head to one side as he walked, his mind wondering if it really was who he thought was asking for him.

When he finally came to a bit of snow where the younger wolf had paced, he, too, found himself trembling. As he turned about and stepped around a large redwood, he saw what he thought had been impossible. A slight man made up of a mess of characteristic blond fur. As far as Adelard knew, he was easy to place. Unmistakably one-of-a-kind...

"Riven?"

He stepped into the open, golden eyes taking in everything that was the wolf Adelard had once found a long time ago. Never mind that the tip of his tail was missing or that the right side of his pelt had been split by a long scar... All he needed was a glimpse of those blue eyes... but, he couldn't contain himself. Before he even knew it, he was pressed up against Riven's side. He buried his face in the field of flaxen fur that made up Riven's neck at a loss for words. For the first time in months, he felt tears fall from the corners of his eyes.

heat stroke, bring the fire
ADELARD GERAU
black smoke, I take it higher

Waiting, for whatever reason, almost felt as torturous as all the months that he’d traveled, seeking his home and his friends. It felt as though it took ages, but in reality must have only been a short time, before a familiar figure weaved its way into his vision. Older, yes, but largely unchanged.

Riven?

His heart caught in his throat and for a moment, the healer could do nothing but stare. It no longer mattered what he looked like or how different either of them might be now, because an intense wave of reliefpainjoyhurtexcitement washed over him all at once. It was one of the most conflicting emotions Riven had ever experienced, and also one of the best.

The smaller man met Adelard halfway, drawn in like a magnet, and may have connected a bit too hard, but it didn’t matter. He buried his face deep into the dark fur on the side of the other man’s neck, tears welling in his own eyes. His ear was flat to his skull, his tail low and wagging, soft-pitched whines escaping him on every breath.

“I’m so glad-“ he began, only to halt midsentence, interrupted by a choked sob that shook his entire frame. I’m so glad to see you, and I’m so glad you’re still here, and I’m so glad you aren’t angry. Being turned away was likely a slim chance, he knew, but the fear had still been there, eating at the back of his mind. To return and be welcomed like this mended that fear, soothing him immediately. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been comforted and embraced like this. It had been years at this point, and Riven had always needed this type of physical contact. He hadn’t realized how much he’d needed it until now.

He wanted to talk, to explain things, but the words came out stilted and garbled with choked-off sobs and whimpers that he might’ve been embarrassed about under any other circumstances. “I went back to…” he tried, sucking in a deep breath. “And everyone… no one was… I didn’t know what to do.” He whined again and nuzzled deeper into Adelard’s fur, voice half-muffled. “I’m so… so glad you’re okay.” The others might not be here, might’ve set out on other paths, but to know that just one of his companions were alive and well and right here with him… Riven was unbelievably grateful. After returning to the Chasm and finding it void of life, this was more than he could’ve hoped for.