Turtleback Lake lions and tigers come running just to steal your luck

It had felt like all at once the very ground had been pulled away from under her paws. What had been picturesque for so long was now thoroughly shattered with the one absence she'd never seen coming. His voice would play often in her head, one memory standing out clearly.

'Promise I won’t leave you again.'

'Next time, you’re comin’ with me.'

Atara stood at the lake's shore, her legs and mind both tired. Mom hadn't found a body, like they had Colette. He was still out there, had to be trying to get back home. As she had every night since @Finley had told her, the child had wandered as far as she dared away from the pack's territory in order to howl. She tilted back her head and sent out a call, again and again until her throat hurt.

He had to be out there, and one of these times he had to hear her, and her dad would find her and they could go home and everything would go back to being okay.

(This post was last modified: Jan 20, 2024, 02:04 AM by Atara.)

Trouble in paradise had started to rise shortly after their arrival and Galen couldn't deny the uneasiness he felt after the unfolding of events recently. Various theories were mulled over in his mind while dark limbs opted to trudge along the boundaries of his temporary abode, wavering in their decision to step beyond them or not granted the current circumstances. The biggest theory that plagued the front of his mind consisting of the concept perhaps it wasn't the mountain he actually called home that was cursed, but himself. A walking tragedy wherever he went.

Lost in his internal monologue of less than pleasant thoughts, Galen hadn't realized the aimless wandering of his paws in the process had managed to lead him away from the pack until his skull was suddenly rattling with the echo of a repetitive howl. Charcoal ears pivoted forward in curiosity, changing the trajectory of his paws to head in the direction the call had come from as well as following the faintly familiar scent trail that told him this was a member of the Falls. Who specifically he didn't know. Pushing through some frozen foliage, he narrowed golden eyes to hone in a dark silhouette smaller than his own seated against the shore of a lake. Funny enough it reminded him of the turtles back home with the various islands breaching the water's surface out in the distance.

So he wasn't the only one that found solace in the presence of water. The scenery was ignored for now, though, as a low chuff resonated in his chest to announce his presence before daring to approach closer.

By the time she'd given up, tears were falling steadily down her cheeks. Atara's heart was broken, and there was so much she could not comprehend. Everything her father had been to her, all that he stood for, felt irreconcilable with his absence now. Deep in thought, throat raw, she was easily startled when she caught on to the approach of another wolf.

Whipping around, her heart lifted for a split second before crashing down into her stomach with disappointment. He'd had her father's dark cloak, but gold eyes stood out clearly where emeralds sights like her own should have been inlayed instead. Her ears splayed and a deep frown tugged down at her dark lips, her emotions expressively displayed.

"Hi," she murmured, voice scratchy and hushed from her nightly concert.

(This post was last modified: Jan 23, 2024, 11:48 PM by Atara.)

Like lightning the smaller individual whipped around at his approach and Galen couldn't contain the mirrored splaying of his own ears catching sight of the painstakingly obviously look of disappointment after just a split second glance at him that he was not who she had wanted to appear right now.

Ouch.

Was this the leaders kid?

A quiet greeting was offered and the gentlest of swishes from Galen's tail offered his own greeting in return as well as to dispel any signs that he may have been a little hurt by her less than warm welcoming before slowly padding closer. "Mind if I join you?" He spoke gently, waiting until his paws hit just before the water's edge to lower himself into a comfortable sit while casting his golden gaze out toward the glistening surface of the lake beneath the pale moonlight.

"Whatcha doing out here all by yourself?" A curious brow lifted as his gaze shifted momentarily toward the younger wolf at his side.

Atara had known it was rude of her, but for once she couldn't bring herself to really care. Her own emotions were currently too strong, pulling her focus completely. His first question earned a soft shrug of her shoulders, the most honest response she could give at the moment. Atty hadn't minded being alone, but being a pack animal, company always brought a sense of comfort, even if small.

The second query caused her ears to lay flat altogether, and her gaze went back to the frozen shore at their paws.

"... looking for Dad."

The newly-arrived yearlings were Micah and Addison's family, she'd been told. Atara figured they'd been told things about her too, and certainly knew of Jethro's absence. Still the words came out, trembling almost imperceptibly while her shoulders hunched.

"He got into a fight and hasn't come back."

(This post was last modified: Feb 06, 2024, 03:44 AM by Atara.)

Looking for Dad.

Immediately the phrase had Galen's heart clenching in his chest, a familiar pang causing the large muscle to ache momentarily until a brief shake of his pelt easily capable of being blamed on the weather eased the phantom pain that resonated within. The  inky coated Vuesain had been young too when he lost his father. Much younger, in fact, than the girl currently was. Alas, the difference between their otherwise eerily similar situations was that her father had a chance at coming back.

Aleister was gone.

"I'm sure he'll come back.." Galen started slowly, cautiously planning his next choice of words to prevent upsetting the child further upon notice of her hunched shoulders and the warbling in her voice. "Your dad looks pretty tough to me and I bet he's making his way home as we speak." Truthfully he had no idea what the outcome would be, but false hope was better than no hope right?

The older youth answered with a level of optimism that Atara had not expected. The adults in her life had been careful thus far not to make such promises, but she was still young and innocent enough to believe it. Her ears and gaze both lifted, stained-glass eyes brightening slightly. She didn't leap into the idea, but she did cling to the hope Galen was expressing.

"You really think so?"

Jethro was indeed tough, and strong, and dependable. So... why hadn't he kept his promise? For some reason, it kept nagging at her. Why had he gone so far without her to begin with? When he did come back, her dad would have a lot of explaining to do.

Galen watched as the flickering embers of hope slowly began to grow into a slow burning flame behind those green eyes of hers, yet never fully developing into a full fledged fire. The swarthy boy wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not, but perhaps the burn would be less painful for the young girl should the hope he fed be doused out completely with the lack of her fathers return.

"I do." the boy gave a small nod of his head, a half smile etching onto the corner of his maw before shifting his attention from that of the child at his side to the lapping of waves along the pebbly shoreline. "Your dad was the one that allowed my friend and I to stay here and recover. So I hope he comes back so I can properly thank him." Nothing but truth was spoken this time around as Galen recalled their trek here. Had they not offered them sanctuary and medical aid so willingly he'd hate to imagine the state in which his friend's leg may be in now.

The thought was gruesome enough to send a chill down his spine.

Her tail began to wag infrequently, the confirmation truly helping to bolster her spirits tonight. Atara would keep coming here, now with a renewed hope that her efforts might really mean something. Her dad just had to hear her once, just had to howl back, and she would save him, whatever it took.

Galen continued, giving his own reason for wanting her father to return. She had been so caught up in the losses her pack was experiencing, she hadn't thought as deeply as she should have about their visitors' problems. Atara might have internally reprimanded herself for that realization with how much her mother emphasized etiquette and consideration for others, but Finley had also shown a certain level of grace for herself in dealing with this grief they both were struggling to cope with. The example was taken to heart, as all other's her parents had provided so far in her brief existence.

"How is she? Magg?"

They certainly weren't nameless to her, and she did have an idea of what was wrong. Mica's cousin's leg was badly hurt, to the point she couldn't climb the mountain herself to get back to Sanguine Cove, a place Atara had only ever heard of. Atty guessed Galen was here to look out for her, which was rather gallant of him.

(This post was last modified: Mar 05, 2024, 06:47 AM by Atara.)

Atara went on to inquire about the state Magg was in and Galen couldn't hide the expression of disappointment that washed over his swarthy features. Granted his lack of medical knowledge he couldn't gauge on a scale of good to bad how her leg was healing, but the lack of major improvement had him worried she'd have a permanent position on the latter end of the metaphorical scale. Chan clearly was trying his best, but alas his best wasn't cutting out nor holding up to Magg's expectations of where her recovery should be.

"Er..not good, but not entirely bad I suppose." A small shrug of his shoulder followed suit, lowering his gaze once more to briefly glance in the young girl's direction. "Healing isn't really something I learned back home, but I can say her leg isn't as swollen as it was when we first arrived." That much he could say, but as far as anything else he simply learned from overhearing the various checkups Chan swung by for. Not that Galen could really miss much given the rise in his friend's agitation during and after.

"I will say, though, that lady in pain is almost as bad as an angry mama bear and I do not want to be on her bad side." At this he chuckled lightly, not that the suffering Magg was enduring was funny nor was he sure if his dry sense of humor would click for the young girl.