Hearthwood River don't know what you've got until it's gone

Early morning, Rain Clouds, 53°F, 12°C, @Laike

Lorcan arose early that morning, crawling his way out of the cramped communal den long before the sun had set fire to the sky. The father planned to keep good on his promise that he had made to his daughter the night before by waiting for her outside the den when she woke up. Fighting against the dull ache in his limbs which acted as a long lasting reminder of his unplanned five week expedition, the agouti male strode forwards into the forest, meandering his way through the tall sequoia trees in the direction of a small cache he had buried the previous morning.

Sniffing out the cache site with ease, the father swiftly set to work removing the earth from atop the dead squirrel which was buried beneath. The morsel would serve well as breakfast for the growing pup and he hoped the dismembered tail could serve as some play thing for his daughter when she was left alone. Clutching the red rodent gently between his jaws, Lorcan re-orientated himself in the direction of Inna’s den, ready to set off when a large figure moved out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, the agouti male was surprised to see another wolf up so early, but he was quick to chuff over in acknowledgement when he realised exactly who it was.

Dropping the squirrel to the ground, he waved his tail in greeting. “Laike,” He called over fondly. “I can honestly say, I don’t think I’ve ever been so pleased to see you.” The brother quipped, realising how odd it must have sounded to his much larger sibling.

(This post was last modified: Jul 27, 2017, 06:57 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

LAIKE ARTEMIEVA

Usually he spent his mornings alone, without the company of others. It offered him time to be alone and prepare for the interactions throughout the day. With a more naturally anti-social personality, he appreciated his alone time to cope. Laike wasn't positive if cope was the right word but it would be close enough. His stocky frame slowly halted as the voice of his brother called out. Fiery eyes looked over to meet golden ones as his body turned to face Lorcan.

"Lorcan." The older brother rumbled with a smirk tugging on his usually stoic features. His smaller brother's words truly did catch him off guard but they were not unwelcome by any means. "Good to see you. Alive." Laike grew a worried glare for a moment before he switched back to his neutral gaze. "What is it that has you up so early? Don't you have some sleep to catch up on?" The stocky River wolf's tail swayed behind him as he looked over his brother's form. He would regain his strength with time surely. There was no need for his brother to be pushing himself so soon.

Laike's gaze noticed the squirrel at his brother's paws last. Perhaps he was just up for an early meal?

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Lorcan was pleased when he brother halted in his tracks when he called out to him. The smaller sibling had half expected for @Laike to give him a cold glare and keep walking. He had been convinced that his brother had been annoyed at him when he had returned at the borders, had been sure that those fiery orange eyes had been burning against his back as he had explained himself to Lachesis, but until now Lorcan had not had the opportunity speak things over with him.

He had hoped that his statement would put his brother in a good mood, or at least, one that save him from being beaten to black and blue for his absence. Golden eyes glinted with relief when his brother returned his name with a smirk and his tail continued to sway pleasantly behind him as he moved forwards a few paces to approach him. Lorcan didn’t notice the worry that flashed momentarily in the blazing eyes of his sibling, instead taken by his words which he presumed to hold a hint of sarcasm.

“A few more weeks and it might have been a different story..” He joked morbidly, though in truth he was partially inclined to believe it himself.  He was half the wolf he had been when he had left for the lowlands, his ribcage still faintly visible through his dull dishevelled coat.

Lorcan gave a weak laugh at Laike’s suggestion of sleep, looking to glance down to the dead red squirrel which rested lifeless at his paws. “Probably, but I promised Sana I’d be there when she wakes up this morning...” He admitted, golden eyes returning to his brother’s scarred face. “Plus, I doubt Inna will have had a good night considering…” His voice trailed off, a frown pinching at his pale brows as he thought back to Kisla's lifeless body. “So, I thought I might as well stick around to help out.” He explained, giving a soft shrug of his shoulders. The raven would surely appreciate the offer.

(This post was last modified: Jul 27, 2017, 07:40 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

LAIKE ARTEMIEVA

"I'd believe it." His smirke faded. Laike was willing to bet that if the nature hadn't killed Lorcan than Laike might have. His brother had caused damage in hearts here and had made others work to find him when he could have just played it safe in the first place.Of course, he wouldn't say such things out loud. He knew where to draw the line when speaking.

An eyebrow raised at Lorcan's faltering laugh this was bound to be good. He let his brother finish speaking about Sana and Inna before he dared to open his mouth. "Kisla's death." Laike said it calmly without a filter. There was no point in beating around the bush even if the emotional wounds would still be tender and likely would be for a while. "Inna could use the company, I think. She told me she wanted to run but she obviously knew she had to stay here." The large male spoke with his smooth tones as he settled into a sitting position before motioning for his brother to do the same. If he wanted to go see Oksana then they had time before she would wake. It was far too early for the ebony child to be clambering into the world. "You really hurt them, Lorcan." His voice was accusing or even harsh, it was flat and held no real emotion. "I'm not trying to harp on you but you're real lucky and you better not forget it. These wolves here have to care for you and maybe even love you. Oksana might the most, though. She was ready to go scouting with me just to find you." His head shook softly. The child was far too young to be heading out like that and yet for Lorcan, she was so willing.

"I just want you to understand that," He paused and looked at the ground between them before looking back at his tawny brother. "I'm a hardass but I care about you Lorcan." A heavy sigh left him as his shoulders slumped some. "What would we have done if you died out there? What if you hadn't died but gotten seriously lost? What then?"

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There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

It seemed his brother was also inclined to take his jest seriously. Lorcan noticed how the smirk slid away from the male’s lips almost as quickly as it had first appeared. The smaller sibling frowned, suddenly feeling a little awkward. “Yeah…well…I made it back, eventually.” He stuttered hesitantly, his golden eyes flitting guiltily between his brother’s face and the ground before he forced a half-hearted smile to his charcoal lips.

Laike was quick to highlight the words he had purposefully skipped over, cold and blunt as always. “Yes.” Lorcan nodded, his golden gaze diverting away from his brother’s smouldering stare for a moment.

His attention refocused on his larger sibling at his mention of Inna. Russet ears pressed back against his head and the frown returned to his features. “What?!” Lorcan blurted before shuffling in his place uncomfortably. “She said that to you?” He asked in a sudden panic, inwardly cursing himself for allowing the female to go off on her own immediately after the death of her mother. “She never mentioned that to me when she returned to the den last night…” He muttered quietly, more to himself than anything as he settled down onto his haunches.

Lorcan wanted to ask what else had been said between them, but @Laike continued on before he got the chance. He inwardly winced at his brother’s words, the only noticeable reaction from him being the slow blinking of his eyes as he processed the thought. “I know…Sana told me last night that her and Inna had been upset when I went missing.” He admitted, ears pressed against his skull as his head sunk down low.

The mention of love caused the male to lick awkwardly at his maw and to avoid any more eye contact with his brother. A heavy sigh heaved his sides, causing his ribs to become more obvious beneath his thinning pelt as he thought about how much his disappearance must have pained the both of them. @Inna might have been used to her family making promises to stay before leaving, but he never thought he would one day be added to that same list – and Oksana, she was too young and innocent to understand any of it, that had become clear in their conversations together.

“You have to understand, all I’ve ever wanted to do since I joined this pack, is to be there for them both.” He finally admitted, looking up to meet his brother’s fiery gaze with total seriousness in his eyes. “We might have had our disagreements but, Inna, she’s like my best friend…and Oksana, she–she means the world to me!” He sighed again, head slumping down as he noticed how Laike shook his head. “It was never my intention to hurt them…” He said quietly to the ground.

Golden eyes remained fixated on the earthy ground as his brother began to speak again, however his gaze tentatively returned to meet Laike’s at the mention of his own feelings. Dark nostrils flared in shock at what he was hearing and then a small smile began to curl at the corners of his charcoal lips. The heart-warming moment was lost however when questions were swiftly hurled at him. “It’s not like I planned for it to happen..” He said coolly, a frown returning to his face. “You can’t expect for me to never leave the territory? What use would I be to the pack then?” He asked, doing his best not to raise his voice or to provoke more anger from his larger sibling. Things were emotional enough as they were.

(This post was last modified: Jul 27, 2017, 10:45 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together