He had accepted Phineas’ terms, and in turn, had healed with time from his injury. It had not been severe – of that, the inky male was grateful, and while his forelimb was still tender, he was now beginning to pull his weight for the Silent Moon Plateau pack.


The day found him downward from its slopes, however. Scouting was integral to knowledge, and given that both of his leaders were wrapped up with new children (now that was a debacle..) Nios took it upon himself to explore outward slightly, his paws carrying him with ease from the borders and to a deeper forest.


Minutes turned to hours, and he found nothing of true interest. It was easy to see that the tangled mess of brush and thick trees was dreary on this side of the mountain.. but the lack of beauty did not deter the male. Instead, it intrigued him. He had been surrounded by beautiful landscapes the entirety of his life.. and now, with the chaos of the Vale before him, the wolf felt there was perhaps a hidden truth in it, compared to the deception of the western Lore.


It was the rushing sound of water that would pull him from his thoughts, though they held no organization. Loping forward more quickly, for it had been awhile since the swarthy male had found a source of water, it was as he neared it that his breath was truly stolen away. There, studying the falls that cascaded down the rocks, was the honeyed form of a very familiar wolf. Blinking, as if disbelieving his own eyes, Nios stood, rigid in place, as if he had come upon an illusion of sorts.

It was no illusion -- Vaeta moved toward him faster than his imagination could possibly keep up with, and as she called out his name, Nios felt a clench in his chest. He had found he r-- the day he had stopped looking for her, he had finally found her!


His own paws could barely move before she had closed the gap between them, and as she lifted upward on hind limbs, Nios' remained rooted to the spot, supporting her with his weight as his muzzle buried in to the nape of her fur despite the ache in his limb from her weight. Inhaling sharply, she smelled just like she had when he had last seen her, and he exhaled just as sharply. "Looking for you and Rory," he finally murmured, pulling back so his words were not muffled within her fur. Glancing over her, his amber eyes preened at her, ensuring himself she was alright. "I smelled you at Whisper Caverns.. but then I couldn't find you. You both were gone.. and then I left when it appeared that no one else gave a care about their missing members." His tone roughened as he finished his statement -- Narime had held his respect, but when she had become enthralled with Ash, it had seemed nothing else mattered to her. He had never imagined himself staying there forever, and so he had left with a quick farewell howl.. and never once had he looked back.


"Where have you been?" That seemed the more important question, and shifting his weight, the ebony wolf gave a gentle shake of his muzzle.

His ears cupped forward as he listened to her, his golden eyes skimming over her as if to ensure once more that she was indeed alright. He was surprised by her news -- they had surpassed further north than he would have guessed, and he gave a small nod, a light frown etching its way to his features at the thought of Rory not wishing to come home. How could he blame her, when her own guardians had not seen fit to even look for her? "I'm sure she'll find her way," he mused gently, as if to reassure himself as much as his sister before him. Rory held a soft spot in his stoical heart -- but he was finished chasing ghosts.

 
"Copper Rock Creek," he mused darkly then, his ears sliding back to his skull. His heart longed for it -- more so now for the promise Mirren had made them all, rather than longing for what was familiar. For now he could barely remember what it smelled like. "I'm staying in a pack called Silent Moon Plateau. The leader and I made.. an interesting agreement," he began, uncertain how to quite put it. Or how serious he would be taking this arrangement, especially now that his sister was back.  "Come back with me for now.. We'll figure out what to do from there?" Once more his muzzle swept forward, brushing to her cheek and inhaling her scent sharply -- Vaeta was finally with him.. now, all they were missing was Mirren

It was determined that Vaeta would come with him – and, even possibly a friend she had made along the way. Nios did not question her about her friend – he trusted Vaeta’s judgement on who she found to be companionable. Instead, the ebony male gave a quiet nod, accepting this and leaned forward to nudge her.


In his mind, there was little reason to hesitate or prolong their sudden journey back to the Plateau, and so the wolf gave a nod in the direction they would need to go, his paws pushing him forward once more. He had not expected to simply stumble upon his sister in Relic Lore – and yet it was exactly what the nomadic male needed.. his family. Silent Moon Plateau was still fresh to him, and unfamiliar. He had searched for Vaeta for months after having come upon her scent in Whisper Caverns, and it would seem the moment he stopped looking for her, she would simply reappear.


It only occurred to him the moment he was reunited with his sibling that perhaps the day would soon come that they needed to seek out Mirren once more. He had no idea where his brother was these days – as far as he knew, the eldest Tainn had gone back to Seqouia Vale to remain with their parents until their time came.. and perhaps even take over the pack come time for Ruiko and Aeylen’s passing.


Little did he know that their mother had long since gone missing, and Ruiko had been dead since the winter.