Dead Empress Backwater Hunted

@Viorel and any other DEB wolves. Sharlee has returned home. She is waiting at the border for Vi.

It had been far too long since she'd gone off on her scouting trip. What was worse was that she hadn't found what she'd been sent to look for. Instead all she'd found was a grizzly who seemed to have its heart set on wolf for dinner. The damn thing had followed her for days taking her far off the track that she'd knew would bring her home. Sharlee had spent days leading it away from her pack as well as trying to lose it.

It wasn't until the sixth day she'd doubled back so many times she finally lost the bear. In fact she'd doubled back so many times she thought she might be lost. Thankfully she wasn't but she was sure her family thought her dead.

Regardless she had to return home and let them know she was okay. Each day she'd traveled as far as she could before for resting. It all paid off when she finally caught the familiar scent of her border. There in lay a problem she wasn't sure she should cross into the territory after being gone so long amd maybe even being considered dead.

Sharlees ears flattened against her skull as she looked into the trees of Dead Empress Backwater. With a deep breath in her chest she lifted her muzzle towards the canopy and called for Viorel and anyone else who could hear her.

Eros had been gnawing upon a bone, sucking the marrow from it and nibbling away any attached cartilage. It was deliciously satisfying, and he truly thought his mood couldn't improve. Then he heard a howl, casting through the sky far above his young head, and his learning ears recognized it before the song died out.

"Aunt Shar!" he shouted, abruptly dropping the bone and racing forward without a thought. It was a guess, really, which direction the sound had come from, but hopefully it was the right one, because he wanted to get to her as soon as possible and give her a great big hug.

Though Sita had been keeping herself busy by quietly keeping eyes on the many pups that romped and hunting for her now very large family, Sharlee's absence had gone noticed. Her sweet niece had been there at Hazel's birth and then abruptly disappeared! Their poor family seemingly cursed with getting snatched or something worse. Whenever she went out to hunt, Sita kept an eye open for signs of the girl, but no luck.

A howl at the pack's borders would quickly inform her that Sharlee had found her own way home.

Sita jumped to her paws and sprinted towards the call. She was no healer, but Sita liked to think herself an alright mother. "Sharlee!" She called out as she approached, slowing to a walk as she spotted Eros as the first of their welcome wagon. "Thank gods you're alright. Are you?"

currently travelling with walleye

Viorel had been trying to keep busy to keep his mind off his cousin’s disappearance. He knew they didn’t have enough members to spare on extra scouting trips after she hadn’t returned from the one Sharlee had been on. The leader did as much scouting as he could in his spare time, but had only ever come up empty pawed, including the time he had terrorized that poor stranger. Today his task had been mostly being useless, although he was doing his best to help Clover with her medicine den. The Valle was doing whatever he was told, but given that he knew next to nothing about healing, he was more so offering moral and social support while the woman actually got things done.

The call that rang over the territory had Viorel lifting his head and perking his salt and pepper ears in disbelief. It couldn’t possibly be? Chuffing a brief goodbye to the healer, he peeled out of the den as quickly as his dark paws could get purchase. Still, he had never been the fastest wolf given his bulky frame, and Eros and Sita both managed to beat the leader to the borders. This time he was sure that it was Sharlee that had called him, and not some stranger trying to innocently drink from a stream. This time his muscular frame did not slow, he crashed into her with full force.

Yipping excitedly he cried out, ”Sharlee! Where have you been? What happened?!” She seemed physically in one piece, albeit a little scruffier than last time he saw her. What had kept her so long?

Though she was tired and a little disheveled from her trip Sharlee smiled at the sight of little Eros. "Eros, you've gotten so big." This was the first time she'd laid eyes on him outside of a den. She was glad to see him out and about. Immediately she wondered how the other pups were doing. What had she missed during her time away?

Her Aunt Sita arrived shortly after Eros. "Aunt Sita, I'm so glad to see you. I've missed you both," She told the two upon Sita's approach. She nodded, "Just a little worse for wear. Nothing a few days rest and a good meal won't take care of." Thankfully she'd been able to avoid the bear catching up to her. There was so much she missed about home and now that she was standing at the border she couldn't wait to cross into the territory.

Almost as if he knew she was wondering where he was Viorel appeared. Sharlee wasn't ready for the greeting she recieved from her cousin. The force he crashed into her with almost knocked her over, "I'm so happy to see you to Vi," she said wrapping him in a wolfish hug.

When they finally parted she was able to speak. "I ran into a bear. He decided that I would make a good meal I guess. He followed me for days until I was finally able to lose him," she explained. It wasn't the tale of a lifetime at all but she'd gotten through it and home. That was what mattered.

As Eros ran, his fledgling nostrils began to pick up the scents of his packmates. He could distinguish between them clearly now, and came to understand that his father and grandmother were also moving through the forest, not far at all from his much smaller frame. He pumped his legs even faster, bolstered by the presence. He must be going in the right direction!

Sure enough, as the tree trunks and brush whizzed past, something new but familiar emerged from the blur.

"Aunt Shar!" he shouted gleefully once again as he saw her face, amber eyes shining. He'd been so worried, it was the first time anyone had been gone so long and with the tension the adults had carried regarding her absence... well, he really wasn't sure what any of it had meant but he'd been very afraid that maybe she wasn't coming back.

Sita and Viorel appeared as well, as he'd expected what with his excellent sniffing and all, and he couldn't help but also excitedly chirp "Gamma! as he passed the blue-eyed woman to rush Sharlee with oversized paws and wet kisses.

Sita would make room for Eros and Viorel, both seemingly eager to coddle the returned woman. It was sweet to watch and her tail waggled at her back. The passing greeting from Eros also quite warmed her heart. "We can provide both of those easily enough, I'm certain. Even if I have to nab a meal for you myself." She sat back on her haunches, but was quickly back to all fours when Sharlee recounted her tale to them. A bear? A FEW DAYS?

"A few days!" What a bastard of a bear, truly! Though Sita held this back in the presence of the child. "Thank the moon you weren't harmed. Terrible that it tailed you for so long." Her tail hoisted far over her back, curled at the tip in alarm. Her ears lifted.

currently travelling with walleye

Viorel was pleased when Sharlee returned his enthusiasm, and it was basically a miracle that they both stood on their paws. When Eros joined them Viorel stamped his feet excitedly and kissed his son on the top of the head. Finally he let his cousin go, and the sharp yellow eyes were able to take in her appearance more closely. A little dishevelled, and definitely tired, but no visible injuries marred her pelt or caused any immediate alarm.

Eyes widened in surprise along with his mother’s cry, ”How were you able to lose it? Was it alone?” His mind was immediately racing with worst case scenarios, he was so thankful that she was home safe but the idea of one of his children running into a bear shook him. Then another thought, ”You don’t think it has the madness disease do you?” Rabies he meant, but Viorel had never heard the official term for the illness that caused foaming at the mouth and aggression.

Then realizing how tired she must be, he stepped to the side to open the way, ”Please, come in, we can talk on the way to the den. I should alert the others once you are settled.” They would all need to be on high alert.

Sharlee smiled at little Eros, "I missed you little man," she told him bumping his cheek with her muzzle. "I hope you were keeping your father in line for me." This of course was a joke in her mind but maybe Eros did keep his father in mind. She supposed she'd find out later. At that moment her thoughts turned to her aunt Sita who was also there to welcome her home. 

"Thank you Sita that's exactly what I want to hear. I wanted to get back as soon as I could so I didn't have the time to stop." She had known she was overdue and thought her family might be worried. She didn't want to extend their worry. 

Her tail was wagging furiously when Viorel arrived. She'd missed him quite a lot and it was clear by his reaction at seeing her he'd felt the same. "I am sorry to have worried everyone," she said once she'd been released. The questions started then. "It is terrible," she said agreeing with Sita. "I had to double back a few rides to confuse it." She explained, "And yes it was alone." She was thankful for that at least.  The next question that Vi asked her caused her to think beck before she shook her head. "No, I think it was just hungry." She couldn't remember seeing any signs that it had the sickness. 

She smiled at her cousin, "I'd like that very much. My paws are killing me." She hadn't stopped until she reached the border. "I'm sure the others will be happy to know  home." Frankly she couldn't wait to curl up and sleep. 

Eros wasn't entirely sure what they were all talking about, and mostly because he didn't know exactly what a bear was. He tried to piece it together from the context, the facts that the adults thought it was awful and that Aunt Sharlee had to run from it for days making for a rather frightening imagining. His little head remained craned back as he looked upward from face to face.

"Wha'sa bear?" he finally piped up, bouncing on his paws.