Thicket of Secrets 'til i wake your ghost

He awoke before daylight, sparse bits of his tawny pelt wet with the dew that glazed over the thicket. Once more he was alone, only the gentle whisper of the far too early morning breeze revealing that there were no others around as well. It had been too long since he had seen Ranger; just yesterday he had trailed her fading scents until they took him to Relic Lore'd edge, and there he had stood for hours, his eyes hardening to amber gems as he realized that the she-wolf he had been courting for months now had left without a word. Only when night fell did he turn back to the thicket; the area he, Ranger and Kinis had been staying for awhile now.

Kinis was no where to be seen this morning, though that was not uncommon. Ruiko felt the dull ache in the absence of the ebony she-wolf he had grown so close to, but he dared not think too far in to her actions just yet. Instead, the regal rogue unfurled his figure from his position, pushing himself to his paws. A curl of his lips revealed the displeasure he felt, and tilting his muzzle back, the tawny wolf howled for his younger brother, beckoning him forward if he was nearby.

<blockquote>It didn't matter how far from the source Kinis was; if his brother called, he came. This day, though he was not immediately nearby, the sound of Ruiko's summon completely overwrote anything else he had been doing, and it was without hesitation that he turned about and made for his older brother. He did not, however, neglect to scoop up the barely-touched hare that he had just managed to score by scaring off its original coyote hunter. Though still obviously young in body, Kinis was definitely starting to grow into himself, and, coupled with a little private work in courage-building, was turning into a quietly confident young man.

As he loped, he wondered whether there was any particular intent behind the call, but soon decided that it didn't matter; Ruiko was welcome to summon him on any minor whim, for he would attend without question. It took a few minutes for the distance to close, which was a few minutes longer than Kinis was happy with, but the powerful sight of his brother soon broke through the thicket. Slowing, his tail automatically wagging in happy greeting, the smaller brother lowered his head as he approached Ruiko, dropping the hare at his feet so that he could offer an obedient lick to his chin.

<b>"Good morning, brother,"</b> he said softly, backing up a step, eyeing Ruiko with new, cautious interest; was something wrong?</blockquote>

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<i>at least... that's where I'm supposed to be...</i></center>

Kinis couldn’t have been too near when he was summoned, but the tawny regal was pleased to see how quickly his younger brother answered his call, his tails weeping behind him at the younger man’s presence. Loping forward to greet the younger wolf, Ruiko nipped the boy’s cheek in turn to Kinis’ welcoming lick, releasing a low growl of approval to the boy’s posture. His own stance remained neutral, and a soft sigh escaped the golden beast as his thoughts drifted to the absence of his ebony queen. Well, it was best to know now that she was unreliable rather than amidst the creation of a pack.

“Kinis,” he greeted, his tone warmer than usual. His shoulders lifted in a shrug, his displeasure placing itself within the frown on his features; emotion was rarely witnessed upon the male, spare for moments such as these when he was around those he cared for. “Ranger’s gone. Her scent fades off past Relic Lore..” There was a small pause, and Ruiko released a derisive snort. “It looks like she felt it was time to leave.”

<blockquote>Oh - Ranger. Kinis dropped his gaze, one ear flicking back in discomfort. <b>"Yeah, I know,"</b> he said quietly, <b>"but I didn't realise her trail went so far. It's a shame, I - I really liked her."</b> Ruiko was clearly hurting over his loss, and Kinis would not make light of it. He had sincerely looked forward to her being a more permanent part of their family... even his Leader, alongside Ruiko. But, internally, his thoughts went on a similar track to his brother's; she had made promises, but though it hurt to lose her, it was better to lose her now, before they had created anything meaningful.

Something about Ruiko's wording caught his attention, though, and Kinis gently bumped his nose to his brother's chin in an attempt to comfort. It pained him to see Ruiko in ill spirits, particularly when he was usually so stoic. <b>"She didn't say anything, then?"</b></blockquote>

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<i>at least... that's where I'm supposed to be...</i></center>

It surprised him that the yearling had followed Ranger’s trail – blinking at Kinis, Ruiko felt a surge of love for the boy who had become just as close to him as Indru. Kinis was past his guardianship now, being at the age where he would have entered the adult ranks of a pack, but he was still a student to Ruiko, and more importantly, his brother and friend. Of course Kinis had sought out Ranger’s scent as well – the three of them had been the closest thing to a pack they had, and they looked after one another. Now, just like it had been before when Indru and their family had left, it was Kinis and Ruiko against the world.

Ruiko did not mirror Kinis’ initial words; the yearling knew the male had liked her. Kinis must have even known Ruiko was courting her. It was hard to announce how betrayed he felt by her disappearance. As his brother bumped his chin, Ruiko bent his muzzle down to nip affectionately to the youth’s cheek. “No. She just left.” There was a pause, his tone pained, and yet a new hardness lacing his voice. “It’s just as well that we know of her short attention span sooner than later,” he decided dryly.

<blockquote>Why would she just leave? It didn't make sense, but then Kinis hadn't known her as well as Ruiko. Either that meant that Ruiko could understand... or it was even more hurtful for him. Ruiko was a master at controlling his emotions, but Kinis had known him too long and been too close to him not to be able to guess which of those two it was more likely to be.

Oh well. It didn't cut off any options; Ruiko was wolf enough for two.

Kinis didn't respond for a moment after his brother's bittersweet comment. He had come to a similar conclusion, but it didn't make it any less easy to deal with. At least they were on the same page. <b>"She must have had a reason,"</b> Kinis said, wondering if that was actually a bad thing to say. <b>"I'm sure we'll see her again... one day."</b> Licking his brother on the nose, he tried to smile, but seeing Ruiko so downhearted had gotten to him extremely quickly. <b>But it doesn't matter, right? Either way? We - were going to be a family, properly, but we don't have to forget about that. There are plenty of other wolves out there - and you would make a great Leader. You already have."</b>

He would never forget the time that Swift River had been down to two, and though Kinis had done his best to make up for his moment of foolishness in leaving home, and the drought had been severe, he remembered that period with affection. Whatever Ruiko wanted to do, it was clear that he had the support of his younger brother through thick or thin.</blockquote>

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<i>at least... that's where I'm supposed to be...</i></center>

His thoughts strayed to the dark she-wolf who had captivated him for so long; had she reason to leave, the tawny wolf decided she likely would have told him. Instead, her slender limbs had carried her away from him without even a second glance it appeared, and so with this final thought, the wolf shut himself down from his emotions that had once been attached to their female companion, and instead lifted his shoulders in a shrug to his younger brother’s words. If they saw her again one day.. well, Ruiko was certain she would feel a harsh bite to her shoulder for simply abandoning them without as much as a goodbye.

Kinis’ touch to his nose drew his bright gaze back to the boy, and half-heartedly the male gave a swing of his tail in compliance to his sibling’s attempts to cheer him up. “It doesn’t matter either way,” he decided in turn, nodding at the yearling’s words. They didn’t need a wolf who came and left so liberally – they were going to create their own pack and family. “I’m tired of drifting around as a lone wolf,” he commented shortly after, his eyes filling briefly with curiosity as they flickered to the younger male. “What about you?”

<blockquote>Kinis watched his brother carefully, discerning whether his words were welcome or not. At the very least, Ruiko did not seem too bothered by his optimistic honesty, but the boy felt it best not to push the matter further. Ranger's loss clearly fell heavily on the large wolf's shoulders; Kinis did not dare presume that he could begin to understand. All he could do was be here when Ranger was not.

As Ruiko continued to speak, Kinis nodded along, easily agreeing with the sentiment. <b>"I've been ready for a long time,"</b> he said quietly, <b>"I don't really think I'm built for this kinda life, so - so I'm with you the whole way. What do you need me to do?"</b> That might have been presumptuous, but as far as he knew it was only the two of them, and Ruiko would have known that he could ask anything of Kinis. The boy sorely hoped that he could be of use; he wasn't entirely sure what was required of starting your own family, but he was ready to put the mileage in.</blockquote>

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<i>at least... that's where I'm supposed to be...</i></center>

With the topic of abandonment behind them, Ruiko cast a weary glance to his younger brother, pleased that the youth was still by his side. It seemed out of all of the wolves he knew, Kinis was the one who had failed him the least; in fact, the tawny male had never failed to show his support and love. Once an eager student, his younger sibling had grown in to an admirable adult, and Ruiko knew Kinis deserved a chance to flourish in a pack once more.

“Scout out lands to see if there’s a place you think we should settle. A place that offers a reliable water source and has plenty of prey surrounding it.” There was a small pause, and then the hefty regal gave a light shrug of his shoulders. “And I suppose if there are any others you find along the way that you think will make a valuable addition to a pack, see if they are interested in joining us.”

<blockquote>To Kinis' pride, Ruiko took the request entirely seriously. He had one of those 'I'm a big boy now' moments, where he knew that his most loved brother no longer saw him as a child and rather as an asset - even, if he dared to believe it, an equal. To think!

As such, he absorbed Ruiko's commands eagerly. He hadn't been actively pursuing a social life for a long time now, and as such he had a few trepidations in that regard. For the sake of a new home and a new family, though, he could bite his tongue and enter society again. He could go back to the mountain, perhaps... but they had a pack there, didn't they? Would he be able to judge strangers well enough, anyway? Well, at least Ruiko would have the final say.

<b>"Have you met anyone, any possible allies? Or is it just us, right now?"</b></blockquote>

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<i>at least... that's where I'm supposed to be...</i></center>