Willow Ridge Better Together

For @Romanov set right after this thread 

After everyone had started to disperse she’d taken off with @Ravenna , but after a few minutes of walking she’d asked herself to be excused with the promise to go talk to her later. She wanted to go find her family on her own and even though she respected the white speckled Archer-Lyall she wanted to talk to them on her own. The first one she wanted to seek out was the one she’d come into the world with, the one she’d been closest to and her right hand man. Romanov. She was nervous about their reunion but surely her brother would understand...right? She supposed she could use his reaction as the first indicator of what was to come but she hoped that it wouldn’t be a bad thing.


She searched for his scent for a few minutes before latching onto the freshest strand and heading after it. During the walk she tried to clear her jumbled mess of a head, make sense of everything especially concerning her mother. She couldn’t help but picture the worst, especially after what she’d seen and it created a knot in her throat which she swallowed down. Finally, she spotted his dark rump and she paused before letting out a soft woof. She stood there, looking a bit sheepish, her head lowered and auds pulled against her head with the most sorry look that Adeltra could muster. This certainly wasn’t a normal look for the girl who naturally held herself in a strong fashion and she hoped that her brother could see this.

(This post was last modified: Dec 11, 2017, 01:45 AM by Adeltra.)

Maybe he should have been more excited for their reuniting. Romanov should have been all smiles for his sister but he could not let her get off that easily. She had hurt him and perhaps was the cause for their mother vanishing. So he raised slowly at her soft summoning, turning his well grown form to see the sorry look plastered over his litter mate. It was hard to see her as the same girl. She looked different with a thinner frame and a few new knicks on her muzzle to show for her wayward time. She smelled different, not tinted with the willow eartheren scents that laced their home. Roman couldn't stop his nose from crinkling with frustration and perhaps a bit of digust. "Did ya have your fun? Mom is gone too now." He dropped the bombshell (if she hadn't already figured it out on her own) with less tact than one of these old willow trees.

art by crowteeths

 

It's Only Dark.

Her littermate turned and her heart dropped into her stomach. This was not going to be a happy reunion, that much she could tell. His expression was far from a pleased one at her presence, his nose actually wrinkling in...disgust? She felt the wind knocked from her and she struggled to breath. His next words nearly left her on the ground, the amount of contempt within them throwing her through a loop. Have fun? Did he actually think she left on her own accord? Yes she had been known to have exploratory whims but she’d always come back to them...until three months ago. She was loyal to her family to her very core, the blood pumping through her veins ensuring that likely until the day she died and even beyond then. Her ears folded back against her head, a frown etching its way further onto her maw. And, the way he mentioned that their mother was missing. Like it was her fault. Wait...was it her fault?

“There’s nothing fun about starving, alone and cold,” she stated. She wasn’t looking for sympathy, she was stating a fact. “I didn’t disappear because I wanted to Rom, you have to know that,” she added, taking a step toward him but thinking better of it. This interaction called for space and she’d have to force herself to give it to him. There was also something she had to clear up. “She’s not…” she couldn’t make herself say the words, picturing the body of Cyril’s father on the ground. Cold and dead. “How long?” she murmured.

(This post was last modified: Dec 13, 2017, 05:15 PM by Adeltra.)

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

He had to hold back a harsh lashing of words at her comment. Maybe she wouldn't have been starving, alone and cold if she had stayed home. Romanov had always done his best to keep tabs on his sister and help her see things through but it seemed like he hadn't done the best job this time around.

But he forced himself to hear her out. Regardless of his aggressive feelings, she was his sister, littermate and best friend. The Archer male knew she deserved a chance to explain herself. His shoulders rolled softly as his position relaxed some. Aggressiveness towards his sister was replaced by a sadness for their mother. "I dunno. Stopped counting the days when it went past my toes. Maybe a month or so." He truly lost track because each day with her gone just further rooted the reality of it. "Think she went looking for you. Maybe Elle too but I kinda doubt it." From his understanding, there had been a lot more looking for Adeltra than there had been Elle. Made him wonder if anyone would look for him if he got lost.

"Did...did you at least see anything cool out there?" A tad of curiosity and concern creeping through. He wanted to know if her disappearance act had been all misery or if it had a bit of wonder too.

It's Only Dark.

It seemed like he didn’t take too kindly to her explanation, though it was rather vague. She felt a bit of indignation settle in the pit of her stomach. Adeltra was aggravated, aggravated that he seemed to think that she’d gone off willy nilly and abandoned them all. Like she didn’t already beat herself up everyday for going out on that day, for not planting her butt down and staying there in hopes that someone would find her. Her pride had gotten the best of her and she knew that and had learned from her mistakes. But, could he forgive her? Could anyone, really?


Her auds perked as he seemed to relax, but then they rotated back and her brows furrowed as she watched his expression turn sad. Her heart began beating quickly in her chest, her mouth going dry as the worst case scenario went through her head. Please please please no she whined inwardly. Then, he said that she’d simply went missing over a month ago. That was certainly uncharacteristic of their sweet, dedicated mother. Of course, it didn’t go over her head that Enoki was getting older either. While Adeltra and Romanov were approaching one full year of life, their mother was coming upon her 8th year. Still, all those years meant that she knew how to take care of herself. The piebald woman had the determination to come back to them, the Archer girl knew it. She had to have that hope because the alternative was too much to bear.

A bit of guilt made its way into her chest as she realized she’d forgotten about their russet sibling. Elle had always kept to herself in the nearly 4 months they’d spent together before her disappearance. She hadn’t had much of a connection with her, but she was still her sibling and because of that she’d do anything for her. She was sure that the girl’s disappearance wasn’t her fault because why would she go looking for the dark girl on her own, but it was still sad to hear.

Romanov questioned if she’d seen anything cool and a small wag wiggled her tail. “I saw a whole bunch of stuff. Didn’t have much time to admire anything since I was trying to get home as quick as possible. Longest time I spent anywhere was a month with Miss. Piety and Cyril up north as the Monadnock while I was trying to get enough strength back to make it back down here. It’s this huuuuuge mountain rock sort of thing. You go to the top and feel like you’re gonna be blown off ‘cause of the wind, but you can see for miles. Tried to see if I could see the Willows from the top but it’s not quite that big,” she said with a small smile. The memories she’d made there during her stay were fond, even if they had ended with travesty.

But, enough about her for the moment. She wanted to know about her brother, about her best friend. “Anything else happen while I was gone? Meet anyone new? See anything cool?” It was strange asking him about things like that, considering before she left they’d experienced most of it together. She hoped that they could get back to that. She missed her Rom.