Lost Lake why would i slow down

Backdated to 3/1, late evening.

Chan honestly hadn't been too worried when Neha didn't seem to come home, nor when she couldn't thereafter be found anywhere near the Lake. Sometimes wolves took off, followed a trail, a whim or just needed a breather. It didn't mean they were dead, or hurt, but then - Chan hadn't lost anyone suddenly like that, either. He knew it happened, but that was rare and as a runner himself, he'd rather give space and let others return on their own than panic and scour.

Hearing the pain in @Aleister's voice as he called repeatedly, searching continuously for his sister was what slowly ate at the Eastfall's heart and spurred him into action. Clearly their leader felt something was wrong, and he knew his sister best. Thus Chan started to search himself, including the various hazards he knew to exist along the mountain's spine. Just in case, but he hoped dearly he that he would find nothing at all before he found Neha's mangled corpse in any of them. It had given him the opportunity to climb the mountain's highest point once more, but had also led him directly into that storm that nearly took his and @Undertow's lives.

When he'd made it back, he'd been so exhausted by the trial that he'd only taken a moment to feed and slake his thirst before passing out in the communal den, sound asleep for hours.

Waking slowly, he stretched his long legs until the joints crackled. A satisfied groan left him, and the energy returned to him in waves. Warm and fed, all that plagued him now was a slight, ignorable ache throughout his body and the return of a parched tongue. Chan sat up at a sloth's pace, blinking the sleep away from his eyes. The sun was already gone; what did it matter if he took just a few more minutes to wake up?

(This post was last modified: Mar 05, 2021, 01:56 AM by Chan.)

For the past couple weeks, the Vuesain had noticed the increasing absence of his eldest sister. Though, the light agouti woman was still in the area, she was not around for conversations or meetings with their new guests. Knowing that was extremely unlike his strong headed sister, she was never one to not be involved especially since she was the main culprit of them returning to the Lore. Aleister had felt the pull to return to their birthplace, but it was his sister that brought him back. Then she decided to just leave him here.

The sun had departed the Lore, leaving only stars to light the way to the communal den. Tonight, he was going to check with the rest of the group for the first time in a few days. The least he could do was show them his face and prove at least he was still around. Aleister wasn’t sure who would all be at the den, though he was somewhat sure his lookalike would be waking up any moment now for his graveyard shift. As he approached the den area, his mismatched gaze looked around hoping to find him, but it seemed he either wasn’t awake yet or had already taken off for the night. “Chan? He called out into the darkness.

 

Aleister's familiar voice bounced through the den, causing Chan's posture to swiftly straighten. Was he just checking in on him, or did Aleister have news? The Eastfall hadn't stopped to get an update from anyone nor crossed paths with another before coming here to sleep. Hopefully nothing had occurred in his absence.

"Yeah?" he asked, pushing himself up onto his feet and trotting toward the den's mouth and Aleister's shadowy form.

"There was a pretty nasty storm on the peak..."

It unfortunately kept him uncertain about whether or not Neha had really crossed that way, or even if she'd been felled somewhere along the escarpments. He certainly hadn't found any traces, even before the weather turned, but that wasn't to say that hadn't been erased as the mountain's face constantly shifted.

The dark agouti Vuesain didn’t have to wait long for a response from his younger look alike as Chan as quick to answer and appear at the entrance to the old Fallen Tree Cove communal den. “Happy you are back safe,” he responded simply, his gaze glancing back towards the peak that he was referring to. If hadn’t of discovered what he had, Aleister would of been concerned for the possibility that is his sister could of gotten caught up within the same storm. However, he knew that didn’t happen.

“I found her trail leading away from the Lake and the Lore altogether,” his tone was solemn as he turned back to meet the lad’s green and silver gaze with his own mismatched gaze. There was no need to spend any more time searching for the Vuesain woman, her decision to leave them all behind without a goodbye evident with her paw prints leading away from all of them. “No need to look for her any longer.” Aleister sure wasn’t gong to spend anymore of his time searching for her. After his conversation with Lila, he came to the realization none of this was his fault. She broke her promise to him, while he had kept his end of the deal.

 

(This post was last modified: Mar 08, 2021, 02:36 AM by Aleister.)

Aleister wasn't the most emotive of wolves, but there was still something overly subdued in his demeanor as he responded. The smile that had tentatively appeared when greeting the other vanished altogether, replaced with a somber attentiveness. Was he simply tired, in a bad mood? Or... had something happened? Worry began to fester inside of his chest, setting Chan on edge.

His leader did not leave him in suspense for long; it was about Neha, and she... had left on her own accord. Chan couldn't help the sigh of relief, accompanied by a smile, that swept through him. Thank goodness. That meant she was safe. But... that also meant she had left without a heads up to her brother. Chan's ears swept back, a surge of sympathy coming on for the Vuesain who now had no one from his past, and clearly had wanted things to be far different.

When they'd all first arrived, the siblings had appeared thick as thieves. Apparently, Neha had learned that staying here wasn't what she truly wanted. Perhaps it had been too difficult to admit that to Aleister. Selfish, sure, but... Chan couldn't help but understand and empathize with both wolves.

"I'm sorry she didn't say goodbye," he spoke quietly, smile uncharacteristically absent once more as he watched the other man's dial.

It was hard to think after so many years traveling together, spending night and day with each other that the least she could do was say goodbye to him. Was he not even worth that? Sure, he would have been irritated with her for bringing him back, just to decided she didn't want to follow through with their plans. He knew he would have eventually understood and bid her farewell and safe travels. But, she took that away from him. Aleister wasn't able to say goodbye to his sister for potentially the last time which was what truly bothered him.

Chan quietly apologized for her absent goodbye. A solemn nod accepting his polite words as his mismatched gaze looked around the den site, noting nobody else had come to the den yet or they were already inside before he got here. "I also just want to thank you," he started off, his bi-colored gaze finding their way back to his tawny look alike. "Thank you for staying and helping with everything really." He muttered sincerely. If the Eastfall family wasn't here, Al surely wouldn't have stayed. 

 

Aleister continued to be greatly reserved, in a way that flagged to Chan that he was deeply affected by this event. The worry nestled below his sternum when the leader-to-be first approached re-awoke. Would this ripple through them, shake the foundations they'd been trying to lay? If only he knew the man better, could have some kind of assurance of how the Vuesain would handle this. As it was, he had to simply trust, hope and watch.

Chan's ears picked up as, after a moment of silence, Aleister spoke up again.

"Of course," he answered softly. He didn't feel he needed to be thanked, but certainly wouldn't argue such a point.

"I can't leave Nash and Mom without a home."

There was plenty for the Eastfall to lose, and he wouldn't allow himself to be chased out in the middle of a crisis again like he had before, especially by his own wanderlust.

(This post was last modified: Apr 12, 2021, 07:35 PM by Chan.)