Gone Tomorrow

That morning, the sun's rays had broken through the darkness only briefly before the clouds had covered it again. With the clouds came a dreary rain, one that turned the land and water alike a dull grey. Green eyes forced themselves open, and for a short time, the desire to stay nestled among the other bodies in the cozy den won out. The female wolf didn't move, but instead nestled further into her three pups, now over three months in age. They were growing, certainly much bigger than they had when she had first brought them into the world, but their growth had been stunted. Their food supply source had been her, and her alone, for so long, that it had an effect on their physical health, and what stature and strength they might have once had was now lost. Of course, revival was on its way, with Triell making his hearty return to the pack borders. Ruiko had made an appearance too, and while not official a member of Swift River, his burly form had been lurking about the borders more frequently than usual. But, that still left Corinna as the main bread winner of the family, and so it was with a heavy heart that she detached herself from the three young ones. Bidding them a goodbye and a warning to stay close to the den, she stepped into the rain.

Her matted fur had become ugly in appearance over the past couple of months. Motherhood had not been kind to her. But that sort of thing was beneath her worries now. Her only concerns now were being able to provide for her family. Triell was a yearling now, and was left to fend for himself, the two of them not being strong enough to take down any large or sizable prey. As for herself, whatever she had went straight into the mouths of Rihael, Fenru, and Kisla. As much as she loved her trio, there had been more than one time that she had wanted nothing more than to steal the piece of bloody meat straight from their mouths for her own nourishment. But she was a mother now, and the needs of her pups came before own.

So that day saw her heading out into the rain, heading further out of the Swift River territory than normal. She was feeling hopeful about today, certain that this time there would be a big reward at the end of the tunnel. And luck was with her that day, as it didn't take long before the scent of a hare reached her nostrils. Spurring herself onwards, Corinna ran with her nose firmly to the ground, following as closely to the scent as she could, weary limbs re-energized by the hope that this hunt was giving her. And she almost had it too, after an hour or two on the trail, the beast finally came into sight. But a howl of another wolf nearby scared the thing off, and with frustration, Corinna redirected her path towards the source of the howl. She had been too preoccupied with her hunt to pay any mind to the caller, else she would have recognized the voice. But as it was, when the caller came into view, she could only stop and stare.

Indru.

At least, she thought it was him. Not that she could be blamed if she couldn't recognize her own mate. The wolf that stood before her now, he was a shell of what Indru had been, of what he was supposed to be. But she had no time but merely to glance at his injuries, before she was overcome with a whirlwind of emotions. Fur standing up on end, her ears flipped backwards against her skull, brow wrinkling - anger. Smile and glowing of her deaden eyes - happiness. Inability to move - shock. No one single emotion was enough, and she limited by all three. Her body screamed out to go towards him, but she couldn't fight the anger. The wolf before her had left her. And not just her. But her pups. His pups. The ones that she had brought into the world so that she could tie herself forever to him. He had left and not come back. What of the howl? Had another's name been mentioned? She couldn't tell. He wasn't traveling alone. The scents, they were telling. Jealousy, that was there too. Had the sight of his pregnant mate been too hideous to bare that he couldn't stand it anymore and had to leave?

They were separated by several yards of space, enough that it would take several strides to cross it. And she made no move to close the distance. Corinna's heart was breaking on the inside, while at the same time sending adrenaline rushing through her system. She had never thought he would return like this.

Gone Tomorrow

Corinna barely saw his reaction to her presence, focused so tightly on his face. She was seeking out those fiery eyes, the ones that had captured and explored the depths of her soul. That all seemed so long ago, and truth was, it had been a long time ago. Indru had been missing, and in Cori's mind, presumed dead, for the better part of three months. It hadn't been more than a few days since she had delivered their children that he had gone missing. But hearing her name broke the silence, and she tossed her head in agitation, once again using the power of mobility.

A single step towards him was taken, the fur along her back rising. As much as she yearned for the battered and broken wolf before her to be right beside her, she knew in her heart that for her young ones, if not for herself, a different course of action would have to be taken. But before she could speak, another howl rose, higher in pitch than that of the previous one. Green eyes narrowed again. Female. The voice was female. His looks now were not much, but before whatever had happened to him happened, Indru had been a looker. And as she had entered into heat the previous spring, she had not been ignorant to the fact that there were other fertile females roaming about as well. Maybe that's what had taken Indru away from her - a mistress of some sorts who had also delivered to him pups. Would that be the deal now? 3 months with and 3 months without? But Corinna stopped herself, she was jumping to conclusions, acting footle. But the identity of the returning howler, that would need to be addressed.

The words that tumbled out of his mouth caused a low growl to rumble in her chest, escaping between her clenched teeth. What had happened? Indru leaving them had happened. "You left is what happened," she snapped irritably, not bothering to hide the hurt in her voice. He had left his duties as leader of the pack, he had left his newborns, and he had left her. "They've all left, Indru. Marsh, Ozera, Borlla, You. Everybody is gone. Triell is the only one who came back." The message was left unsaid: I've had to raise them myself. But she would not talk to him about Rihael, Kisla, and Fenru. He had given up that right when he had forsaken his family.

While the whispered apology soothed her, she did not relax from her hardened position. Words alone could not cure all the pain that had been delivered, intentionally or otherwise. She had suffered far more than just a destruction of her physical well-being. Her emotional being had taken a beating as well, and she wasn't honestly sure if she would be able to trust Indru again. Choosing to ignore his apology, she spoke up again. "Why did you leave?" Corinna tried to stonewall her voice, keeping it indifferent, as if the answer made no difference. But she failed, and her concern broke through. She loved him, but her duty to herself and her pack were taking precedence now.

Gone Tomorrow

The silence between them was louder than the words that they were speaking. They were speaking with their actions, with their physical bodies. Her refusal to go any closer to him, his unwillingness to break their eye contact. Corinna stared into those fiery eyes and wondered what had happened. Not only why he had left in the first place, but what had happened to him since then? The physical wounds on his body were testament to the fact that "nothing" was the inappropriate answer. Obviously an accident or a fight, or something had happened. So as he spoke up, his words desperately trying to convince her that he had not left on purpose, she knew that there was some merit to what he said. There would be no benefit to him lying to her now, after all. She had assumed leadership in his absence, coming into her own as a leader of those who remained to follow. Cori did not share his charisma, but she was smart, and knew how to take care of her pack members. It had been a twist of fortune that she had been unable to leave the den for a few weeks, else the current situation might not have been as bad. So if Indru wanted to resume his place in Swift River, she was the one to ask.

Instinct told her to chase him out, though they were not on Swift River lands. But the desperation in his voice stirred sympathy within her. He had been, was, her mate, and it was not within her character to turn him away in his time of need. Mutely, Corinna nodded her head, green eyes cast downward as she thought of the words she would need to say. For whether Indru returned or not, it would not be an instant process of healing, and it would take him time for him to prove that he was the wolf she had first fallen in love with. A sigh from her chest, and she lifted her head, meeting his eyes again. "Indru..." Searching, trying to find the right words. "...I've missed you." Deep breath, in and out. "But things aren't the same, and I don't know if they will be. If you choose to come home, that is." She wanted to hope that his presence in Relic Lore meant that he was coming back to her, but she had not expected him to leave in the first place, so she could not be sure that was his intention or not.

Gone Tomorrow

Her question almost seemed silly, and several months ago, he could have easily answered the question with "duh" and she would have laughed it off. But standing before him now, her brow slick from the falling rain, Corinna was not labeling any question as stupid or obvious. This whole situation was so beyond the realm of normality, that no previous norms could be applied to it. Inside her chest, her heart had stopped hammering so hard, and had now returned to a some what normal level, though as she waited for a response, the beats grew closer and closer together. Her mind leaped to her three young ones, wondering if they had survived the day without her there for protection. She had been forced to leave them on their own more and more, and she craved their touches and their innocent smiles. What would become of them if Indru decided he was not here to stay? Or just as confusing, what would happen to them if they did? In the lives of her puppies, the broken and beaten father was a shadow, someone mentioned wistfully by their mother. Triell and Marsh were far more of fathers to them then Indru was or had been, and it would take an adjustment for the entire family.

The sheer emotion and confession in his voice made Corinna believe the words she was hearing. When he finally spoke, she nodded in mute agreement, though her mind was still intent on the adjustments she and her young ones would have to make. Was it worth it? Green eyes met his fiery orange ones, searching for the answer. Was it worth it to have him come home? Her heart was screaming at her, that yes, it was. Her mind was shouting in opposition, though. He had left before, what was to stop him from doing it again? His injuries...they made him useless as a productive pack member until he healed, making him just one more mouth to feed in a pack that was already feeding too many with too few. Pros vs. cons, heart vs. mind. Wanting to howl in frustration, the leader turned her head, breaking her connection with him to look off into the distance, not at all seeing what was there to be seen. "If you come back," she whispered quietly. "and leave again, then don't return." Corinna brought her gaze back to meet his. "But I want you home." It wouldn't happen overnight, but Cori was unwilling to let herself sever this connection for good. She would offer the wolf she loved one more chance to hold her trust and her family. If he broke it again, then he would not be welcomed back, and would be run off from the territory he had once claimed by the mother she-wolf herself.

Gone Tomorrow

Looking at him now, Corinna could barely believe that they had come to this point in time. Where had gone the two lovers on the mountainside? She, battling her fear of heights and of plunging to her death, and he guiding her along, one easy step at a time. She remembered with irony when he had turned her away from Swift River, leaving a long lasting injury on her shoulder that had taken months to heal. No one would blame her if she had decided to tell Indru to return to where ever he had been hiding the past few months, adding another injury to the ones that were beginning to heal. She was fully within her rights to do that, and yet...she just couldn't do it. Maybe if she had only heard that Indru was back, and was not staring at him only a few feet away, she would have the strength to turn him away. But seeing him and hearing his voice, it made abandoning him an impossible feat. She was too good of a soul to do that to anyone, never mind the wolf she had promised to love forever.

Barely hearing his words of thanks, her eyes were drawn to his step forward and the abrupt way he pulled back from her. They were both fighting. Cori wanted to be near him as much as he wanted to be near her, and yet, a wall had grown up between them that made such an action difficult to perform. But the single step forward was a start, and taking a deep breath, the female leader took the remaining steps. Halting in front of him, she brought her black nose to his. Wet and cold, she nevertheless felt the electricity run through her at the slight touch. Pushing her muzzle forward, gray fur mixed with his tawny cheek as she nuzzled him. Holding only for a moment, Corinna drew backwards, putting a few steps between herself and Indru. Exhaling, she looked at him. "Ready to go home?" There were more questions to be asked, of course, but for right now, that was the only one she needed.