Hearthwood River I Was Born by the River

DATED mid to late March. Orren's home! Intended primarily for @Naia, but all HR wolves are welcome <3

- Sunset

The distant song of the river filled his ears, wild with the spring waters, rushing down from the mountains. In his veins, it was like his blood flushed faster to echo it. It wasn't until now that he realized how much he had missed that sound, the one that above all else meant home to the Baranski. His shoulders were heavy, but there was a smile on his face as he walked through Kingsfall, finally back after a journey that had taken much longer than he'd wanted. After finally catching up with Karina, and making sure that she would come home, and not do anything stupid until then, the young hunter had turned his nose homeward, knowing that his family would be itching to hear of his success and the safety of their princess. Yet he had been distracted. The trip, which had originally begun solely to bring back his run-away sister, had reawakened an old thirst for adventure in the young wolf. Distracted by new lands and scents, it had taken him a lot longer to come home than he had planned. His ears hung slightly in embarrassment, yet he couldn't truly feel guilty, in fact, a part of him wanted to turn around and continue exploring. But he had a duty, and he couldn't leave his parents fretting any longer. So as the sun set behind him, he slipped across the borders, a sigh falling from his lips that was only half-pleased; I'm home..! He would have liked to return triumphant, dragging Karina back by her tail if necessary, but that wasn't to be. Despite her gentleness, the eldest Baranski princess had all the stubbornness of the rest of her family, and in the end, while he condemned the way she had done it, Orren couldn't truly fault his sister for being drawn by the world beyond their river. Above all he felt tired as he slowly made his way through the pack lands, headed for the den site where he would surely find, at least one of his parents. He'd have to seek out @Kjors too, and tell him of Karina's plans, but that probably wouldn't be tonight. The one thing he was looking forwards most to, now that he was back, was a nice sleep surrounded by the safety of his family. Word count: 386 ”Speech" Thoughts

FurLined @DA

Karina’s absence continued to worry the pale leader. He did not know what was to come of his former apprentice and, of course, although the dragon denied it, XIX knew that he had something to do with her disappearance. A frown cut across his lips at the thought as he maneuvered through the pack territory. With children on the way — his children — he worried for the future of Hearthwood. There had been few wolves to make their way up to the northern territories this winter which meant their numbers remained the same. And with the sudden appearance of the boars they had lost a cache. Was this what it was like to be a leader; to be constantly stressed? He sighed as the thought lingered, his pale eyes focused on the ground beneath him.

The sun was low in the sky, threatening to dip below the horizon line and spew stars across the sky. This was truly Lachesis’ favourite time of day and when he was most at peace, which was why he rarely allowed himself to rest when night fell. A bit of an insomniac, Lachesis preferred doing his patrols under the cover of darkness. The most desperate lone wolves lingered once night made an appearance.

A familiar scent pulled the medic away from his thoughts, his brows high as he glanced around in hopes of catching a glimpse of its host. His tail wagged excitedly behind him as he changed his direction in order to meet the Baranski prince, relief flooding his body and fuelling his movements. While there was only one wolf present the scent of the princess was heavy on Orren’s pelt, which meant that he had met up with his sister recently. With a wide smile pressed to his maw he greeted the agouti yearling, his ears perched tall above his skull as he approached him. “You’re home,” he breathed as he pressed his nose to the boy’s forehead, inhaling the familiar scent of both Baranski children. ”You found her.” It was not a question but an observation. He was curious as to what Orren had learned about his sister’s disappearance.

stick with those who stick with you

@Lachesis <3

Soft footfalls in the underbrush paused the boy in his tracks, copper ears flicking back as the sound grew nearer. Like a ghost, the healer – and leader – appeared out of the twilight, approaching the homecoming prince with a broad, bright smile. Orren couldn't help but smile back, though his weariness was apparent in the grimace, the waving of his tail only mild, every inch of his being screaming of fatigue. Still, he returned the elder man's greeting affectionately, rubbing the bridge of his muzzle along the underside of his white-tinged jaw, lowly offering the simple greeting: "Lach." The two of them had never been as close as Karina and the healer once had, his passionate work considered dull by the boisterous young lad. But the white man had been a fixture of his childhood, as much an uncle as Naia was an aunt, and while Orren did not revere the pale male, he did respect and care for him a great deal. "I did." He answered while pulling away, his smile shrinking significantly; Lachesis might have smelled Karina on his pelt, but he would also have noticed the obvious, that she was not with him. Part of him had hoped that he could somehow get out of explaining everything until he'd gotten some sleep, though of course that had been a foolish hope; Might as well get it over with..! Orren sighed, trailing his eyes away from the white wolf for a moment, gathering his thoughts, then forced himself to meet those sharp, green eyes. "She's alright," He began, thinking it better to lead with some concrete good news; "I spoke with 'er perhaps a week ago and she was good. Well, she was hungry, but she wasn't 'urt, and I helped 'er catch some fish." The memory brought the smile back to his face, it had reminded him so of that time when they were just pups, lost in the Cedarwood, having an adventure of their own so close to home. Things certainly had changed since then. And yet, for that moment it had felt like they were back, back to being kids to far from home, a brother and sister out exploring the world on their own. As the image faded from his mind, so too did the smile from his lips, a sad shake of his head replacing it. Persimmon eyes drifted to the ground at his paws; "She wouldn't come with me tho', said she 'ad one more place she needed to go." His voice was apologetic now, shoulders sagging even more. Returning alone felt like letting them down, his mother and Lach and Kjors, in the end he had failed in his mission to bring back the runaway princess. He couldn't have forced her though, even if he had truly wanted to, he couldn't actually have dragged her back to the River; He understands that, right? Looking back up, the yearling thrust out his chin slightly, trying to put on a confident face as he added: "Bu' she promised to come home. Soon!" Had he been foolish to believe her? Perhaps. But he'd seen in her eyes, the need she had to finish whatever mission she had laid out for herself, and he hadn't wanted to stand in her way, couldn't. Besides, he wanted to believe, wanted to hold on to that feeling of trust, the last sense of family he still had with her. Word count: 570 ”Speech" Thoughts

FurLined @DA

PLOT WITH ME!

@Orren short b/c i just wanted to get this up I AM SO SORRY ABOUT WAIT <3333333

With guilt weighing heavy in his stomach the healer realized how exhausted the tawny wolf was. Of course he did not want to talk about his sister — not until he got food in his belly and was able to rest his weary paws. However, Orren did not seem peeved by Nineteen’s curiosity, and began to explain his encounter with his missing sister.

While it was good to hear that she was safe and doing well, he was still troubled that she had not returned home just yet. The comment about the two siblings catching fish together brought a smile to his pale maw as he studied the younger male, his velvet ears pinned forward as he listened intently for more. One more place she needed to go… With his lips tight the pale leader tore his gaze away from the Baranski as he gave a defeated sigh. “She’s a stubborn one, isn’t she?” He responded with a lop-sided grin as he focused his attention back to Orren. It was a feeble attempt at lightening the situation and to let Orren know he was not upset with him for returning without his former apprentice. “Thank you for finding her,” he added as he pressed his nose to the boy’s forehead. “I know she’ll return when she’s ready.” Of course Lachesis would rather have her come home now, but he would settle for soon. His tail flicked in annoyance, his brows knitted together as he studied the lanky prince.

“Let’s get you something from the cache, you must be starving. Then you can rest your paws.” He motioned forward with his maw as he offered the boy a soft smile, his expression softening as his body relaxed. Karina was safe, and while she was not home just yet, her being safe (and unharmed) was all that mattered. Once she was home Lachesis — and her parents — would hopefully get an explanation as to where, and what, she did while she was gone. The ghost had a feeling it had something to do with the discussion that had taken place at the meeting, but he wanted to hear it Karina, not his own thoughts weaving together to justify her absence.

“Did you enjoy your adventure?” He asked suddenly, the crooked smile returning as he side-glanced at the river prince over his shoulder. 

stick with those who stick with you

Orren's own expression grew dark as he saw Lachesis' tightened face in response to his news, the heavy sigh making rusty ears twitch and flatten back. He knew. He knew he had failed his self-appointed mission, setting out to retrieve his sister and returning alone. They were all disappointed, surely, both XIX and his mother. And Kjors. He'd promised the one eyed man that he would find their lost princess, and he had, but she was still not home, and that was his fault. The sound of Lach's voice made him perk up though, an unexpected friendliness in the tone. Deep orange eyes lit up a bit when they saw the grin on his leader's face, and a faint smile parted his own lips. "Ha," He breathed, meeting the medic's chartreuse gaze; "Jus' like the rest of us." It was no secret that the entire Baranski family were an awfully stubborn lot, and Orren knew it as well as any outsider. Karina might have been later to develop the determination that her brothers seemed to have displayed from infancy, but when she did it was as unbreakable as their mother's; And if there was one will strong enough to break the Baranski men, it was their women. It seemed that Lachesis did understand after all then, his words and comforting gesture clearly showing that he wasn't angry with the homecoming yearling. Still Orren felt miserable, he'd been gone for way too long, enjoying himself way too much in the process, and still returned a failure. But the pale man had shifted his focus to the lad proper, taking him on like Orren had often seen him do with other patients – most recently his father – and while the boy didn't exactly feel like he deserved any attention, he was way too tired to protest. So he nodded vaguely, following as the older wolf led the way, through the familiar paths among the huge trees. His paws ached dully, shoulders seeming to sag even more with every step. Despite the reassuring words, the yearling still felt quietly miserable, his tired head echoing with what if's and if only's. As such he almost missed the low words of his leader, though he looked up in time to catch the wry smile, which woke him enough for the rest to register. A fresh smile, wary but genuine, lit up the boy's features in surprise at this question, which wasn't only a change of subject, but showed genuine understanding and interest from the man that was otherwise so reserved. Orren shook his head and shoulders, finally tipping his ears forwards as he answered truthfully: "Yeah. I saw a lot of cool stuff, an' even ran into an old friend!" He spoke quietly, almost as if relaying a secret that he didn't want anyone else to overhear. That wasn't entirely wrong either, because he had enjoyed himself, and though he admitted it to the ghostly healer, part of him still felt bad about it. In an attempt to make up for this, he quickly moved on to ask a question of his own: "How 'ave things been while I was gone, did I miss anything? How's dad, and Ma' an' the girls?" He trusted that Lach and Kjors had looked well after the pack while he was gone, but he still cared, and wanted to make it clear that he did. Word count: 565 ”Speech" Thoughts

FurLined @DA

PLOT WITH ME!

Karina would come home on her own terms (i.e. when she felt she was ready); the ghost realized that a few weeks after she had left Hearthwood. No matter how many wolves chased her or begged for her to return, XIX knew she would not. Not until she completed whatever it was she set out to do. Stubborn, determined; the lines were blurry when it came to his former apprentice. She would come home, he knew that much. The Baranski could not abandon her family — not like this.

A small smile unfolded across his maw at the boy’s comment, his shoulders rising and falling as a low chuckle rolled off his tongue. “Exactly,”  he quipped back with a wink. Lachesis had been around the Baranski clan long enough to know exactly how stubborn they could be, but he did not mind. The ghost had been loyal to Maksim since he and Anastasia had joined Darkwater many, many months ago, and would remain so until he was given a reason not to. Without any of his own family in Relic Lore the Baranski’s were closest thing he had — her cherished them more than they would ever know.

“Good!” He beamed back at the river prince, his tail giving a soft wag behind him. “My paws have been itching for an adventure; I feel like there’s so much of Relic Lore I still haven’t seen.” The confession rolled off his tongue easily but he did not regret the words. For a wolf who had once been so frightened of the unknown adventure was a frequent thought on his mind. Perhaps once Maksim resumed his position on the throne the healer could stretch his legs and fulfill the wanderlust that often suffocated him.   “I’m glad your mission was enjoyable,” he added with a wide grin, his chartreuse gaze briefly fixated on the younger wolf.

“Things have been quiet here, but good. Your dad is doing better — he’ll be leading again in no time. I think your mom’s been worrying too much about Karina, but other than that she’s fine. And your sisters… getting up to mischief, as usual,” he responded, another chuckle shaking his shoulders.

stick with those who stick with you

A young deer has been separated from the rest of its herd. Hunt Opportunity

Orren grinned widely, shaking his head lightly at the white man. He might not be a Branaski by name, but of the whole river family he was as much a member as any, hell he'd been in the pack longer than the boy had been alive, and no doubt knew his parents just as good, if not better. really Lachesis deserved praise for keeping up with his bullheaded leaders all this time, as well as their equally mulish offspring. But he was a mellow sort it seemed, and he'd stood by Maksim and Kisla through their ups and downs, doing his duty both as medic and leader when needed. So while his personal relationship with the man might not be so close, Orren trusted him as his parents did. His admission came as a surprise though, charcoal brows lifting as the young man looked his companion over curiously. He would not have picked the sinewy healer as the adventurous type, he always seemed so busy with his plants, but there was a light in those pale green eyes that rang familiar within the prince's heart. It made the interest in his own little adventure seem even more sincere, and Orren smiled happily at the good wishes, secretly relieved that Lachesis was so understanding; Maybe we can go on an adventure together, once dad's all better… The news of the pack were welcomed though, and seemed mostly good, which further soothed the yearling's conscience. He hoped it would ease Kisla's mind to at least have him home, and with news that Karina was not hurt and coming back too. That Maksim was recovering was positive, though his son would have expected nothing less, and he chuckled along with XIX at the mention of his sisters. "I bet!" He breathed, shaking his head at the thought of the girls causing trouble; "I hope it hasn't been too much t' handle." He couldn't wait to see the little rascals again; As soon as I've gotten some sleep..! But there was a ways to the dens yet, and while his main concern had been his family, there were others in Hearhtwood that the lad cared for. "How about everyone else, how have you been handling it?" He asked casually, eyes turning to his paws as he maneuvered a pattern of hefty roots, stretching out from one of the towering sequoias. "And Naia, is she better too?" His mentor had looked exhausted last time he saw her, sitting back during the meeting after the return from Round Stone Crest. He wasn't overly worried though, he knew no one as strong as the nimble scout, it would be nice to see her again too. Word count: 448 ”Speech" Thoughts

FurLined @DA

PLOT WITH ME!

He flashed his pearly whites once more, his shoulders rolling into a soft shrug as he studied the young Baranski. “They’re never too much to handle,” he responded quickly, tail wagging slowly behind him. They were a handful, but a manageable handful. They were curious — as they should be — which meant they got into a little more trouble than most. Nothing out of the ordinary. However, Lachesis could not deny he was thankful for Orren’s return. Having an extra set of paws to wrangle them in would certainly help. Plus, they were more likely to listen to their older brother than the stand-in leader and full-time healer.

Everyone’s been…” he trailed off, his tongue pressed to the roof of his mouth as he pondered how to word his thoughts, “manageable.” He chuckled at his chosen word, unsure if it was accurate or not. Too late now, he thought with another long wag of his tail, pear-coloured eyes glancing around the trees that surrounded them. “Naia is doing much better, thankfully. Unfortunately she’s exceptional at overworking herself and just needed some time off to rest.” She took her role as scout very seriously and was always out and about, gathering as much knowledge as she could. Sometimes he was envious of her freedom, but he was grateful for where he was in Hearthwood. He would not change a thing. 

stick with those who stick with you