Cedarwood Forest hear my voice for the first time

@Maksim and @Kisla

On the west side of Cut Rock River territory, less than a mile from it's border, a shadow belonging to no thing glided along the forest floor, following the creek that wound its way through the majestic woods. The Cedarwood had known this shadow before...the trees welcomed it home after a long time away, where it had been betrayed time and time again. Only in this place did it feel right, blending with the shadows of the grand cedars and leafy undergrowth. It was just as silent as before, walking a path of perfect quietness that few could ever hope for.

When the trees parted to display a clearing of soft green grass edged with tiny pink flowers, the shadow did not skirt the opening but cut right through it. Here it was revealed as a wolf whose black pelt matched the darkness, whose single golden eye kept the pain it had faced a secret. Nothing had changed since this wolf had left the Lore months ago, judging by outside appearance, aside from a few new scars perhaps.

Hati Roukan had returned to Cedarwood Forest on a quest to pick up his life where he had left it in the spring. His nose pointed towards Cut Rock River, his old home, and he never strayed from that line. Though his paws did not seem to move fast he reached the border quickly. Nothing was different between the trees of within and the trees out here; the grass stayed the same, and the sky was the same shade of blue. But Hati's heart was still in there, on the other side of the scent marker, in a place forbidden to him so far. He would not enter his home unless asked; he had been gone so long it did not seem right.

Had he been in this situation a year ago, the black wolf would have settled down against a tree and waited patiently for a wolf to arrive on its own time, for he had been cursed with complete silence. He was tempted to do so now, keep his new ability a secret and continue life as it once had been. But he couldn't. He wanted them to know him, hear his name from his own lips. So he took a deep breath and lifted his head. But when Hati opened his mouth his voice stuck.

It took three tries before a note finally came out. It was lower than what was normal for most wolves, but not especially strange. It faded away slowly with a slight waver. Hati smiled, showing no teeth, and sat down, flopping his tail against the ground content with what he had done.

Maksim Baranski had been watching over his children as they romped together playfully, chuckling softly at their quips and childish tussles. They were his life, those cubs. Protective big brother Aleksei, the mischevious prankster Orren and the sweet, sensitive Karina. A litter that any mother or father would be proud of. Yet, as he watched and the midday sun rose high, the agouti wolf had drifted off to sleep, sprawled out in the green grasses that swayed in the gentlest of breezes.

Time passed, the leader snoozing away blissfully. And then there came a howl and Maksim's ears perked, one green eye opening into a small slit as he grunted. It was low and quivered at its end, as if not quite as strong as any other wolf's call. He determined what he could; a male had arrived, with no exact meaning behind it, simply the same old generic request. Another soul had wound up at the Baranski's border and was calling for the leaders. Maksim's eyes, though somewhat dazed from being roused from his rather peaceful slumber, blinked open. The agouti king rose, yawning and snapping his jaws shut as soon as his lungs were full of fresh air.

He began with a short trot, feeling the energy slowly returning to him as he fully awoke. Gradually, he worked into a swift jog, kicking up pine needles and dirt with each bound. Closer and closer he came until the scent leapt up to meet him and the king's eyes widened as he picked up the pace. Taras had returned. Had he been the one to make the call? He was mute though! Unless … had he conquered his disability?

Striding towards the caller, towards what Maksim believed to be a well respected follower, the agouti wolf couldn't help the gentle wag of his tail. That's when he spotted the male from between the trees, with that one tell tale sign that this was the man who had gone missing: that one, golden eye.

“Taras,” he called out, stopping a few wolf lengths away. “I do hope you have a good reason for disappearing.” The king couldn't help but raised a brow, humming audibly. “Was it you? The one who made the call?” Perhaps now, the swarthy male would be able to answer with his voice.

we are shining in the rising sun, as we are floating in the blue

A lynx has left behind the remains of a deer. +5 Health

Hati's eyes threatened to close for the umpteenth time since arriving at the Cut Rock River Border. The leafy canopy above allowed just enough sunlight through to bring on that summer afternoon drowsiness. But he fought it, keeping alert to the sounds and smells of the forest. One of these that especially caught his attention was the scent of an old deer carcass wafting from nearby, not to far on the inside of the pack's territory. Hati found himself staring in that direction wondering when he had last eaten a full meal.

Too focused on the mouth watering odor of what potentially would be his to devour, the one-eyed wolf wasn't aware of the approaching Maksim Baranski until the man called out the name he answered to...before. Hati, surprised by his old alpha's sudden appearance, leaped to his feet and took a step back, eye wide. By the time he had collected himself Maksim had gone on, demanding answers in a tone that wasn't so demanding. Still, Hati knew that the young king would not appreciate anything less than complete respect which was willingly offered. He shifted his eye away from Maksim's and dipped his head once, finding courage and strength he didn't know he had.

"It was I, sir." Hati's voice was stronger than he had ever heard it, and therefore even more unfamiliar to him. His eye sparkled happily and his face grew relaxed, and his tail waved back and forth. "It is good to see you again...Maksim." The black rogue, quickly growing comfortable again in what he considered a friend's presence, stood proudly all the while avoiding confrontation. "I hope you'll understand why I have been gone so long. I left here on the heels of an elk, figuring I could herd it back to you and the rest of the pack, but instead somehow met up with my old family." Here Hati paused, wondering if he should elaborate on his past and why this was such a significant detail. After a moment he decided to save that for another time.

"They had become separated from their own pack and I helped them get back home. I would have returned right then except that...due to a series of events I found myself injured and unable to travel. My brother and I laid low on our own. Soon after I regained my strength he was killed. So I came home." There were so many holes in the story that Hati wasn't sure he wanted to fill in yet. His uncertainty returned and he found himself unable to make eye contact with Maksim.

(This post was last modified: Jul 23, 2014, 09:41 PM by Hati.)

The one-eyed wolf spoke. By the stars, he god damn spoke. Maksim couldn't quite believe what he was hearing, his eyes widening. It was I, sir, he had said, and the agouti regal remained silent. This was not a time for interrogation. No, he simply needed to listen to Taras. Gods above, he couldn't quite get over it. Listening to Taras, the wolf Maksim had named himself! But now, the scarred wolf would no longer live under a given name, would he? No longer would he be introduced by others. His birth name would be spoken by him and the River wolves would rejoice in the discovery of the truth.

An elk, he mentioned, and the king nodded. The winter had been so harsh and every wolf tried to find what they could, even with the coming of Spring. There was much they needed to make up for, caches to fill. Hopefully, the wolves of the River would never face such a harsh time again—they would be prepared. Maksim swore it.

He had run into his family. Something had happened and this had resulted in injury that had crippled his movement for a while. At least, prolonged movement, the Baranski presumed. There came a sudden shock, news dropped so nonchalantly in conversation that the regal couldn't help but falter in his thoughts, wondering if perhaps he had imagined it? His brother had died. “I'm sorry to hear that,” he mused, sympathetically. Maksim couldn't dream of what he would do if he ever lost his brother. He didn't think he'd ever be the same, losing Arman … or Anzhela. But they were mountains away from him and anything could have happened in his absence.

“Well, I must say that I am pleased to see you have finally returned to us, though I was aggravated by your departure. Dare I say, wounded.” The king lifted his tail, an act of dominance. “But things will not pick up where you left. Many things have changed in Cut Rock River. Three healthy cubs, a medic and a scout officially within the ranks. So we shall start anew. Tell me, stranger,” he spoke, lifting his chin ever so slightly, “what is your name? And what can you offer us?” Of course, perhaps Taras would notice the gentle edge of amusement in the agouti regal's voice, how a tiny smirk barely touched the corner of his lips. This was all very symbolic, after all, and the black furred wolf had not lost his agouti superior's friendship.

The longer the two wolves conversed, the more Hati was certain that he was welcome here as far as Maksim was concerned. Though nervousness still remained, it wasn't overpowering and it didn't hinder his thoughts anymore. He was in control of himself. He could communicate what needed to be said even if his voice wasn't the prettiest. His old friend didn't seem to care that the sounds that came from Hati's throat sounded more like a crow than a wolf.

Maksim's response to his arrival was so much better than what he had hoped for. The now experienced alpha only offered encouragement, and Hati could sense that the younger man didn't feel betrayed by his disappearance during the winter. He spoke of new additions to the pack; additions that Hati had scented at the border and brought excitement that all pack wolves new and understood. Maksim's reminder of the River's new cubs brought a big grin to the black wolf's face. Pups!

Hati looked up into the agouti man's green eyes as he spoke, not feeling the need to act so submissive. It could be a mistake, but the Maksim that he was watching seemed more like his friend than his superior and it felt awkward to stare at his friend's paws. Still, some of the things Maksim said made Hati feel a bit nervous. Starting over? Stranger? Maksim was hard to read.

Hati didn't hesitate in his answer. "First of all, congratulations on your children, Maksim." He added a slight dip of his head. A smirk betrayed the excitement he felt towards meeting the young ones. "And I apologize for the wound I caused you." Perhaps that comment may have held a tinge of sarcasm. "My name is Hati Roukan. I know I can hunt and I can defend this pack and its territory. And that's just a start." He winked, smirk becoming a grin. He could feel his heart softening, his old self returning from years ago. "I can most likely do anything, sir."

@Hati
So, so sorry for the wait!

Taras gave his congratulations and Maksim nodded with a smile. Yes, his children were fine wolves and the trio grew larger by the day. He had no doubt that they could rival perhaps even himself when they reached maturity! And their mother, stars bless her—if he were a man of romantic ballads, a bard of sorts, he'd sing songs to praise her name. Kisla Baranski, queen of the River and of Maksim's heart. She stood by his side always, and he by hers.

Next came the apology, a hint of amusement in the gravelly tones of the once-mute male. The agouti wolf could not help the twitch of his lip, a forced down smirk of his own. And then came the thing he had so desperately sought for months: Taras' true name. Maksim didn't notice how his tail wagged in almost childish excitement.

Hati Roukan. It fit the dark male perfectly. The regal ran it through his mind over and over, memorising it. Certainly, the king may slip up here and there, let Hati's given name pass his lips. But he would correct himself. He would remember. Maksim's smile grew warm, a genuine happiness washing over him. His friend had returned and, gods above, he had shattered the mental shackles that bound him to his muteness, an ugly weight that tugged and dragged him down. Truthfully, the agouti wolf felt nothing but joy for Hati. Hati Roukan … gods, he had a name—a real name! It was almost hard to believe.

Perhaps Maksim would have caught the wink if the man before him didn't have one eye. The king heard the jest in his follower's voice, though. “Well, you've captured my interest. However, I cannot keep this charade of starting over going for much longer.” Lifting himself higher and stepping closer, the Cedar regal brushed up against his old friend, earth-toned guard hairs mingling with ebony strands. “Life has forged you into a survivor, my friend. You have battled hardships and claimed the spoils of victory. To turn you away would be foolish. You're a Cut Rock River wolf, Hati Roukan, and have been from the start. Any wolf, any beast could see that. That drive to survive—to prove yourself—has been evident to me since the day you stood at Darkwater Rapids' border. So I say this to you now.”

Stepping back, Maksim bumped Hati with his shoulder, a friendly mannerism.

“Welcome home.”