Swift River be still my heart

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. It felt better to howl - to allow his emotions out through the strength of song, to hear it rise and fall all around him as the pack joined in. Like a flood it poured through him, filling him, with a sense of unity and purpose: for a moment in time, they were all one and the same to him, even Hotei screaming out his pain and anger in the darkness. Together, they would fill the hollow space Indru and Torrel had left in their hearts. And for that brief instant, he could hide his own pain, his own anger. Once he would have followed Indru blindly, until he had disappeared last spring: after that, it had never been quite the same. Ice had always had some small seed of doubt growing in him, but he'd pushed it down, tried to accept it. Corinna had taken him back, after all. But now - every emotion, every detail of that time, exploded into life again, every moment when he could've challenged Indru but never did - it came back to haunt him even as Corinna slowly got up. Home, his heart wondered dully, what is that? The Guardian nodded mutely, pushing off the ground; he stood taller than her, but didn't care. His white side pressed against hers, as he refused to leave. When she moved, he moved; when she stopped, he stopped. Not even Hotei's presence could take his attention away, as the strange mix of frustration, hate, love and pain continued to burn inside, threatening to undo him. In silence he followed, wondering what the next weeks would bring. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

<blockquote>Howls broke out but the yearling's eyes kept focused on his mother. Everything that he had kept at bay, forced aside, and <i>healed</i> from resurfaced. Frustration, anger, hurt, longing, and emptiness. Yet through the thick veil of emotions a new sense flickered. This feeling of <i>knowing</i> that he had the strength to move on, to be there for his family, to harbor the burning desire that urged him to meet his full potential as a pack wolf <i>flared</i> as Corinna moved into the space at his throat and chest. For the first time in his life, he was not the one seeking his mother's comfort. In fact, it was quite the opposite, and he wholeheartedly offered her every bit of support and consolation he could provide.

When she drew away from him, he caught her eye and gave her a somber gaze as she added to the rejuvenated song of the family around them. He had caught how her gaze had hardened and, in turn, he had silently replied and acted in kind. The Guards might have offered their aria to this shattered night, but nothing would ever make him mourn for Indru. He might have ached to have Rihael to return, but a voice deep within him spoke out that his brother had always known best and, perhaps, it had been his choice to follow the patriarch into the dark with the youngest Tainn in tow.

Fenru gritted his teeth as his mind thought up of fanciful scenarios about how the three River men had gone about leaving the Grove in the first place. If Rihael had even thought the slightest inkling about Torrel's <i>abduction</i>, maybe it would be best if he did not mourn his littermate either. As for Torrel... <i>Torrel</i>... Fenru swallowed and closed his eyes for a moment. Torrel had been innocent in the midst of it all, and the yearling sorely wished he had been there to protect him instead of wallowing in his fear and numerous doubts.

<i>"Shall we go home?"</i> his mother's voice broke him out of his regret. The past was just the past, he had to remind himself. He slowly stood up with a nod. Though he yearned to be at Corinna's side, as her only-remaining son and ever-loyal Guard, he kept back to allow Jessie and Cali to follow her. It wasn't until Ice moved to take his place at the River leader's side that Fenru took up a quick stride. With his head held high and his tail held aloft to declare his rank, he paced along Ice's flank in a dutiful manner as Hotei fell into step behind them.</blockquote>

Taekwondo (M, W, F) | Rapid-Response Day (Tu) | WoW Nights (F, Sat, Sun)

<blockquote>Other voices joined his, and for those moments Marsh let himself be absorbed in the song, in the swirling emotions and promises, the hurt and the anger and the hope. He did not see it when Corinna's expression changed, when her eyes hardened, but he did hear it when her voice rang out. He almost faltered, struck by the agony that was the memory of her last howl, but the anguish had softened. She would heal. They were all hear, all of those who mattered. They would all heal.

Their voices faded away one by own, souls spent and rejuvenated, and it was as though all eyes fell to their leader. Marsh's certainly did, waiting for her signal, her command. He was frozen, struck by fury and pain and devotion all at once, but when her gaze fell upon him for that small moment it melted away. They would heal. He was here for her. At her soft words and the movements of the pack, Marsh took a single heavy step forward, watching as they turned to follow her. Hotei finally appeared, and though Marsh ordinarily was unsure of the Tainn, they were momentarily united in the aftermath of Indru's betrayal.

Drained, he moved after the pack, trying not to think about the vacuum which Indru had created, the vacuum that he wouldn't be able to ignore for a third time.</blockquote>