Edge Stone Pool an addict with a pen

@Reyes | early afternoon, light fog -- backdated for August 8

With his sister absent Mathéo had also taken to wandering. His paws were not as itchy as the silver-eyed Tainn, for he typically remained close to the Hearthwood borders, but the last time he had slunk away from the looming redwoods he had sought comfort in the tumbling water to the west. He travelled beneath the canopy of leaves overhead just in case he caught wind of the little Tainn’s scent before he headed into the tundra. His willowy body slunk around the trees, his pace swift. The boy had not only lost his mother and his older sister, but his littermate had also vanished, presumably consumed by grief. He hoped the girl was safe and that the scouts he’d sent west had found her. The days passed agonizingly slow and he could not help but fear the worst. Puppies did not do so good on their own…

Which was why he was so concerned about finding Mathéo. Lavender was much like the agouti and preferred to stay closer to the river, and her parents, whereas Lilliana liked to stretch her paws and get herself into all sorts of mischief. He did not know how he and Lilya were blessed (or cursed?) with children who were complete polar opposites. He just hoped, as they aged, their differences brought them closer and did not drive them apart.

His face fell as he reached the pool. There was no Tainn in sight, not even a whiff of his woodsy scent. With a heavy sigh the pale leader lowered his hindquarters to the ground, his tail tucking neatly around his paws. Perhaps the boy was still in Hearthwood and had just made himself scarce… Lachesis did not think he would chase after his sister. He abided by the rules much better than Risaela did. 

 

stick with those who stick with you

What he needed was a good stretch of his legs. Things were… Things were not good back in Wild Rye Fields (if he was putting things lightly), but it wasn’t the universe kicking him in the ass. It wasn’t some random stroke of bad luck he could curse and spit on. Everything had fallen apart when he had opened his big mouth because…what? Because he had some information he just couldn’t wait to share? Because Inna had rubbed him all the wrong ways when she’d dawdled on the River borders while his mate could be laying dying, and all he wanted was a healer?

His mate.

Reyes scowled, pushing himself into a swifter run, aching to feel the burn and stretch deep in his bones. Things with Askan… Things with Askan… Where did he even start? Things had been off since Deron’s murder – which was no fault of Askan’s – but they were just finally starting to get themselves back together when Jessie had stumbled in on them, and his mate… The wolf huffed deeply, ears pressing further against his head. They were going to have to have a serious talk, because if Askan was gonna spend the rest of their collective lives being ashamed of him, than—

“Lachesis?”

The dark wolf stuttered to a halt, sides heaving as he blinked. “What’re you doing out here?”

The meeting, while tense, had united the river wolves once more but the wounds were still fresh. It was going to take some time for them to get back where they were before but Lachesis was willing to fight for the future of Hearthwood. He could not imagine living anywhere else, even if he had toyed around with the idea of leaving before addressing his packmates. XIX did not know what he would do, or where he would go, if the pack collapsed around him. In order to preserve the memory of the fallen king and queen Lachesis had to keep the pack afloat.

There was no fresh Mathéo scent along the edge of the pool, nor did it trail down the tumbling creek. He must be in Hearthwood still, for Lachesis doubted that he wander further than Edge Stone. Perhaps he was with one of the other river children or had ventured over to the Ethos to visit his mother… which was where Lachesis would be going once he returned from the lowlands.

Lachesis?

His head snapped round at the mention of his name, his brows lifting up in surprise. “Reyes!” He greeted, his tail uncurling from around his legs as it wagged, gently, behind him. The ghost did not rise from his position for he did not feel like he had to be formal with the scarred Fields scout. Any friend—or mate—of Askan’s was a friend of his. “Just clearing my head,” he responded, not wanting to confess he’d been looking for one of the river children. With Risaela still missing Lachesis did not want their neighbours to think they were incapable of keeping track of their children. “What are you doing here?” 

stick with those who stick with you

His tongue hanging from his muzzle, Reyes’ tail began to wag slowly where it lay behind him. For a moment, the sour mood lifted from his mind, carried away by surprise and (perhaps a bit shockingly) pleasure to see a wolf he thought highly of. Even if Inna and Lorcan had no manners to speak of, the River alpha had helped in Askan’s time of need…and he’d delivered herbs to the borders of Wild Rye Fields with Jessie’s impending birth. As far as the dark southerner could tell, he was a good wolf.

Slowly, he padded over to where the ghost sat and joined him, a respectful distance away. He slid downwards to his belly, as if subconsciously aware of his social standing, and glanced out towards the pool’s quiet surface. “Just clearing me head,” he replied, voice thick as his silver eyes glinted. Strangely, it was the truth – he was doing exactly the same thing, even if the woes that plagued him were entirely different.

“Needed some air. Space. Things ‘re weird with--” He probably didn’t need to confess to his relationship troubles. Reyes cleared his throat, glancing towards the white wolf…and realized that the stink Inna and Lorcan had left around Wild Rye Fields lately probably meant they hadn’t reported back yet. “Things ‘re weird.”

Out of the wolves he couldn’t have bumped into during his excursion away from Hearthwood Reyes was certainly a worthy candidate. While he was a man of few words, the ghost did not mind the scarred wolf’s presence and was pleased to stumble upon him, even if there was no Risaela or Mathéo in sight. He watched, silently, as the ebony Rye scout approached and folded his legs against the ground, maintaining a respectful distance between them. It appeared that both wolves were here for the same reason—to seek clarity from troubles that clouded their minds. Perhaps the southerner and the northerner weren’t so different from each other after all.

He nodded softly in response to the male’s accented words, a small smile tugging at his dark lips. Air. That’s what Lachesis was after, even if he had been searching for the Tainn boy. Perhaps, subconsciously, he knew that the green-eyed boy was safe within the woods of Kingsfall and he had headed west in an attempt to rid his thoughts of dread. Hearthwood was his home, and he would do whatever necessary to ensure it stayed that way, but seeking solitude was necessary for the grieving ghost.

Things ‘re weird. His head tipped to the right, chartreuse gaze narrowing as he focused on the silver-eyed male, curious as to what was so weird back in the Rye. He wanted to pry, but he was not sure if they were at that level of friendship yet. Or if they were even friends. His lips tightened for a moment as he considered how to respond, his toes curling into the soft ground. “Things are weird in Hearthwood, too,” he admitted after a pregnant pause, a frown forming. “Feel like sharing?” He asked, his tone light and indifferent. If Reyes did not feel like confiding in the pale leader he would not push—it was none of his business unless the scout chose to make it his business. 

stick with those who stick with you

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

“Wonder if it’s the moon.”

Reyes didn’t really believe in that kind of thing, but his Mama used to, used to blame the full moon when things went weird, used to blame the new moon when things went bad. Or maybe it was the other way around. He couldn’t quite remember, didn’t quite believe in it, but the woman that raised him was damn certain it effected the whole world. But at this point, with so much turned upside down? Maybe it wasn’t that far-fetched.

He glanced over at Lachesis, tail swinging across the ground.

“Long story…but…I guess. Goes like this: Alek’s livin’ at the rye fields now. Still upset someone knocked his sister up, so I promise to help… ‘cos if it were my sisters in that situation, I’d be pissed, too. So I learn. Meanwhile, me an’ Askan get caught, if y’can call it that, an’ now he’s all weird about bein’ seen. Inna and Lorcan show up for Ris. Might have, uh, been a bit rude, but I know Lorcan’s her litter’s da, an’ all I know about her is how not helpful she was when Kana was dyin’ so. Yeah. She has a hissy, says she’s gonna write things off ‘tween the Fields and the River – now Jessie is pissed with me, even though the meeting’s savalged. She calls Askan an idiot right after, and yanno, she might be alpha, but he’s my fuckin’ mate. So I call her out.”

A long pause.

“Which was probably dumb. But I didn’t join a pack to watch the only wolf I care about like that get shit on. I lived on my own – shit, I had a brief stint as a band leader, I know how hard it is – I don’t need them. Not enough to watch that in quiet. But shit, that was dumb. So things are still weird with Askan. And now ‘ve made problems for myself with the alphas.”

He paused again, glanced over at Lachesis. This was the most he’d said in…years. Shit. Maybe it was building up more than he realized. His mouth twisted into an exhausted smile.

“Kisla’s kiddo is with the Fields, by the way. We got in a little squabble with Inna an’ Lorcan because I got a fat mouth and she was awful rude to my alpha. Reckon you’ll hear soon, if y’haven’t yet. Jessie made good on her promise though – sure got my kermupins for that shit. Guh.”

The moon. His ears twitched, chartreuse eyes lifting to the sky instinctively. Was it a full moon? He couldn’t remember. But something was different. Tensions were rising and wolves were acting strangely. Perhaps it was the moon, or something in the air; the water. He shrugged his pale shoulders in agreement with the darker male, his lips dipping toward the ground.

He had not expected words to spew carelessly from the younger male’s mouth. It was the most he’d ever heard Reyes, who was usually a more reserved wolf—like Lachesis. At first he blinked in surprise, his ears pinned forward to catch every word that dripped off Reyes’ tongue. Aleksei was living at Wild Rye. Huh. It was not much of a surprise that the former river prince had settled so close to the Kingswood. As the darker male continued Lachesis did not object—instead he listened patiently, his expressions shifting as the subject changed. Something about him and Askan getting caught—which nearly made Lachesis blush, but he remained composed—and the latter being weird. The next part was what really lured the willowy male in, his brows narrowing darkly. Inna and Lorcán had arrived at the Fields. Reyes admitted being rude to his raven sidekick but right now that was not important.

What was important was the next set of words that rolled off the male’s cherry tongue: Lorcán’s her litter’s dad.

He blinked sharply in disbelief. However, it made sense. Out of all the neighbouring packs the tawny healer had chosen to join Hearthwood, when he could’ve gone further south or west to the Wild Rye. Since arriving he had also spent a lot of time with Inna and her daughter… how could he have been so stupid.  His lip curled at the revelation but he kept his tongue in check, allowing his companion to finish speaking. Inna had threatened to write things off between the two northern packs?! Internally he was screaming and cursing, but he remained calm, mostly because he did not know what else to do. Reyes was sharing all of his woes and he did not want to interject and make the situation about him. “I would have done the same,” he murmured in response, his tone soft as he responded to Reyes admitting he had called Jessie out after she talked down to his mate, Askan. “Have you talked to him about his actions? Maybe there’s a reason he’s acting so strangely,” he offered, his frown still present as his mind reeled at the information the southerner had shared with the ghost. “If you need a place to clear your head you’re always welcome to visit Hearthwood. I can even make sure you don’t bump into Inna and Lorcán,” he offered with a haphazard smile, his tail waving slowly behind him. “But Jessie is a reasonable wolf. I’m sure she won’t hold onto what you said for long. Not if she values you.”

His frown, however, returned as Reyes announced that little Risaela had found her way to Wild Rye. A sigh of relief escaped him, but was quickly cut short as the ebony went on to say that Inna had been rude to Jessie. “I’m glad Risaela is safe. Have Inna and Lorcán left the Fields? I have not heard back from them yet.” He was not sure if he wanted to. Would they share everything that Reyes had just shared? Inna had already been keeping the identity of Oksana’s father a secret when he was living with them—what else was the raven lying about? “I hope Jessie does not think we want to sever our alliance. Whatever they said to her was their opinions, not my own. The last thing I want to do is end things between our packs.” His tone was rough; irritated. “Don’t think their rudeness reflects on the rest of the river wolves. I’m sorry for their behaviour.” Now he owed Jessie an apology. What kind of authority did Inna think she have to try and sever things with Wild Rye? They had been nothing but kind to the river wolves. “And I’m sorry that Jessie gave you shit.”

(This post was last modified: Aug 20, 2017, 11:43 PM by Lachesis.)

stick with those who stick with you

“Yeah, well. Yer alpha. Y’got room for that.”

Reyes rumbled his amusement, though he appreciated Lachesis’ solidarity. Truthfully, he didn’t imagine Jessie to be that different. If someone had spoken to Drestig like that, he didn’t doubt she’d have a thing or two herself to say. He wrinkled his nose. Still could have used more tact, though. Probably why he wasn’t a scout.

“Mmm, guess we’ll find out, huh? I’m on babysitting duty for the foreseeable future.” It could be worse. Contrary to popular belief, the scarred male didn’t actually hate children. And he’d had a small break to get out, stretch his legs – even babysitters have to make kills and fill caches. “Might try t’talk to her once the dust settles some.” Reyes shrugged. He’d survive until then. Certainly beat the scuffle down in Blackwatch Canyon, and the resulting—

Well, he didn’t really wanna venture down that dark road. The gamma tipped his head, ear flicking as Lachesis questioned the state of affairs. Ah, yeah…probably shouldn’t leave the ghost hanging. Wasn’t his intention, anyways. “Could smell ‘em in the fields the past couple days. Not sure how long they plan on lurkin’. Jessie doesn’t wanna break things off, but… I dunno. Think she’s worried what might get said. She sure gave Inna the what-for when th’ girl tried t’ tell her how to alpha.” And he couldn’t blame her for that. He had no idea what was true and what wasn’t when it came to the pair. Kisla was dead, that much was clear. Risaela wouldn’t have run halfway across Relic Lore if it was something else.

“…nah, don’t be sorry. I ran my mouth. Didn’t ‘ppreciate how they came t’ the borders or spoke t’ my alpha. And…was still upset about how she treated Alek. Lied to ‘em. Real easy to imagine myself there, I guess – haven’t seen my own sisters in so many seasons. Heh.” Reyes shook his head. He wasn’t a faultless party. “Would be happy t’pass it on t’Jessie, though. Think she’d be relieved. She doesn’t want things to end, neither.”

(This post was last modified: Aug 21, 2017, 12:23 AM by Reyes.)

Reyes had a point there. He grinned, sheepishly, in response but hoped the words helped sooth the ebony male’s troubled thoughts regardless.

“Babysitting duty, huh?” He teased in response, his head tipping to the side. “At least she still trusts you with her children. That’s a good sign. Not the best job, but it’s also not the worst.” Unless Reyes despised children, then it was most definitely the worst form of punishment imaginable. But she would not have left him to watch her children if she did not trust or value him. So it appeared he was still in the good books—for now.

He did not know how to feel about Inna and Lorcán though, and whether they were in Lachesis’ good books or not. The raven had taken it upon herself to dissolve an alliance between the two packs when she had no power to do so. He did not even know if the reason behind her attitude was warranted, or if she was just frustrated because Reyes (along with his mate and alpha) had discovered who her baby-daddy was. “She what?” He hissed at his companion’s words, his frown hardening as he broke away from his thoughts, his toes curling into the soft grown. “Shit,” he cursed, completely flummoxed by the raven’s actions. How could she act that way in front their allies—and one of Kisla’s relatives? He was dumbfounded and did not know what to do with the river scouts. “Aleksei is not the only wolf she’s lied to,” he hummed, the words tasting sour in his mouth. “I will come and talk to Jessie once I deal with them. I’d like to apologize in person, too.” He sighed once more, something that was becoming as instinctive as breathing. “And Risaela—I know she’s not okay, but is she doing better? Did she leave with them?”

stick with those who stick with you