Paradise Falls the old and the new

-open to 1 or maybe 2 others

He was back. Finally. Wandering through the forests and places that were so dearly familiar, the place he had chosen almost two years ago now. Sheltered by trees, their little canyon, he finally felt.. safe. Eased by the gentle rumble of the falls that was audible throughout most of their home. It felt good, mostly, to be back.

Things had changed, though. That much Jethro could tell based on scents alone. There were newcomers. Scents he did not recognize. There would be pups, too, it seemed - to his mild surprise. But none to any of the leaders. Flair was apparently still not feeling well, and had been unable to reclaim her leadership mantle. The dark one hoped to see her sooner rather than later.

Jet, himself, would have a lot of work cut out for him if he ever wanted to get back to leadership, too. A number of subordinates to work past, and he very much doubted every single one of them would just willingly step aside for him. But those were things to be worried about, and worked out, in the future.

For now, he would just see what he could see. And who he could see, familiar or not.

Isla had begun to feel smothered. She had not uttered a word of it yet to anyone and truthfully she doubted anyone found it suspicious when she already acted so much like an outsider. Perhaps she had been and she always would be. No matter how hard she tried or where she tried to worm her way in.

Soon she might ask @Adelard to escort her beyond the borders, to see the world once more. To see if she felt smothered out there too.

Some of that feeling seemed to mount as she saw him. Once leader, now even she ranked above him. Somehow that thought had not comforted her like it once may have.

She offered a soft snort and a gentle sway of her tail. A wordless hello to gauge where he was at now.

Of all those he had expected to see, she had been close to the bottom of that list. Jet had anticipated someone with whom he was more familiar, but then.. by the looks of it, the falls now harbored at least as many new faces as old. That struck a pang of sadness through him.. this place wasn’t what it once was. Could it be that again?

And for the life of him, Jethro didn’t think he’d ever understand why someone so young would want to jump headfirst into being a parent when they hadn’t even really experienced adulthood yet. But it wasn’t his life, nor his position to judge. Finley must’ve already either approved of or made peace with it - it was what it was.

Her greeting was.. neither kind nor unpleasant. Enough to get him to pause, and provide a small nod. ”Isla. Seems you’re doin’ well. I’m glad to see it.” He kept the words neutral, but they were genuine. Whether at the highest or lowest point in the ranks, Jet’s goals wouldn’t change for as long as he was here.

Seems?

She blinked, nearly hollow, but that was hardly a new expression for her. Perhaps she had been an owl before she had become wolfen born. Will you lead again? She figured they would both benefit from her directness. She had hardly ever been able to waffle through the intricacies of small talk. He had returned and he was well, or so it seemed. Why pester him with questions of it?

No, she cared much more about what his return meant for the future. They both understood that he could not simply jump back to the top. She had not decided whether she would rather see him at the top again or not.

There wasn’t much to be had from the dark youth by way of reaction. A blink, but little to no emotion. All of it hidden away behind a mask and eyes that he knew had seen many things already, at her young age. And he probably wasn’t even aware of half of it..

While Jet had grown a certain affinity for casual conversation in recent years, he could still appreciate the frankness with which the other spoke. To the point. Isla had but one question for him, a reasonable and anticipated one, at that. All the more so, Jethro expected, due to her… condition.

He’d offer just one, small nod. ”I hope to, in time.” He’d still need time to recover, to readjust to life here. And perhaps selfishly, just wanted some time with his family before jumping back into leadership. But Jet would not be content to sit at the bottom of the pack in a place he’d created. If he couldn’t ascend, he’d leave and start over elsewhere.

While he wouldn’t ask it, he would wait for whatever followup she had. He doubted Isla was asking out of mere curiosity.

Good, she appreciated his direct answer. She showed it with a gentle nod. A moment to take a deep breath in before she offered words again. I would like to see that, Hardly had Isla spoken up in support of others, but she remembered what he had given her first. Finley had given her more too, an extension of Jethro despite being a matriarch in her own right.

I would like to establish myself further too. Their climbs would be different, their end games too. Yet she felt that she might stand to gain something here if she said this to him. They could help one another. Right?

Would like to see that.. he made no effort to hide his surprise, one brow arching upwards. Don't be so sure, he thought. Considered saying it, but Jet had an angle to play here, too. He did not like the trends he had been seeing, and there would be changes if he could earn his spot back. More importantly, if he could determine that those whose opinions mattered to him were behind him. If not, there would be no point in going to those lengths - and perhaps he really would be better off starting over elsewhere.

Not a thought Jethro was particularly fond of, for he liked this place. But home was more about those who surrounded you than an attachment to a certain place. To him, anyway.

Isla's statement garnered more questions, as well as intrigue. Establish myself..

"In what way?" Was what he'd ask first. See where that would take them.

sorry for the wait and this moody indirect lady <3

He was wise - for better or worse.

I have stayed. I still guard. A peculiar look crossed her face for a second. What did he think of her bringing more children to the Falls? Hardly for the pack, they would be her children, but still new blood among them all the same. Soon I will bring children by my blood too. They did not feel like words she would have ever uttered, but here she stood now.

I mean to secure their future and my own.

But Jethro meant to lead again. Which meant that at one point or another they would have to face each other. Could she, in whatever twisted way she could manage, step aside in good faith that he would welcome a rise from her? Or would he be another to keep at bay between her and what she wanted?