Sierra Hills keep your promises

"I do," she answered, soon after surprising him even further by disclosing the fellow's name - Uncle Phi-- Phineas! Light bulbs similar to the sight of several shooting stars, streaked past in his head. He knew that name, too, and as Borlla also told him the names of his cousins, another wide smile came to his muzzle and a wide wag lashed at the space behind him just as hers had. Not wanting to carelessly dismiss such precious information, Fenru first delightfully nodded in learning that Serach and Sceral had age mates they could possibly grow up with. He was somewhat sure he and his siblings had cousins from his Uncle Ruiko's side; but having assumed that the other Tainn family had fallen out of touch, Fenru couldn't be certain that they would be just as accepting of him as his Aunt Borlla had been. Surely, they had closed all sources of communication for a reason and that reason had already been forgotten in light of recent events.

"I can't wait to meet them," he smiled, suddenly becoming unsure of what else to say. A part of him actually couldn't be too sure if Kyros's name belonged to a boy, a girl, or was a unisex name at all. Once prompted back into the conversation, he could feel the warmth rush to his cheeks and all over the sides of his face. Now was his chance... The opportunity to be reunited with @Lucero again had come; and, at the back of his head his conscience also cried out @Arlette's name. He notably paused and he bashfully craned his head to one side to spare himself any . "Well, uh," he simpered again. "Her name's Luce. Well, Lucero, really."

He would have to manage his search for Arlette on his own; and, his current assumptions had his feet itching to travel to Grizzly Hollow. For now though, his heart could be content with finding one of the two ivory ladies his presently heart pined for. "But, I've... I've heard Phineas' name before, Lucero and I... We met by the Lagoon before we moved. I just had no idea that you'd all be so close!" His plume of a tail slowed to a calmer beat, "I'm glad ya stopped me, I would've... would've started back for home without a word if you hadn't. It's... It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

(This post was last modified: Jul 28, 2013, 01:09 PM by Fenru.)

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It had never occurred to Borlla in her youth, that little nieces and nephews could be fun playmates. She'd grown up too fast and play had been left behind the first time she followed Indru away from Swift River. More than that, they'd been Corinna's children, Fenru, Kisla, and Rihael, so why would she have wanted to play with them? Or help them with anything? Fenru seemed like a good kid...She certainly wished now that she'd been around to contribute to his upbringing, but there wasn't much use in feeling bad about it now. She couldn't give them any more than her presence, but at least it was something, especially after a lifetime of betrayal and desertion. It seemed that, even though he'd left behind yearling-hood, Fenru seemed eager to meet her children. They were blood, of course, so she supposed to was logical.

<b style="color:#32527a">"I'd like that," Borlla agreed, ears twitching. She did desire that. Kyros and Hypatia deserved to meet the rest of their family, but they were still so young. <b style="color:#32527a">"Maybe once all the pups are old enough we could just have a party." Laughing, she gave a little roll of her eyes, though the idea was legitimate enough. Of course, as much as she wanted to have the pups meet her family, she simply wasn't all that keen on letting them far past the dens. But the thought of a baby party aside, Borlla's ears shot up, surprised to hear the name of her friend, Lucero, falling from the mouth of her nephew. Her tail gave a little wag and she smiled rather slyly. <b style="color:#32527a">"Well, I could definitely tell you where to find Lucero." Though she considered the female her dearest friend, she felt awful. It had been a while since she'd gotten to have any sort of heart-to-heart with her. But it was a little exciting to hear that one of her nephew's "ladies" was one of Borlla's friends.

She touched her nose to his cheek, and withdrew with a smile. <b style="color:#32527a">"A year, probably more. I'd say that's pretty long." The smile faltered a little bit. <b style="color:#32527a">"I'm sorry I couldn't be around for you guys. At least you all had Triell." Sighing, her eyes dropped to her paws for a moment, then rose up again. <b style="color:#32527a">"I'm here now, though, I guess, if that's any consolation." Borlla attempted to retrieve her smile. <b style="color:#32527a">

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Fenru had to smile; after harboring all his hopes and all the dreams he had in keeping and finding his family, here was Borlla, who was quite possibly one of the major individuals that he had yearned for in his youth. And, not only had she offered her presence, by merely stopping him from running off and back into the Spectral Woods, she approved of the idea of him meeting her family. She even laughed, something Fenru had barely heard at all since the war and the pack's relocation. It sounded more beautiful than birdsong and even the trickling of cascading water. It made his smile touch his eyes.

If that hadn't been enough, she let him know where he could find Luce. His tail resumed its playful swing behind him and as his Aunt Borlla genially touched her nose to his cheek he let his jowls open wide, his tongue lolling out on one side of his mouth to convey the intensity of his newfound rapture. When she apologized, he tucked his tongue back in its proper spot behind his teeth and gave her a much tamer smile, "It's okay. I mean, I think I turned out fine enough." He let out a soft chuckle of his own. "And now that you're here, I'm sure there'll be quite a few chances to catch up with one another for sure. It's more than enough to make up for whatever we didn't have before."

As much as he wanted to sit, he found that in his excitement, all his limbs were itching to head off in the direction of his well-missed friend. If he truly wanted such information in regards to Lucero's whereabouts, he might as well stay, even for the briefest amount of time. He would be able to conduct a search for her as soon as he bid his aunt farewell. "Sooo," the bashfulness returned and he just couldn't stop with all his goofy smiles. "Lucero..." Even if he didn't want to outright admit it, his infatuation with her was clearly written all over his face. "Where can I... find her? I kinda promised her that we'd get together once we both settled down with our packs."

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It had never really occurred to her what kind of impact Indru's disappearance had had on her family. In most cases, she thought of others as mirrors, certainly they felt the same way she felt. Maybe it was a sort of escape mechanism to belay guilt and further pain. So, she'd automatically assumed that everyone was as indifferent about it as she was. It wasn't true though. She wouldn't ask, but deep inside she knew that not everyone could have taken his departure so easily. The woman she'd met by the falls had clearly taken it harder than Borlla had. Clearly, and yet Borlla found herself so fixated on herself. She wanted to be better...And this was her chance.

He was family, he was a Tainn, and a good one at that. So fixated and enraptured by her brother she'd been, that Borlla never realized that Corinna, though not true in blood, was more a Tainn than any of them. Only death had taken her parents away. She didn't know what took Indru and Ruiko away, but there was no excuse for it. They'd abandoned their family. What would their parents have said? Fenru had turned out fine, and maybe that was in part because Indru hadn't been around for a lot of it. Borlla could only nod enthusiastically when he said there would be more chances to catch up. There definitely would be.

<b style="color:#32527a">"She's a member of my pack. I'd say the best place to find her would be around Cold Water Creek." She gave a little smile, imagining what she'd get to tell Lucero when she got back to the Glen. It had been a while since she'd gotten to have a good talk with the girl. So it was a little odd to hear her nephew's infatuation with one of her very first friends, but it made her happy at the same time. <b style="color:#32527a">"When I return to the Glen, I'd be happy to let her know where to find you?" Her ears pressed forward with interest. <b style="color:#32527a">

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"She's a member of my pack." It was funny how six particular words set his heart alight. Finding Aunt Borlla had come at such a perfect time; Fenru had come to the right place at the right moment. She mentioned that his companion could possibly be found in a place called Cold Water Creek. "When I return to the Glen, I'd be happy to let her know where to find you?" His smile couldn't have grown any broader and more evident than it already was.

"You do that for me, Aunt Borlla?" he questioned, the sense of hope woven in his tone lifting high into the atmosphere above them. His enthusiasm and anticipation had him practically bursting at the seams; he continued without skipping a beat, actually turning about in a small circle in front of his aunt with his tail a sheer blur of grays. "Oh, thank you! Thank-you-thank-you!" He dropped into a sort of play-bow, exhilarated whines filling the silence after he joyously expressed his gratitude.

"I owe ya one," he added, panting slightly as he straightened himself to stand up again. "How can I repay you? Name something, anything! I jus'... I've waited months to find her. I thought I--" it was apparent now just how much it meant for her to even speak a word about him in Lucero's direction. "I really thought I wouldn't see her again." He held his tongue after realizing just how much it all was to take in at one time... how he was behaving... He could have been the small pup she had left behind all those years ago by the looks of it; he was just a bit bigger and much more animated.

After what Fenru had gone through, placing a high value on those he held dear was only customary. To think that the fates could have kept Lucero from him would have sent him spiraling back into the dark pit he had grown up in; it was only through the act of maturity and making attempts in coming into his own as an adult member of his pack that he switched up his thinking and actually considered that perhaps the world wasn't as cruel as he initially thought it was. He had been given a fresh start, was reunited {in a sense} with his childhood friend, granted new siblings to look after, and now his extended family was coming back into his life... first, his uncle Triell, and now Borlla, her family, and her pack, which included his admirable fellow-explorer-turned-friend, Lucero...

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She could only let loose her own laugh at his excitement. Borlla never imagined she'd make anyone in her family this happy. It was a good feeling. Her tail wagged swiftly behind her and her face almost hurt from how hard she was smiling. Leadership didn't present too many happy opportunities. It was rewarding, that was for certain, but she never really thought too much of a smile on her face. In this case, it was not a leaderly act, but merely one for the benefit of her nephew. For certain the leaderly act that could come from this may not result in many smiles.

Nodding in answer to his question, her smile was tight with amusement as he began to spin around. <b style="color:#32527a">"It's no problem at all. It would be cruel of me to keep it from you, or her for that matter." Borlla wondered how Lucero would take the news? Would she smile and laugh and spin about in circles? She hoped so. They knew each other already, so it wasn't as though Hotei was the one trying to summon her. Her mind didn't linger on the estranged brother for long. That was something she was more than happy to leave in the past. Fenru was so happy for this news, it almost worried Borlla. Was he truly this happy over finding a friend? From what she gathered a mite earlier in their conversation, perhaps there was something more than friendship...But Borlla wasn't so sure she was willing to part with this mutual friend of theirs. But perhaps that was simply another fork in the road that she'd need to worry about when she got there.

<b style="color:#32527a">"No, there's really no need, Fenru." She laughed, tossing aside the unpleasant thoughts for now. <b style="color:#32527a">"I'm happy to reunite you with your friend." She spoke humbly, the wide smile from earlier tapering down to something gentle. <b style="color:#32527a">"Will you be heading back home soon? Maybe I could tell her to meet you somewhere?" <b style="color:#32527a">

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His tail continued to wag, threatening to send his body into a fully-body wiggle from all the emotions hitting him at once. As of this moment, life could not have been any better or sweeter than it was now. "Awwww," he crooned, playfully, lowering back down into another bow. "Ya can't think of anything, Auntie? There has to be something. C'mon, anything."

"Name it," he grinned. "I'm not leaving 'til ya name somethin'. I don't care if it's like 'Oh, Fenru get me a feather and a twig an' a snacklegork egg,' I'll get it for you!'" He could have so easily embarrassed himself right then and there but he didn't care if the word "snacklegork" was nonsensical and practically nonexistent in the realm of Relic Lore. If he somehow managed to procure one, it would make an amusing gift and a great storytelling opportunity for his two younger cousins. "When ya give me somethin', I'm headin' home," he moderately promised, vowing to leave her in peace and release her so that she could get back to her family. "I hafta cub-sit the brothers tomorrow so I need to do my patrol tonight and then rest in the morning before they wake up."

He chuckled warmly at her as he rose up to his full height again, bending at the knees and elbows when he remembered that he stood a bit taller than her. It was something he had been brought up to do, in the presence of his superiors, especially pack Leaders, he was to grant them the poise and space to emanate their dominance over him. "You can hmm..." he had to stop and think for a minute as he thought about where Borlla could guide Lucero through the woods. "Can you tell her to meet me where the forest meets your part of the woods?" Fenru hadn't actually been much farther than the treeline of the Spectral Woods, but there couldn't be much harm in suggesting such a proposal. It would mean a shorter distance for her to travel and she could possibly be nearby in case Borlla and Phineas needed her; with how things were currently going, he would have traveled the whole of Relic Lore if he had to. It was just his good fortune that she was a mere trot and lope away from the borders he kept. "I'll try an' promise that I won't take her too far, you can call for her if you suddenly need her? I don't... I just don't want to tear her away from anything she might have to do that day." And cue the silly rambling and all the nerves and apprehension... starting... now. "I mean, I get busy too, so I bet she also has her paws full also. Heh, anywhere convenient would do, I think. There's a lot forest and I haven't found anywhere specific just yet, but--" he had to take a deep breath to compensate for the air he had just forced through his throat and vocal chords and released a small 'phew!'-like sound, "I'd just like to see her again. We might go exploring so it might be the perfect place. I'll... I can come by and meet up with her if anything. I'm usually strolling around at home, she might miss me if I'm on the opposite end or being shaped into a moving rendezvous site for the little bro's."

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Ears up, she let her tail wag steadily over her back, always tempted to tuck into a bow of her own, but she remained evenly on her feet. Borlla had never been one to play, even with her own children it was rather infrequent. But such actions were contagious, and she was just so tempted...But he seemed far more determined to make this little deal even, and Borlla wracked her brain. Again, she came up blank. Her ears tipped back, and she finally gave in, dropping to her foreknees, hind end in the air. She lunged forward lightly, trying to nip at his cheek, a grin on her face. <b style="color:#32527a">"It's really alright. 'sides, I haven't been around. If anything, I owe you." Her nose tipped down and she met his eyes, as if that was that.

Her jaws clicked together once more before she rose back up, giving a little chuckle. Maybe if "snacklesnorks" existed, she might've taken him up on that. What a silly thing. Her neck outstretched, she gave a few little upward tilts of her head. <b style="color:#32527a">"Don't let me keep you from your brothers, Fenru. Or your patrol." She smiled, oddly proud of him. Certainly he was a very welcome help to his mother. Lifting her head again, she rolled her shoulders a little, feeling a little strange after their "play". Maybe it hadn't been so bad and was something Kyros and Hypatia could benefit from. Her tail swayed at an even rate over her back as she made note of Fenru's request. Sounded easy enough.

Borlla bit back a laugh, her incisors coming down lightly upon her tongue to keep her quiet. What a flustered boy. In a sense, she envied him. Borlla loved Phineas, of course she did, he was the father of her children, her leader...She snapped out of her lost visions of grandeur and butterflies. <b style="color:#32527a">"I'll make sure she knows where to meet you." The woman laughed, giving a little nod. Then, her tight smile shifted into a smirk and her voice was a jest, <b style="color:#32527a">"Make sure you get my little Luce back safe and sound, alright?" She gave the boy a wink. <b style="color:#32527a">

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Fenru finally nodded as his mouth shut long enough to hear what his Aunt Borlla decided. It really was "alright," and he didn't owe her anything; she actually felt like she owed him instead. "Fair 'nough," he smiled, letting up on his little act and accepting her decision. "Okay then," he placed another sheepish grin back on his face. "I'll make sure she knows where to meet you," Borlla assured him. "Make sure you get my little Luce back safe and sound, alright?" His ears modestly and coyly pinning back for a while before coming back up.

"Of course, Aunt Borlla," he promised. "Will do." Another few wags of his tail and he was hesitantly and slowly edging away, knowing fully well that he ought to get back to his duties. "And, okay. Um, I'll see you around then. Yeah." It sounded funny, to say such a thing... not just to a family member but to a relative who lived close by, outside of pack territory. He supposed he would have to get used to it and that, in time, he would eventually find it less and less uncommon than it really was since he had never really known any Tainns who made their homes in a pack other than his own. Uncle Ruiko and Aunt Aeylen had left the Lore much too soon for his tastes and he had never known his Uncle Kinis, Hotei, and Kenai. He spun around in another playful circle then bowed his head respectfully to the Leader of Magnolia Glen, "Take care."

A few broader wags of his still-swaying tail and Fenru was off, not wishing to keep his younger cousins waiting for their mother either. Taking up a leisurely trot, he began to make his way back to Oak Tree Bend, a hint of a skip in his step and a little less weight bearing down on his heavy heart now that he knew that there was still hope to be had in keeping his family - all of them - together.

(This post was last modified: Aug 09, 2013, 09:07 PM by Fenru.)

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Thankfully she'd convinced him out of needing to pay her back. It really wasn't necessary. She was just glad to be able to see him without worrying over his mother, and he didn't need to muddle up his schedule doing things for his absentee aunt. She chuckled as her little prodding joke hit home, her tail wagging in amusement. Her brows lifted with encouragement noting that he began to inch away from her. They'd kept each other for too long, that was clear enough, though he certainly had orders to do things, while her responsibilities were in her own control. Sometimes she wished someone could order her about.

Kyros and Hypatia would certainly been in need of her, or at least their babysitter would like to be relieved of their duty. Her own paws shifted over the ground. <b style="color:#32527a">"Of course. Definitely!" She nodded happily, and began to make her own movements of leave. They were neglectant movements. If Borlla had had a choice, she would have stolen him away or followed him home. But she had her life and he had his. The Tainn woman was just happy that she could be here to see his now.

Her ears pinned back as a giggle lifted from her throat, and she gave him a bow of her own, before pulling up and moving to nudge his cheek with her nose. And that was that. He was off, back to his part of the wood, and she slowly move away from the red rocks, heading back to hers.<b style="color:#32527a">

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