Cedarwood Forest See? He's fine!

<blockquote>While Jaysyek had been occupied in preparing herself to fully take on her <span class='word'>materfamilias</span> role, Borden Lyall had been absolutely obsessed with making sure their territory was still safe, sound, and secure. In the span of two weeks he had scouted out only <i>two</i> ideal rendezvous sites: one on the edge of the Thicket, and another in the form of a large hollowed out tree. It seemed that everywhere else had some sort of accident waiting to happen - fallen logs posed as a dangerous stepping stone, what was left of the ruined tree promised incidents with splinters, empty caves implied that their recent inhabitant would still return, and the river running along the northern side of the territory did nothing to ease the leader's paternal worries. After an hour of searching for a third spot to show Vlarindara and Kiche, he managed to end up beside the remains of the ancient tree. His eyes peered into the spacious nook, studying the bed of pine needles he had piled into it. It would soon be occupied, he knew, and that thought alone had his heart fluttering.

He took a deep breath, satisfied that the temporary den site smelled nothing more than moist earth and a hint of the pack. For a moment, he wondered if he ought to thoroughly mark it, to send a signal to other creatures that his pack frequently occupied this part of the forest. A shook of his head whisked the thought away; he would worry about things like that later when there <i>were</i> pups to stow away while the adults hunted.

With one last glance over his shoulder, he began to walk away from the potential sanctuary. Perhaps two sites were good enough; if Jayse chose to rear them in the pack den first, then the Grizzly Hollow pups would have three locations to choose from after all. <i>Three</i>. Ambling along through the trees, he glanced up to the cloudy afternoon sky, allowing himself to get lost in thought as he wandered towards the den.</blockquote>

Well, what do you want from me?

How long had it been? A month, maybe two. It had been a long time, that was all Raigo was sure of. Large paws attempted to move nimbly as he made his way through the forest, trying to remember. It hadn't been too long ago, had it? They would still remember him, wouldn't they? He had toyed the idea around in his mind for ages, trying to decide if it it was worth it to go back. Given his current situation, with his overgrown coat clinging to him in clumps and his eyes hungry for food, he wasn't sure if he would take him back. And then there was the whole "I disappeared without telling anybody where I was going" thing. That could also be a problem. Surely they would understand? He hadn't done it on purpose. His spirit had been taken by a stag, who had lured him away on a chase. The youth's spirit was unable to handle being taunted by that, and his desire to prove himself to his elder pack mates had made him give chase. And chased they had. Through the trees, the barren branches pulling on his coat, slowing him down. His saliva dripping from his mouth in anticipation. But ultimately he had lost sight of his prey as they crossed a river, far beyond where Raigo had ever explored. He had attempted to search for it, but the animal had become a animalcule, completely hidden to Raigo's desperate searching. The simple answer would have been to turn back, but at that point, he was so disoriented that when he picked a direction, he had picked the wrong one.

But now he had returned, admittedly, on accident. Raigo had wanted to come back, of course, but he hadn't ever expected to stumble upon this place again. So his ability to recognize some of the landmarks had thrilled him, and further investigations had turned up the scents of his adopted sister, Vlarindara, and his two alphas, Borden and Jaysyek. Three wolves that he had never expected to see again. So with a wagging tail and a grin on his mug, he had followed them eagerly, back into Cedarwood Forest where they had decided to start a new pack. The strengthening of their scents at the borders, particularly Borden's, only cheered Raigo up even more. They would be happy to see him, he was sure of it. So he did not stop at the border. Had he been thinking properly, he would have, but he did not seem himself as a non-member of the pack, despite his absence, so he kept going. Brown eyes looking about eagerly, he gave a sort of "whuff", anxiously searching for a familiar face.

(This post was last modified: May 10, 2011, 07:30 PM by Raigo.)

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<blockquote>It was a good thing Borden had come to his senses when he had or else he would have missed the soft bark that resonated somewhere to his right. Something about it seemed familiar, yet somewhat strange at the same time. He scanned his immediate surroundings before sauntering in the direction from where the sound came from. The scent of a foreign wolf filtered through the sparse foliage before he caught sight of the brute, who seemed to be hellbent on finding another individual. Another good thing was that the first wolf this stranger would meet was <i>him</i>... and he would make sure that this trespasser knew he had stepped onto his turf.

He watched as the male began to wander away. Then, drawing from Vlarindara's example from when he had stumbled past territory borders a while ago, the alpha strode forward and allowed an acknowledging bark emit from his throat, followed by an attention-grabbing growl. He flashed his teeth and raised his plumed tail before squaring his shoulders. He had no intent to attack, he just wanted to let him know that overstepping well-marked boundaries was not the protocol when it came to searching for something or someone. Another growl rumbled from his being, <b><i>What brings you here, stranger?</i></b></blockquote>

(This post was last modified: May 11, 2011, 07:34 PM by Borden.)

Well, what do you want from me?

He was minding his own business, he really was. He wasn't, ya know, doing anything disrupted, like sniffing other people's trees. Raigo was utterly confused when his low barks were answered by a much more authoritative bark. The growl that came next was unexpected, and the happy grin that had graced Raigo's tan and creme muzzle fell away. Turning his head, he titled his head to the side as the larger male came forward, body rather defensive. The aggressive posture was not expected, and he took a step back, a confused look on his face. What had happened? What had he done wrong?

Then the scent coming from the aggressive male hit Raigo, and his look of confusion was replaced with a smile. He jumped forward, tail wagging. "Borden!" His leader! His friend! But what was with the growls? Stopping short of running into his leader, Raigo halted, the confused look coming back. "Borden, it's me. It's Raigo." He supposed he had changed since he had been away. His body has filled out since he had been gone, but the growth had been stunted again by his inability to eat adequately. He had kept himself fed, but certainly his alpha was better fed, having the advantage of a pack to back him up. So maybe it was possible that the leader didn't recognize him. "I...uh...I came back?"

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<blockquote>His eyes would have narrowed suspiciously at the male if it weren't for the sound of his name. <i>"Borden!"</i> the youth trilled. <i>"Borden, it's me.</i> The leader's mind went to work on placing a name and how this wolf had met him but he was too slow to come up with it. <i>"It's Raigo."</i> A pause separated the youth's words as Borden stared curiously at Vlarindara's younger brother as he added, <i>"I...uh...came back?"</i>

The air Borden drew into his lungs stung after realizing he had been holding his breath. The tail at his back began to sway as he recognized the tan and beige fur... the characteristic nose... those emotive brown eyes. It took him a few moments to loosen up, but when he did, he offered him a warm smile, one that seemed to have come about from pulled heart-strings. <b>"Raigo,"</b> he breathed. <b>"Where have you been? Where did you go?"</b> His ears swiveled back briefly. <b>"We were all very worried... when you left and didn't come back,"</b> he mentioned.</blockquote>

Well, what do you want from me?

What if Borden didn't recognize him? That would be an issue, a pretty big one actually. Because that would mean he had trespassed, which meant Raigo was in deep trouble. He had been born in a pack and new well the laws that went with being a wolf. They stuck to their territories to avoid confrontation with others. If one individual broke that rule, than all havoc would break loose. So those moments seemed to take a life time, and Raigo took a hesitant step backwards, ready to run if his leader didn't recognize him.

But then, hope was restored, and Raigo's brown eyes filled with hope as the black and white tail of his leader began to wag above his back. His own tan tail wagged anxiously at his hocks, and he flashed a toothy grin. "Hi Borden," gone was the worry, and he strode forward. Closing the space between them, he licked Borden's chin, tail wagging faster as he greeted his leader. Breathing in, he was delighted to pick up the scent of his sister. He liked Borden, and his mate, but Vlar, that was who he was tied to. But then the question came, and Raigo had to take a step back. Breathing in, he averted his eyes while he collected his thoughts. Then, looking up rather sheepishly, he began. "Well, you see, there was this deer. And I wanted to try and help, with the new pack and everything. But, I lost it...and then well, you see....I kinda...um...got lost too..." Gulping down air rapidly, he averted his eyes back down to the ground. Hopefully his leader would understand. "I didn't mean too." The words sneaked out before he could stop them, and he looked wistfully up at Borden, hoping that the older man would understand.

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<blockquote>Borden held still as Raigo stepped forward, placing his tongue briefly against the alpha's chin. The simple 'hello' had made the warmth radiating from his relieved heart wash over him. His secretly-proclaimed "ward" had returned... At the back of his mind, he reveled in the idea of how Vlarindara would react when her long-lost sibling appeared. As explanations were revealed - a chase and a determination to help the three adults he had traveled with - Borden simply nodded as the younger wolf dropped his gaze to the ground.

The leader opened his mouth to speak but he closed it quietly as Raigo glanced up at him. He should have been upset or angry that the pup had gone off on his own without telling anyone, but decided against it. The scenario could have been much, much worse - Raigo could have been injured, perhaps even misshapen, by a more serious incident had that deer opted to turn around and fight, or gravely ill from malnutrition or a curious venture in testing a rotting carcass. Yet, here he stood with all his limbs and important features intact; aside from his rugged pelt and wiry frame, he looked seemingly fine.

<b>"I know,"</b> he said gently, his tail easing into a more relaxed wag. <b>"But I'm glad you're back."</b> Gently pressing his nose to Raigo's, he gave a slight chuckle and raised a brow, <b>"Don't think you're off the hook though.. well, maybe with me, but I'm sure Vlarindara might have some stern words once she gets a hold of you."</b></blockquote>

Well, what do you want from me?

You won't be able to rank Raigo's account (I don't think) so just let me know where you want him and I'll do it. =)

Raigo waited with held breath, unwilling to exhale until Borden reacted, either for the better or for the worse. The youth could only hope that he would understand, but if he could not, then there was not much that Rai could do about that. He had made a mistake, he realized that now. But...at least he had come back? He had loyalty to his family, even if there was no blood relation between himself and them. He loved them, and ultimately, that's all that mattered in the youth's mind.

Meeting Borden's eyes as the leader pressed his nose to his own coal black one, Raigo's fluffy tail began to wag as well. Borden was a class act, something that Rai had admired in him from the beginning. The leader had managed to look beyond the black and tan wolf's error in judgement and realize that his mistake had come from trying to better his pack, as opposed to anything malicious in intent. But just as his hopes were rising, Borden momentarily sunk them. What would Vlarindara do to him when she saw him? No doubt she would maul him to death - that was usually her style of doing things. But at least he would get to see her one last time, ya know, before she killed him for being an idiot.

Grinning, Raigo glanced behind Borden, straining to see. There were other scents here too, ones that he didn't recognize, and he wanted to know who they belonged to. He had been gone a fair amount of time, who knows what could have happened? "But...I can come back, right?" He added after a moment, his relaxed posture hurriedly changing. Ears flattened against his skull, tail tucked under his belly, eyes averted, and his whole body lowered to the ground. When they had first met, Raigo had not really had to submit because he had been in that in between stage of youth and adulthood. But puphood was in his rear-view now, and he needed to behave like the responsible adult he wanted to be.

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<i>O O C | Could I request him to retake his place as II.Second p'ease? <3 or... whichever rank above Kiche?</i>
<blockquote>Raigo asked if it was alright for him to come back; Borden was even quick to note that he paired the question with the actions of a respectful member of a pack. If the two of them had been human, Borden would have heartily patted the youth on the back and ruffled his chestnut brown hair with a laugh. He would even give him a gentle nudge on his shoulder or something - a little gesture of reassurance and approval that it was alright for him to be here... to continue roaming toward the den to be reunited with their family. Having been canines, though, the leader just chuckled. <b>"Of course,"</b> he said without even a moment's hesitation. <b>"I don't see why not."</b>

He then added, just for good measure, <b>"This is your home isn't it?"</b> Images of how the pack would react to Raigo, from surprise and joy to curiosity and suspicion, came back to mind. Only then, however, did it occur to him that he had not seen Vlarindara since he had returned from his journey to the mountain. She had always been the first to rise and the last to return once everyone had settled down for the night - just keeping up her guard and specified responsibilities as his Second when it came to keeping their family safe. At the back of his mind he decided that with all the patrolling and scouting she was doing, surely, she would run into either one of them eventually.</blockquote>

Well, what do you want from me?

Raigo waited anxiously for Borden's response, wondering what he would do if the larger male would turn him away. Where would he go? What would he do? He honestly didn't know too many other wolves who lived in Relic Lore. Without Borden's protection, he would be on his own, and be in some serious trouble. He was a decent hunter, but Rai was definitely a social creature. Being on his own the past couple of months had been torture, and every day he had longed for the company of others. Despite the area that he had traveled, other wolves had been few and far between, and the fact that he was sitting here proved that they had not connected to the youth.

But his anxiety faded away, a genuine smile graced his lips as he heard Borden's chuckle. Of course this was home, no other place could be home. "Thank you," he chirped, hopping up. Tail wagging, he darted a few yards away, breathing in the sweet air of the Grizzly Hollow. This was home. "So, where is Vlar?" It was probably the most important question he could ask right now. His sister would want to see him, of this he was sure. "I miss her."

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