Dead Empress Backwater something waking up in my mind

RE: Spring showers have come early, resulting in heavy downpours throughout Relic Lore.

March 16th; Early morning, approaching daybreak; Overcast Clouds, beginning to rain; 39.11° F, 3.95° C.

Anatole swore he had just arrived home yesterday and, now, it was time again to leave. He rose early, hours before the sun if only for a glimpse of those he loved. A small reminder for him to keep at the back of his head while he faced the world beyond the Backwater's borders.

His first stop was peering in on the pack den, half-smiling to those slumbering within. Next, he bid Oleander's empty tree good tidings. Just enough to last it while he was away. Anatole would surely miss him; he had not even had time to talk to the Valle for a while now. At the back of his mind, he thought to find a little something to bring back. A gift or a token. For fun... for the most part.

As Anatole's paws found the borders, he held his head high, steps steady, and ears forward. Maybe this time he would get lucky. His past couple of trips had yielded nothing. No news or chance sightings. Nothing @Eros would find particularly exciting.

He turned his back on the territory, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes for a brief moment.

I am ménage Gerau. There is no call we do not answer. There is no faith that we betray.

A shaky exhale as he forced himself to keep centered.

Dead Empress Backwater asks us to bring the lost home for good.

He dragged his tongue over the front of his nose and took a breath. Upon breathing out he regarded the forests beyond with clear eyes.

Ménage Gerau accepts.

The Scout swallowed, surveying the silence. If anyone had any more requests of him, this was their last chance. A moment too late and they would have to wait for him to return again when the moon was nearly full.

(This post was last modified: Mar 16, 2024, 11:05 PM by Anatole.)

HANDLE YOUR OWN WHEN YOU BECOME A MAN

Eros had nearly missed his chance. He realized it only as he followed Ana's trail on its way out once again. Some things had changed, enough to warrant a discussion, even if brief. Their scout should at least have the heads up. He picked up the pace the closer they came to the edge of the Backwater, and when he knew himself finally near enough, Eros let out a bark to catch the other's attention, asking he wait for a moment. "Anatole? We need to talk a minute." There was little of his usual congeniality. After @Vayko's departure, Eros had grown tepid at best. Underneath everything he did these days, there was an undercurrent of anger that he was suppressing beneath flat lines and sharp glances. To think, he'd nearly advocated against his very father for the man's right to sow life in his own mother's womb at the same time that Vayko had been planning abandonment of the family he'd already been gifted.

BECOME A MAN WHEN YOU HANDLE YOUR OWN

The Scout had lifted a foot to begin his journey when he heard a bark at his back. He turned about, head looking over his shoulder at first before he reoriented himself. Eros' voice called out before Anatole had a chance to see him.

"Anatole? We need to talk a minute."

"Sir?" he answered, finally catching sight of the Leader.

The rain had started to fall from the gray clouds overhead. Large droplets made contact with the ground in faint, but sporadic 'thuds.' He had time to outrun the storm at this rate, though storms were nothing to him at this rate. On the cusp of adulthood, youth and athletic ability were on his side.

He dipped his head then, a gesture of respect. His tail, which had waved upon being greeted, lowered in a slower wag. There was something different though about Eros. Anatole's jaw jumped as he searched those white-spotted brows and apricot eyes. He blinked before he remembered to avert his gaze. How had he not noticed that about Eros before? Hmm. Whether it was the season or not, Anatole couldn't be certain. But, that same flippity-floppity feeling in his chest made itself known with a wave of heat on his cheeks. He trained his gaze on the Valle's left forearm. "Is something wrong?"

there used to be a greying tower
ANATOLE GERAU
alone on the sea

HANDLE YOUR OWN WHEN YOU BECOME A MAN

Being addressed so formally had once sent a ripple of whispered thoughts through his mind, but he was growing used to it, coming into his adulthood at last. Would he have ever grown up, had the world not pushed so hard for it to be so? Each time he thought he could let down his guard, or that a good hand had finally been dealt to him, fate, his opponent, pulled a new, cruel trick out from its sleeve. It was settling into place with harsh finality that he should never leave himself vulnerable to such surprises. "Some things, yes," he answered, taking Anatole's lack of eye contact as a gesture of respect. His own heavy gaze watched the younger wolf's dark mask, hoping to see understanding for the warnings he was about to be given. "I don't know how acquainted you might have been with Vayko," he bit down around the word, peach eyes casting askance a moment in clear agitation while his dark lips pulled back into a sneer, "but he's meant to be gone. If you run into his scent out there, avoid it. He's likely to see you as a threat, and you should see him as the same. If he's too close to home, come straight to me or @Viorel." It would have likely broken @Clover's heart into even smaller pieces to hear him speak now, but Eros held firm that every ounce of pain that came from Vayko's decision were just that; choices he alone was responsible for.

BECOME A MAN WHEN YOU HANDLE YOUR OWN

Anatole felt his heart sink as Eros told him that some things were wrong. Oh no. His dark ears pulled back and lowered in concern. He did nothing but listen, standing with his body slightly crouched and tail slack. Vayko, the name struck a chord at the back of his brain. It was uttered barely more than twice when he had talked a few times with Oleander in passing. He had been instructed to keep clear of the man. To keep his nose down and do what was responsible or as he was told.

Vayko...

Vayko...

He tried to recall what the older Valle had looked like. Having kept his distance when Brielle had been a part of the pack had hindered his full assimilation. The most he remembered was that Vayko was Clover's mate, pale in coat compared to Eros. He also had scars on his face, but where exactly he couldn't picture it.  Anatole tried his best to see it as an advantage as Eros told him that Vayko would view him as a threat.

The Scout's face was marred by disgust as he was ordered to report if the rogue was spotted too close to home. Whatever had happened, Anatole knew he supported Eros and Viorel regardless. Inner pack intricacies and dynamics were of little importance. To a Gerau, loyalty reigned above all.

Raindrops began to catch on his topcoat, collecting in groups of perfect little orbs. He shook his head and neck, clearing his nose with a sniff. "Understood," he answered, catching a glimpse of his superior's gaze. For a brief moment, he considered running a wide patrol around the Backwater. Instead of venturing outward, he would circle the surrounding sub-territories and make sure Vayko stayed away...

His head canted to one side in thought before righting again. It wasn't a bad idea.

"Shall I sound an alarm?" he questioned. "Attack on sight?" He might have been appointed as a Scout, but as a Sharpshooter by nature, he wielded the potential to be lethal. And, as he was slowly discovering, he would do anything for Eros. The realization had a lump form in his throat and he had to swallow hard to clear it.

there used to be a greying tower
ANATOLE GERAU
alone on the sea

HANDLE YOUR OWN WHEN YOU BECOME A MAN

Tole was attentive, the picture of a loyal subordinate. There was even a hint of underlying frustration, features twisting in a way that told Eros the source was not him or his instruction, but rather this new 'enemy of the state,' so to speak. Regarding him, it occurred to the leader just how little he really knew about the yearling in front of him. The forays he kept sending the young scout on did not help. He was asking evermore of him, and Anatole had yet to hesitate in stepping up to the bat, yet the connection between them was so tenuous. He should change that. If their shared home really meant so much to the Gerau, it was the least Eros could do for him in return. 'Shall I sound an alarm? Attack on sight?' The softest of snorts left his nostrils, a whisper of dry amusement before a taut frown took over. It was appreciated that the other was so ready to defend the Backwater, and it served to underscore his unspoken sentiment. "It's not that simple, no. He still matters to my mother and siblings," and that was a line Eros would not cross unless forced to. Not even Vayko would push that far, right? "Speaking of," a sigh, heavy, "add @Euna and @Jacynth to your list of missing, please. They likely went after him, though I'm not sure they'd do so together. Don't try to force them back and definitely don't try to approach them if you scent him too." At least they'd gotten someone back, but the overall numbers were still harshly disparate. It kind of felt like fighting a losing battle, trying to keep a family together. But, these weren't Anatole's problem, just part of an assignment. Eros looked to him again with a thin, but earnest, smile. "Thank you, Ana."

BECOME A MAN WHEN YOU HANDLE YOUR OWN

(This post was last modified: Mar 24, 2024, 03:17 AM by Eros.)

Sounding an alarm or outright attacking Vayko was a no-go as Eros reminded him that he still mattered. To Vanadis. To Eros' many siblings... Anatole gave a solemn nod, ears twitching as they remained low on each side of his head. He understood.

To hear that more names would be added to his mental "search list" made his heart sink. But, it was no place for the Scout to question why or how. All he had to know was where to look, which was on him to discover. Eros had enough on his figurative plate already.

"Euna. Jacynth," he pronounced the names with a slow and careful tongue as if it would inscribe it into his memory. "Got it. I'll start now in search of any leads. If... I can track them, I'll see what I can do." The smallest of smiles formed on his masked face, grateful to have gotten a sliver of Eros' time.

He glanced to one side before meeting Eros' eyes one more time with a slight tail wag, "Of course. It's the least I can do." There was a second where he thought he might turn and take his leave, but something tugged at his mind. "If it's okay to ask... with... so many missing," his shoulders tensed and the muscles in his limbs began to stiffen, "if they never come home..." He grimaced at the thought, flashbacks of Fools' Gold Chasm coming to mind. "If I spend extra time outside pack borders... will there still be a pack to come home to by summer if we cannot find them?"

there used to be a greying tower
ANATOLE GERAU
alone on the sea

HANDLE YOUR OWN WHEN YOU BECOME A MAN

Eros found himself surprised when trepidation began to press and pull at the scout's words. His gaze focused even more intently on Anatole, watching the unfamiliar tension and emotion play across his features as he built up to his question. Once out, it widened the leader's sunstone eyes further. Were the younger wolf less earnest in his asking, the older's response might very well have been anger. It had never occurred to him that Dead Empress Backwater ceasing to exist might ever be a concern. Had that happened, in the Gerau's past? "We will always be here," was his instantaneous answer, passionate and certain as day following night. Eros stepped closer while declaring it, willing Anatole to face his sincerity. Not just a fact, but a promise. "You never have to worry about that, alright?" His peach eyes would search for acceptance of this, but also any further hints to what the other was thinking, feeling. "Is there... something else, we should talk about?"

BECOME A MAN WHEN YOU HANDLE YOUR OWN