Dead Empress Backwater the mud of the covenant

For @Archer and @Seri only.

All that was left in their home was the mud. Eros might have come to hate it, had it not already taken on a deeper meaning for him. Like any youth, his imagination was plentiful and he'd come up with grandiose ideas of what a 'mud brother' could be. He was only half the age his father was when he'd started a whole pack- Eros could handle a club, right? A secret society, even.

The time to plan Archer's initiation had been abundant given everything that had gotten in-between; the trouble with his aunt, the twisters, the drought and it's impacts on his mother and newborn siblings had all torn at the pack.

It was time they had something to celebrate. Something fun and happy to do. So, Eros had put his whole heart into the ceremony. Given Seri was not only already in but now an official member of the Backwater, the young Valle had been able to enlist his help in gathering the necessary materials and setting the scene. When the time came and night settled beneath the vivid glow of a crescent moon, they were ready.

Archer had been told when and where to meet, and even his path had been anticipated. Mud adorned the bark of the trees like trail markers, and brush gave way to a clearing defined by a ring of smooth, round river stones. Skulls studded the circle here and there, including that of the old bull moose the pack had taken down. Eros stood at the center, with stripes of mud upon his cheeks, forehead and shoulders. He'd encouraged Seri to be painted as well, reminiscent of their play fight at the creek when they had sworn to be brothers forever.

This would be a bit more sophisticated than that, a proper ritual to make them a proper group.

(This post was last modified: May 13, 2022, 07:28 AM by Eros.)

And so I tell myself that I'll be strong

Seri Donata

and dreaming when they're gone

Seri had been trying to settle in as easy as possible. Of course, his friends made that easier to do and he had been enlisted to help Eros set up for the initiation. A wide grin split his lips the entire time, his eyes narrowed in a devious concentration. He helped him adorn everything with mud before he was covering his own face. He covered his face entirely, except for his eyes and nose, in the mud. He remembered their play fight at the creek and how much fun it had been. Despite the whole lack of water situation, he hoped Archer appreciated the ritual in the same way.

“We should do some chanting. Mud brothers. Mud brothers.” He was not the best with coming up with chants, so it was all he could come up with, his tail wagging. Had he known a pack was going to be so fun he would have joined one a long time ago… he had always thought it stifling, it just offered a different kind of freedom that being a loner did not.

Archer Valle

Despite his misgivings and maybe slightly hurt feelings, Archer would indulge his littermate, even with yet another brother newly into the world. He didn't need more brothers, but Seri was here and was officially part of the pack, which made him family, of a sort. He was the only member not a Valle - except Clover, but given she'd birthed Valle children and was his mentor Archer considered her one.

He knew Eros was going to do something grand and ridiculous, but he hadn't quite expected his brother to pull out all the stops the way he had. Mud adorned the trees as the young Valle traveled to the site requested of him. He squinted at the markings. He did not like where this was going; he was going to have to cover himself in mud too. He did not look forward to it. There was a long journey to any water body large enough to wash off in, which meant he was going to have filthy fur for who knows how long. He didn't want to contaminate their only water source with the dirt.

Finally Archer spied Eros and Seri in the darkness, illuminated by the faint moonlight. Each was marked with mud, Seri more than the other Valle boy. Masking his unease, Archer joined them, sitting before them and feeling a bit like he was about to be scolded by his parents.

[size=x-small]Archer is very haggard and thin; it is obvious he is not doing well.

Eros was attempting to stand tall and keep his expression schooled into stoicism, but Seri was bubbling with a different kind of energy. It was infectious. Laughter fell from the young teen's jaws like rain at the suggestion, and he grinned widely as Seri began. He overlaid it with his own chant, keeping the beat harmonious between them.

"One of us, one of us, one of us..."

It faded as Archer at last appeared, his brother able to see the nerves lying beneath his skin. His own tail picked up to join Seri's in wagging, attempting to look a little more welcoming.

"Archer Valle," he began when the three of them were settled, "you have been invited to join us as a mudbrother. We are not widely known, but we are certain of what he have in each other. Trust, loyalty and a sacred bond sealed by mud. Will you join us?"

And so I tell myself that I'll be strong

Seri Donata

and dreaming when they're gone

Seri bubbled with the anticipation. Eros joined in with his own chant as Seri bounced and shifted. He was not good with stoic… even as a child, with all of his never ending questions he had never learned what it was like to be serious. It only started to fade away as Eros started to speak. It was then that he managed a small sense of control.

He didn’t sense the uneasy feeling that seemed to linger over Archer, like he was preparing to be scolded. Seri had never really had that experience, apart from his mother yelling at him, and didn’t process that Archer didn’t really know what was happening before Eros started to speak.

His head straightened up, a wide grin on his features as the question came about. He waited eagerly for the answer. Trust. Loyalty. Sacred bond. The words echoed in his heart. He had no family… well, he did, but his father was distant, his mother disappeared… which left Seri with his mudbrother… mudbrothers if Archer were to accept their invitation.

Archer Valle

As he approached through the chanting, Eros and Seri began to wag their tails. Their attempt was successful and Archer began to relax a little. He hadn't spent a lot of time with Seri beyond knowing he was now a member of the pack, but he could see how much he wanted this. Archer allowed himself a small sigh.

Then Eros started talking and Archer looked up with interested, carefully schooling his expression to remain mostly neutral; he wanted to match the solemnity his littermate was exuding. There was still that twinge of irritation and hurt that he hadn't been invited sooner, but it was the past. They were here now, whether Archer thought they needed another brother or not.

He nodded seriously as Eros finished his speech. "I will," he said gravely.

[size=x-small]Archer is very haggard and thin; it is obvious he is not doing well.

Eros was greatly pleased that Archer did not rebuff his making an event of this, nor laugh at him for it being so important to him. In fact, his brother was far more successful at remaining solemn than either his littermate or Seri, and gave him a serious answer. I will. Eros' tail was wagging again, without the boy's notice.

The vows weren't quite finished with yet. Eros pressed his paws into the thick mud below, and wriggled his toes, preparing for what would cement the deal.

"Then you swear to watch your brothers' backs, to listen to their truths, and to always speak your own to them, even when it's the most hard?"

The last thing he wanted was for the three of them to fracture and kneel to infighting, as seemed to happen too often within the Valle family. This was how he saw best to prevent that; if they just made sure to communicate when they were unhappy, then they could work together to solve the issue rather than seeing each other as obstacles to be gotten past. It certainly would mean the world to him if at least this small inner circle of his could avoid such perils.

(This post was last modified: Jun 23, 2022, 12:58 AM by Eros.)

And so I tell myself that I'll be strong

Seri Donata

and dreaming when they're gone

Seri found the other Valle brother incredibly difficult to read. He could always at least sort of read Eros, but with Archer, it was like looking at a rock… and it was impressive. Seri would admit it, he was impressed. He sounded so serious when he answered and Eros continued with the ritualistic rites that they had created just moments before… or on the fly… Seri would never admit as to which was the truth.

He was practically bouncing up and down with the excitement that all of this was causing. He was gaining another brother. For an only child, or at least someone raised as an only child, this was a big deal to him and he was eager to expand his circle of friends beyond just Eros. All he could do was wait in silence for Archer to make the vow.

Archer Valle

It was too much to hope that this was all that would be asked of him. Eros and Seri were clearly thrilled; both boys were practically radiant with joy, tails wagging and Seri himself bouncing. Archer had to admit it was at least a little endearing. He sucked in a deep breath when he noticed his littermate digging his paws into the mud. Ugh. Here we go, he thought tiredly.

His brother's question took him off guard. "Of course," he said earnestly, eyes flicking between the pair in mild confusion. Did Eros think Archer lied to him? He didn't like telling lies, especially to Eros. His brother was his everything. "Always, I promise," he said quickly, realizing that was what he was meant to be doing and sorting his expression back into one of solemnity.

[size=x-small]Archer is very haggard and thin; it is obvious he is not doing well.

It appeared that the oath was perplexingly easy for his sibling to complete, and he couldn't help but chuckle happily at the response. He might have expected Archer to roll his eyes at the ceremony of it, but he certainly didn't doubt that following these guidelines would be second-nature to his brother and likely Seri too. Then again, he hadn't expected the difficulties he'd had with certain adults and they had happened regardless...

Eros lifted a mud-coated paw, a beamed at his darker-pelted sibling. If Archer did not promptly understand the gesture, he would whisper "high-five" to better get his expectation across. Only once the promise was sealed in mud would he finally say,

"Welcome, brother."

They were officially a real club!