Aurora Heights stomp your feet

Back dated to approx. Oct 14th 2018. 2 weeks after the OTB fire/disbanding. Tagging @Kisina and @Corsair as they should be with Aponi arriving at AH, Mabel has gone to SE to see if they are okay. @Serach and @Azra and @Ayla can find the main group in this thread if you wish!

It should have only taken them two days to make it to the Heights, not two weeks. But, the small group was exhausted from the recent events and though they didn’t know it - smoke inhalation. Not only that but the mother forcing them to move slowly and take an unreasonable amount of breaks was a desperate attempt to let Serach and the others catch up to them. Everytime they stopped Aponi had blindly hoped that she would see them lopping in to join them, but that moment never came. Eventually she would grow hopeless and once again force everyone to their paws and onwards.

A few days ago she had allowed Mabel to break away from them to head towards the Edge to check that their pack was okay. She hadn’t wanted to, but Aponi knew that even if she had said no that the yearling would have done it anyways and at least this way Mabel had promised to come to the Heights after and reunite with them. Now it was only herself, her teenaged son and her youngest daughter. Throughout it all she tried to keep them positive, reassuring them that everything would be okay once they got to the mountain and to their sister’s pack. Most of her even believed it.

Maybe Serach and the others weren’t moving so slowly, maybe they had been there for days waiting for them. Maybe the fire had avoided most of the territory and they could go back in the spring. Maybe this wasn’t as bad as it seemed. Maybe the Heights had grown smaller as the Bend had and that’s why they weren’t smelling their markers. Or, maybe their noses had been damaged by the smoke and they were about to waltz over the lines uninvited.

All foolish hope of this was dashed as they had reached the crest of the mountain, where the borders had stood. Aponi could no longer lie to herself, she didn’t know what had happened to the Heights, but, they weren’t here now. Steely blue eyes swept over the cold expanse of stone critically, no signs of struggle but also no signs of life. Unwilling to show her children that this was the last straw holding her resolve together she announced matter of factly, ”We wait here for your father.” There would be no questions asked, this was an order not a suggestion.

Kisina wasn't sure how she felt about everything. She had wanted to go home but it had been clear that wasn't an option. Her siblings and mother had herded her along. Even when she got tired and wanted to sleep she kept following alongside them. But eventually Mabel went away somewhere and despite her displeasure with that, she dutifully stuck close to her mother. When they slept, she could pretend everything was okay. That her father and other siblings were still with them -- all together as a family.

It was hard though. She was not the dreamer her littermate was.

When they arrived somewhere new (for the umpteenth time this trip) Kisina glanced towards her mother for something to go off of. All she was met with was strict, orderly words. The Donata child nodded her head with uttering a word. But she couldn't stop herself from nosing around wherever they had come to, never did she stray from her mother's line of sight though.

Apologies <3

Corsair hadn't been to the mountains since he was a pup, but he didn't remember it taking so long last time. But he also didn't remember his stamina being so bad. It felt like they had barely made it beyond the Bend's borders before he hadn't been able to run another step without coughing up his lungs. It had taken days for his eyes to stop stinging, and several more before it felt like he could finally breathe deeply again. They were all worse for wear, and he had barely been able to keep his displeasure to himself when their little band dwindled even further. Rationally, he knew that sending Mabel to meet with their allies in the Edge made sense, but it increased the number of times Corsair anxiously checked over his shoulder in the hopes that his father, Ayla, and Azra would come running up behind them.

Climbing the mountains had been worse, and the feeling of dread was confirmed when they presumably "arrived" only to discover that the traces of the Aurora Heights wolves were rapidly fading. They were in unfamiliar territory, with the safety of their family in question, and it was making the yearling incredibly anxious. So there was no argument from him when his mother matter of factly stated that they would wait here until Serach arrived; he had no desire to go anywhere else. Except for maybe home, and that wasn't an option. Coughing into the dirt, he settled down to wait, keeping a tired eye on both Kisina and his mother, just in case.

Gonna be vague on time, but assume that they arrive several hours after Aponi & co, even the next day if that makes more sense.

The smoke had followed them for miles. Every step Serach and Azra took as they made their escape towards the mountains was plagued by the reminder that their home was burning behind them. Overwhelmed with physical and mental exhaustion, it took every bit of willpower that Serach possessed to keep his body moving forward. The enormity of what had happened wouldn't hit until nightfall, when they could finally stop moving. But once it hit, there was no shaking the feeling of utter devastation and sense of loss that settled in.

The father tried to put on a brave face for his son as they slowly made their way towards the Heights, but it was hard. He couldn't answer the questions of how and why it had happened, or when they would be able to go home. He also couldn't answer where Aponi was. They hadn't been that far behind the others, and yet there was no trace of them. It wasn't until Serach and Azra reached the foothills of the mountains almost two weeks later that he picked up the scent of his family. Even that couldn't invigorate them though; smoke inhalation and higher altitudes weren't helping.

But slowly and surely, Serach and Azra found their way to the others. His gaze moved from Aponi to Corsair to Kisina, the feeling of relief muted by the realization that Mabel wasn't there with them. Nor was Ayla. "I...I'm so sorry Aponi." He approached his mate, reaching out to press his head against her.

Woooooow, I'm the worst worst worst. @Corsair @Kisina @Azra

Aponi watched closely as Kisina began to explore their immediate surroundings, and quizzically as Corsair coughed into the dirt. Had he been doing it the whole trip? Had she not noticed? If the Heights still stood on this mountain they may have had an infirmary or better yet a healer, then her children could be looked over. She probably could have also done with medical attention but that was a moot point, not even a thought in her head as the sound of Corsair’s cough echoed on the stone.

She wasn’t confident how long had passed, a few hours to be sure but with the sun hidden behind a wall of grey clouds it was hard to be sure. To be honest, the mother thought it could be days before they saw hide or hair of her mate and their other children, if they saw them at all. It probably would have been a good idea to get some rest, get some sleep and try to heal. Instead she had scouted the stone for a safe den to keep, looked for signs of what the Heights had left behind. Old caches had all been empty, but their den was still intact and would be safe enough for them to stay in.

The mother had just gotten back from sweeping out the snow in front of then when her nose must have started playing tricks on her. It almost seemed like Serach was nearby, his familiar, comforting scent wafting amongst the stone. But, it wasn’t a trick. Soon his pale frame was in her sight, as was the pale form of their son, but not of Ayla. It was disheartening that they hadn’t heard or seen from their daughter, but the mother couldn’t help but feel uplifted to see any of her family at all.

Rushing forward, pressing her forehead against her mate’s she quietly shushed him, ”Oh, Serach. You made it, you’re alive” If only she knew how lucky she really was to be having this extra time. Then pulling away she draped her head over Azra’s shoulders, pulling him close, breathing him in.