http://a.imageshack.us/img716/1881/lalamr.png); width:450px; text-align:center;"> I WANT TO GO WHERE SOUL MEETS BODY Indru had not been there when she had first stepped foot back in Swift River territory and Junai felt a mix of annoyance and anxiousness. Weldering, the moron, had apparently picked a fight with Indru... Well, according to his words, he had been an innocent victim that had not deserved the beating he received, but Junai was skeptical as to the verity of this statement. As for her brother, she had heard nothing of what had happened to him and the possibility had occurred to her once or twice that maybe, just maybe, Weldering had hurt him back. Of course, Indru could hold his own in a fight, but still—she found herself uncomfortable with the possibility and perhaps, secretly, she cared about her silly little family more than they knew. No matter, the tense energy remained, but she hardly had the will to invest such energy into finding Indru and talking to him. Licking her lips lazily, thoughtfully, she pondered on what to do. The fact of the matter was that she did really need to talk to him, but she did miss harassing her eldest brother—it had been months, after all, since she'd seen anyone from Relic Lore. Perhaps her time away had matured her or something... <b style="color:#333E4B; font-family:georgia;">“INDRUUUU!” Or not. She supposed that, if he were near, he might hear her... If not, she might look for him another day. Like tomorrow or the next day... Or perhaps he could just find her. No matter, ignoring the childish hope that he had heard and that he would come and that he did, in fact, miss her a lot, Junai settled down beside the shallow pond, amusing herself by snapping her teeth at the darting fish, glad to be a child again, if only for a few moments. |
If there was one thing Indru would recognise, without any doubt or hesistation, it would the individual scents of his family. He knew them so well he thought he could easily pick them out from the faintest trace, they were just so familiar and comforting to him. So, it had been a shock and a huge joy when finally, finally, Junai's scent was no longer the odd stale whiff that made him heartsick whenever he caught one on a place she had once been. He had known that Junai was the most rebellious of her litter but it had hurt when she had abandoned them all the same, yet his worry for her had overcome any pain of his own, it always would as to Indru he was their guardian now. Since her return he had been trying to find her so when he heard her shout out his name while he was tracking her scent he laughed, barking loudly back to her before running at an impressive speed towards her.
Junai!He called, his voice managing to convey equal parts pleasure, relief and anger all at once, though he eyes and huge grin showed only pleasure at her return.I missed you, little sister,Indru breathed, approaching her slowly and hesitantly. He was unsure why she had left (and what had made her return, even though he was glad) and briefly he wondered if it had been because of him, or any of them, and he did not want to frighten her again.I am so glad you are back,and, unable to resist any more whether she was angry or afraid at him, he rushed forward and smoothed his muzzle along the top of her head and down her neck affectionately, checking her over and was pleased to find no obvious wounds.Why did you leave us?
No matter, now that the opportunity to confront him about the fact that he had kicked Weldering's sorry ass hurt her quote-unquote friend, she found herself at a loss. He was nicer than she wished, which made it all the harder to be stern and serious... In fact, with his snout running down the back of her neck in a clear show of brotherly love, her childish anger, as strong as it had been just five minutes away, fizzled to somewhere far, far away. Her muzzle turned up, pale eyes looking from the fish in the pond to his face, a sheepish smile turning the cowards of her lips upwards. <b style="color:#38534a; font-family:georgia; text-shadow:#67675b 1px 1px 1px;">“Missed you, too, ya big loser.” In spite of her insult, she nudged him just below the muzzle and rolled plaintively onto her side, letting her vulnerable belly be shown, a clear sign of respect. She was no fool, after all—after her disappearance, she probably should have been begging him not to hate her guts.
As for his other question, her tail wagged nonchalantly and Junai gave a careless shrug of her shoulders, settling her head upon her forelegs. <b style="color:#38534a; font-family:georgia; text-shadow:#67675b 1px 1px 1px;">“Eh. Got bored, I guess.” In truth, she had not so much been bored, because if Relic Lore was truly boring she would have never come back... She didn't know why she left; it had been a whim, a spur of the moment decision that, like always, Junai had gone along with, not a care in the world to stop her from such a grave mistake. In any case, disliking to be the subject of the interrogations, she countered, <b style="color:#38534a; font-family:georgia; text-shadow:#67675b 1px 1px 1px;">“Didn't you leave, too?” Her tone was accusing and her earlier qualms were temporarily ignored as she eyed him carefully, silently observing the sparse changes that had occurred within him, memorizing those features greedily. She had missed him, in that silly childish way of hers—she was a ship lost at sea and he a lighthouse, always there to give her guidance, whether she wished it or not.
A smile broke on his face at her response, the insult causing his eyes to roll but they still gleamed at the affection that he knew was behind it, Indru knew it was just her way. She had missed him and to him it meant a lot and he turned his head to the side to brush his cheek along the top of her head again, so pleased that his missing sister had come home, overwhelmed that she was not missing too, like Hotei. Indru felt Junai nose his muzzle and then roll onto her side and he felt pride stir in his belly at the new maturity she had returned with and his tail waved behind him in approval. Gently, so not to hurt her, Indru placed his powerful jaws around his sister's muzzle in acceptance of her submission and to reassure that he was not angry at her. Then, when he released her, he licked her muzzle affectionately, only pleasure curling his belly at her return.
Her shrug showed her nonchalance in her absence even if her answer did not and though Indru frowned he said nothing more, instead trying to give her space just pleased that she had come home, whatever her reasons for leaving were.
You worried me,he said softly, his bodclose enough for their fur to blend together in his happiness of just being able to see her again,next time tell me before you leave for a long time, yes?A smile was still on his face as he scolded lightly, worry at her abrupt and missing absence more the issue her absence itself — it was natural for wolves to want to explore when they reached adulthood, but he would just like to know next time. Quickly Junai challenged him back and he rebuked her back slightly with a tilt of his head and a deep stare of his eyes, though he knew it would have no effect with the grin that covered his muzzle.Most of the family did,he explained, it was only fair she knew,a drought hit Relic Lore and there was not enough water for us to all survive here, so we went elsewhere until it came back.It had been a small relief that Junai had been absent for most, if not all, of this as it had been only this portion of Relic Lore that had been effected by the blocked water source and she would have been safe somewhere else.Are you ready to come home now, little sister?Indru was referring to the pack of course, their new home, where Junai would always be welcome when she wanted to be, but he would not push her if she wished to travel further away still.