Lost Lake From a Mountain in the Middle of the Cabins

 @Draven backdated to 3/26

If I ever leave I could learn to miss you

They were getting closer and closer to the settlement of the pack. They’d agreed upon doing it within the next week, and with a fairly good idea of where they were headed Kino decided it was time to go and gather his brother from the mountain. He really hoped that he still wanted to join them. It would make things so much more...official to have his sibling by his side. It could be what the Crest had always been meant to be with the Lagina children at the helm. No, not Lagina, Leigh. Perhaps in the future they would be able to snag Ari as well. A man could dream right?

Of course the day that he decided to set out the heavy snow they’d been having would still be going strong. But if he waited any longer they would be too far from the mountain and he didn’t want to try to make up that much ground in such a short time frame. No, he’d have to brave it. So, with a goodbye to Hal and a promise to return he’d set out. It had taken him almost a full day to get to the top with the weather, relying on his memory of the scent that had clung to the dark boy’s pelt to lead him along. He’d finally come across the borders but he’d decided to go a distance away from them. Hal had told him about what had happened with the Drestig’s wolves when she’d gone to fetch Cas and Niles. He didn’t want the same for him or his brother and mainly wanted to avoid the confrontation. He lifted his silvery muzzle to the sky and called for him. It was time to start over, to do things right this time.

With sentimental boy as my nom de plume

Ever since they had made up Draven and @Neha had been inseparable, except maybe when he had to tell Namid that he was leaving. The pair of yearlings both knew that their time was limited and soon the raven pelted man would be going to join his brother. This moment was no exception, as they lay pressed beside each other within the infirmary. This den was like their own little world, claiming they were in there studying while they usually just talked while laying as close together as possible. Now that he had told her about his mother and finding his brother the rest of the story had come out. He told her about his father who had been murdered before he was born, about Gent being like a father to him, his mother's death and everything that followed. The fights, the estrangement, how everything had fallen apart without her.

He had been half dozing off listening to the even sound of her breathing when a voice rang out across the territory. Lifting his head Draven;s heart began pounding in his chest, he had been preparing for this but now that it was here it seemed surreal. Pressing his nose firmly into the space behind Neha's ear he promised her that as soon as the pack was settled he would come back to see her and bring her to visit the new pack lands. They took a few moments of silence, their last for weeks to be sure before the large subordinate pulled himself away and out of the den.

His next stop was to seek out Namid, saying goodbye to her as well. He would have never left without saying a proper goodbye, but they also had known that this time would be coming soon. Once this was finished Draven took one look him the vantage point near the communal den out across the lake and he turned away. If he didn't leave the lake now he would get cold paws and never go. The Leigh walked quickly, each step resonating the bittersweet feeling that was welling up within him. He was so happy to rekindle his relationship with Kino - now Alastor and to help him with his pack, but so heartbroken to leave the Lake and Neha and Namid behind.

It had been a while since Alastor had called out for him as he wrapped up all the loose ends but Draven found him all the same. A large grin broke out across the dark muzzle and he moved closer, embracing his brother, "I was wondering how long it would be before you came to get me, no Sahalie with you?" Her scent was strong on his pelt, but as far as he could tell she was nowhere around.

(This post was last modified: Mar 31, 2017, 03:07 PM by Sahalie. Edit Reason: Closing open b tag )

If I ever leave I could learn to miss you

The minutes dragged by as Kino waited for his sibling and even though he wanted to get back to their merry little band as quickly as possible, he waited patiently. He knew how important this place had become to Draven. He likely had plenty of goodbyes to say, loose ends to tie up, all that jazz. He couldn’t relate to the feeling and was perhaps a little jealous that the man had been able to form enough connections that he did have a reason to feel remorse for leaving. The silver man himself had never been able to form those connections to that many individuals and thus it had been easier for him to part from the Bend and the Monadnock. But with this new pack he would try his best. He was going to be the alpha after all, which was something he was still finding hard to come to terms with. He’d definitely have to ask, much to his dismay, Larkspur for advice.

Finally, the Leigh’s dark pelt came into view and a grin curled onto his lips. He offered a woof of greeting, giving a bump to the other’s shoulder with his muzzle as he was embraced. He shook his head as his brother spoke, signaling she hadn’t come with him. “I told her to hang back and take care of the rest of the group. Wouldn’t be good for them to be abandoned by both their future alphas so close to settling. Plus the weather’s bad enough as it is, I figured it would be best if only one went to make it as quick as possible. She’s a little vertically challenged,” he laughed.

The silver man leaned to look over his sibling’s shoulder, looking to see if anyone else was following. He could smell the scent of a female strong on the other’s pelt and could only come to one conclusion. He’d taken his advice and made good with Neha. He pulled back and looked at Draven with a raised brow, “Is Neha not coming?”

With sentimental boy as my nom de plume

sorry this was so slow!

Draven nodded as he pulled away from their embrace, Alastor's reasoning making perfect sense to him. After all, Namid and Vesper never left the Cove on long trips together, someone always stayed back to look after the pack. The Leigh suddenly wondered if they missed each other when they were apart, it was unnatural to spend any major amount of time away from your mate after all. It seemed unnatural to even be leaving Neha behind and they were far from being mates, the man didn't know exactly what they were to be honest. Not far from that topic Alastor described his own not-mate, which brought forth a chuckle from the darker Leigh, "Everyone is vertically challenged compared to you."

The easy mood was short-lived though as the conversation came around to Neha and the smile fell from Draven's face. Shaking his head ever so slightly he sighed, "She's not sure that she wants to leave the Cove. Once the pack is made and settled I'll bring her down to visit so she can make her final decision." The Leigh didn't have high hopes that she would change her mind, the very fact that she wasn't leaving with him now didn't bode well for what she would choose. Besides any of that, who would give up their right as a princess in order to be just another subordinate in a pack of wolves that you have never met?

If I ever leave I could learn to miss you

Draven’s first reply got a wide grin from the silver man, a swish of his tail given behind his frame. Of course Kino was aware that he was tall, it always seemed to be the first thing that was noticed of him, followed by his unusual pelt. His looks were from his father apparently, the father he’d never known and had never claimed. In hindsight it was probably bad to care so little for a man who had been murdered, but with no attachment to the figment other than a name he didn’t quite know what else to feel.

Suddenly his sibling’s mood was dropping and so did his. His lips lowered into a frown, brows creasing as he noticed the change in demeanor. Had he said something wrong? Had he been incorrect in his assumption that everything was okay between Draven and Neha? He scarcely had to wonder before his thoughts were answered. He could understand her hesitance. The girl’s family was on the mountain and it was the place that she had grown up. Clearly, from Draven’s description, they seemed to have it made up there so why would she want to leave that? But, then again, if Draven was going then maybe that would prove to be a bit more of an incentive for her to go with them.

Kino moved forward and gave the dark boy’s shoulder a reassuring shove. “I’m sure she just needs a little time is all. But Draven,” he said and paused, taking a breath. “You don’t...you don’t have to come with us. You don’t owe me anything. Mom would want us to be together, but she would also want us to be happy. If you’re happy here, with Neha and the Cove wolves, then I’d much rather you stay,” he finished, locking his topaz gaze with the green of his siblings to show that he meant his words.

With sentimental boy as my nom de plume

(This post was last modified: May 04, 2017, 01:11 AM by Kino.)

Draven did his best to try and ignore how his brother's lips curved down after he spoke. This was supposed to be an exciting time for the pair of them and here he was whining about girls and bringing down the mood. He was ready to start moving in what he hoped was the right direction just to push past the moment when Alastor spoke again. Feeling the shove against his shoulder brought a smirk to one corner of his lips, it seemed their communication was becoming dominantly non-verbal and physical. Not that the raven pelted man minded, he was quiet at the best of times and silent at the worst.

Locking eyes with Alastor he twitched his tail in dismissal to the worry that the smaller brother might not be coming after all. "The Cove has been my home for the last year and the pack has been wonderful, but it was always a way for me to replace the family I thought I had lost. I will miss them and I hope Neha decides to join us but if not I can visit, I'm not wasting any more time away especially because it's what mom would have wanted." Minka had always made it clear to them, family first. Draven had lost sight of that when he had been just a grieving child but he wasn't going to make that mistake again.

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

If I ever leave I could learn to miss you

Kino watched his brother’s features for anything that might betray him to any doubt that he was feeling about the move. This was a place that had saved him, a place that he’d spent time at and he was far from someone to judge him if he did want to stay.

But he could see none of that in those green eyes or in that dark face and after giving him a long look his grin tilted back upwards. “Well I’m glad to have you, you know that. Things recently seemed to have worked themselves out for the best. Hopefully that’ll be applied to this too.” he said with a swish of his thick tail. He ran his eyes over the area again, taking in the view. It certainly was a beautiful spot, tucked away on top of the mountain. It was like a little patch of secluded paradise and the man could see why it would be appealing. But, to Kino the most appealing place was wherever Sahalie needed him. As long as he was needed that’s where he would be and with his sibling by his side that seemed to make it all the better. “Is everything settled then, before we leave?”

With sentimental boy as my nom de plume

Kino - er Alastor, seemed to accept Draven's words as acceptable enough and the topic about whether or not the raven pelted brother would join the upcoming pack was closed. The Leigh stuck to his decisions once they were made and more than that he followed through his commitments. All that would have kept him here was his previous loyalty to the Cove but after speaking with Namid and being granted her blessing to leave the young man had no further qualms about the next chapter of his life.

Hopefully Alastor was right and things would work out the way that they had been meant to be, but this Draven had further doubts about. Whenever such words were offered as a comfort his mind immediately brought up the image of his mother laying so deathly still while surrounded by the pack. Had that truly worked out the way that was best? Her son certainly did not believe so, but rather than voicing his opinion on the matter he only offered his brother a smile. At least one of them seemed somewhat adjusted.

Nodding his head to answer Alastor's question Draven spared one more glance past his shoulder at the stone kingdom. Neha was nowhere in sight. Ignoring the pang of guilt he felt over leaving her here the man took the first step. "Everything is settled."