Sierra Hills Stormclouds

His name spoken by that voice raised his heart. This was what it felt like when a piece was taken and returned. As it was too sweet to be a dream of his creation. His sleep had been wracked with the forlorn, and miserable. Quests of finding her, but never securing her safety.

"I missed you too," he murmured, a gentle hum in his chest. He savored her touch, not willing to pull back even as she asked of their children. She should know no one had taken her absence lightly, so to say this aloud seemed cruel and unnecessary. "Growing quickly. Zera seems to spend more time away from the Bend," he finally answered, hating the honest note in his tone. As he took a small step back to look upon her only then did he see her looking in the distance, if some one had caught her eye. He turned, realizing it was Darrah.

The picture of his son, holding himself there made concern etch across his brows. It didn't seem right he wasn't beside him greeting Nayeli. A deep woof of question erupted from his throat. Would he join them? What was wrong? Was it Triell's lack of belief, and woe that made him unable? He had never given them false promise to see her again, but had never said she had left them by choice. They would both have to see. This was all new grounds for the Tainn. Time would be in their favor, he would see their family united.

Bright orange stare met her eyes. There seemed to be a lot swirling in those silver pools, he wished to ease her mind. "I know love," he gently began, as she seemed to read his thoughts. The tall man offered a lick to her muzzle."We looked, worried what might have befallen you." He wanted to state he was sorry that he hadn't kept looking until he found her, but could not. Did it matter so much now?

There was a flash of a tiny smirk meant to be of understanding. "I bet." He still did not push. He really wanted to take her home, let her rest, and tell the world she was safe. Would his son and daughter come back to him then? Could they all start over?

Suddenly aware of silver lady's presence, Triell offered the subordinate a grateful smile. Since Spieden had recruited her,  he was looking forward know her better as he wondered what had caused the black speckled she-wolf to offer her home. "Of course," he simply stated with a flick of his tail. The pack would gather soon, but he made a mental note to perhaps hunt or patrol with Phyrrus solo. As the silvery wolf left them, his attention turned to his mate, waiting for her to cue him in their next direction. Where would they go from here?

(This post was last modified: Feb 06, 2015, 05:47 AM by Triell.)

are you with me through it all?

Nayeli wore a grateful smile as Triell spoke, though it didn't manage to entirely erase the exhaustion and other worries shadowing her features. They were alive. They were okay. Hearing these words meant a great deal indeed to her; meant that everything else just might not fall to pieces. She could hear the hesitation in his answer, sense the dark undertone, but she was glad he seemed to be speaking the truth with her, rather than seeming as if he were trying to soften some blow to come. She hadn't expected things to be perfect upon her return... in fact she hadn't dared to let herself hope she would be this lucky. Half of her was still waiting for him to deliver a blow of awful news, but certainly if there was anything, he would tell her straight away....

She stepped closer, nestling her head against the bottom of his chin and breathing a grateful sigh. From where she stood, she turned her head slightly, still sheltering against the solid Tainn, but gazing out at where Darrah lingered, her dark tail still slowly slicing the air behind her in a silent invitation to come and join his parents.

It was painful to see their son had remained hanging back, but just seeing him there cause relief to flood into her mind, and for the moment, the mere assurance that they were both alive and well was salve enough for her to stand it. "I suppose he might need some time...." she uttered quietly into the slash of white upon black fur, and failing to keep her tone as light as she'd intended. It couldn't have been easy for any of them to make sense of it all, and she desperately wanted everyone to be together again, to offer them what answers and help she could in understanding all this, and facing what was to come. She needed them as much, probably more, than they needed her right now, and she certainly knew it. But, as she looked at the young man still lingering in the distance, she worried that she might push him the wrong way if she made a move now. "...though I fear it isn't safe to be wandering out here alone," she went on after a moment, stepping back slightly so that she might find Triell's bright gaze. The last thing she wanted was either of their children running off because her return had left them reeling, only to find themselves in danger. "I think I may have brought a storm to the Bend on my heels, Triell."

As she watched Phyrrus make her way away from them, Nayeli found herself wanting to follow, the magnetic tug of the Bend rekindled. She'd waited too long to get back to somewhere she could actually call home. She wanted to go back to the den she remembered, to collapse into a warm embrace with her family and start looking for healing, but she knew that there were some things which must be taken care of first, and that things would never be so simple as that. nevertheless, it was what she craved. She wanted to rest and eat, too, but delaying her tale would not make the telling of it any easier, and the sooner the pack could be warned about the potential dangers her return could bring, the better for everyone. "Can we go back home?" she asked at last. They could talk more on the way, though in a sense the question was bigger than just their current circumstances. It was an expression of the fear and hope that they really could mend things, bring what had been pulled apart back together and face what was to come.

(This post was last modified: Feb 11, 2015, 06:19 AM by Nayeli.)

Much as Triell would want to soften the hardness of life, there was only so much he was capable of. He wondered if things really could be made lighter, less dark{i} and miserable. [/i]Often they were what they were. There was some other news he had. That she had not been the only one missing, but she had been lucky enough to return. This would stretch him too thin, and he already felt like howling in both joy and pain.

With her steady, warm figure against him, he stole another bit of her scent. It was tainted with much of the lands she'd come through, and something he thought might have been another wolf. Brows pushed together, but he could not form any questions. He wanted to hang back, hold onto this moment of having her again. If only he knew.

Forcefully the ink toned wolf blinked, still at a loss for Darrah's distance. At the same time he continued to blame himself. He could have done more to assure them that she hadn't abandoned them. She surely wouldn't have left them all without good reason. Faint words only reminded him of how she always tried to keep detached when speaking of her ocean home, her family. It was different, she couldn't this time. The brute's throat felt like a vice was constricting it. It would only seem to tighten. When she stepped back, the loss of her touch unsettled him. Eyes locked he was sure there were more changes in those silver irises. How much had they lost? He was hearing what she said, and little by little the reality dug at him. It was anger that twisted his ears to his crown, raise his head in defiance. "Its a good thing we are a dark storm ourselves."

This news made him eager for the Bend. To tell everyone, and have them all on high alert. Whoever it was, Triell would not hesitate to bleed them dry and release his inflictions upon them. The details would not change his mind, only strengthen his course of action. It would be best if he knew what to look for, and what she had been through. "Lets," he agreed, staying beside her all the way unable to be apart any longer.

(This post was last modified: Feb 11, 2015, 05:51 AM by Triell.)

are you with me through it all?

She thought that perhaps she saw something undecipherable pass Triell's features, a shadow swimming behind the fire of his eyes. In the next moment whatever it was had vanished, replaced with a determined raising of his head, a smooth shift into a solid and fearless posture. The words he growled out were greeted by a single nod from her, his anger rallying her own seething feelings all too easily. She had never really <i>hated</i> anyone before - even when she'd had to fight, she'd never felt good about it. But those wolves who'd lied to her, kept her from her family, dared to think of her as their property - they'd taught her the true meaning of the word. She'd tried to force herself to concentrate on planning her escape, to think of seeing him, their children and home again... but some nights it had been only the thought of justice being served to them that had kept her desperation at bay. She'd never felt more alone, not even when she'd wandered the smoldering remains of her first home as a girl.

Now, there was not just desperation behind her anger - Triell was right. This was the Bend, and here, she was not alone. With solace came a new sort of resolve, and she smiled at Triell, thankful he'd helped her start to rekindle that determination. "As you say. Whatever happens..." she bumped her crown against his shoulder, breathing in his scent once more as she did so, "we can face it together." 

As they turned toward home, hers was the slow but steady pace of one who has come a great distance, and paced themselves for a finish line that is finally within sight. The limp was evident in her gait, but Nayeli kept in step with Triell, their dark fur occasionally brushing as they went together. Casting her gaze over her shoulder, she took a breath and sent out another short howl, intended for @Darrah's ears. Please. Come with us.  She hesitated a moment longer, too see if the boy - no, young man - would follow or catch up with them, before she began to speak again. She knew that the tale must come, but something seemed almost to be caught in her throat. A pensive moment passed, while shadows flitted behind her own gaze, before she finally began to spill forth everything that had transpired. 

The prince silently watched over his parents, well aware they knew of his position at this point. He hoped it haunted her, watching her own son stay on the sidelines. Knowing he wasn't coming to greet her like everyone else would, maybe even knowing that he never would. He hoped she was in pain. It was only fair, did she not leave him in just as much- no, an even worse amount of despair? Did she not cause countless nightmares? Did she not cause him to drift apart from the pack? Spending countless nights alone, crying? How could he great her with happiness? It would never be that easy. He didn't need time, he had plenty of that after she left. He already knew what she was, and he wanted nothing to do with her. He smirked. "Look at them, my father sure is blinded by love. Is it wrong for me to be a little disappointed?"

"It isn't safe wandering out here alone, Ha! If she thinks that's going to stop me from doing what I've been doing this whole time then she's wrong, and she better not get in my way. I'll bet she's bluffing anyways." Darrah had never wondered too far away from the pack, in fact the farthest was probably dragonfly fen. But every time he heads out, he finds himself going a little farther. Eventually he suspected he'd go so far he wouldn't be able to find his way home anymore, just one step at a time. That was the plan.

As they turned to leave, she looked in his direction. As she spoke, pain flew through his chest. How long had it been since she's talked directly to him? He was more than enraged. He wouldn't be coming with them because he could't stand to hear her bullshit excuses anymore. He turned away, and headed in the opposite direction.

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.