Oak Tree Bend we can chase the dark together

@Ice whenever you're ready. <3

Wasn't it better when you thought you were worth saving

This was home, his home. What a homecoming he had gotten. He wasn't sure if he was more irritated by Fenru's action of initiation or amused. Better, worried. If eventually the young man would follow too closely to his bloodlines. A Tainn himself he knew how hard it was to fight what seemed to be inborn. Triell realized he was not his father, nor did he have any right to try to be anything close to that. How miserable he had failed Aiyana with his attempts. Ice was much better for that role. The boy turned man had to see much better things in the man of silver than that of black. Really what advice could he give? He was hardly in the right place.

Naira, oh the thought had him groaning, thinking he might should have thrown himself up that accursed mountain, then off the falls themselves. If he started to think about what she said, of the possibility he was hardly better than that good-for-nothing Rhysis. Yet, he loathed that woman! How could she keep pressing herself against him, and the next stomping on his heart? Good grief, was that why Rhysis and her even worked. He could handle the ups and downs since he was easily going from high to low. The insanity of it. He was tempted to just let her lie in the bed she had made. The same time she probably had everyone at her beck and call, and they had no idea the little strings she had attached to them. Pulling, and tugging just so for what she wanted. To think now she wanted him to join her. What the hell did she need him for any way? The Queen didn't need another servant who waited upon her.

Snorting, he really didn't want to be in this mood. He just wanted to go numb for awhile, let the forest drown it all out. He was a miserable failure, and at this point Sceral and Serach might be the only two who would look at him strangely for unrelated reasons. It wasn't enough to make him smirk, he prodded along the trees wishing he might find somewhere to rest. Then he saw his favorite sort of thing, a fallen log that might just be big enough for him. Letting out a sigh, telling himself he needed to take it easy he pulled himself on its naked shell. There, much better.

are you with me through it all?

Five years later . . .

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. Bit by bit you fall into rhythm, your life changing its pace to adapt, smoothing out the wrinkles and falling back into some kind of subtly altered pattern. In truth, not that much had changed: Ice hunted, ate, slept, and patrolled, barked and rolled with his pack mates and lay watching his sons with keen eyes. Merlin seemed to have acclimatized rather well, and as far as Ice knew, Fenru and Triell hadn't butted heads over the position of Second again. On the surface, things were as they always had been, but with one, subtle difference: Ice no longer watched the forest like a man obsessed. He no longer spent every step on patrol straining his eyes for a sight of red, ears for the sound of his foot falls, or nose for his scent; when he lay and watched his sons play, he watched only them, and not the forest as well. Marsh wasn't coming home again, so looking for him was just an exercise in how to inflict pain on yourself. Since his helter-skelter flight from the day the news were given - the day that was supposed to have been Serach and Sceral's - he'd fallen into the rhythm of working harder than before, seeking to occupy his paws and mind as often as he could without abandoning his family, so when he wasn't dozing or sleeping, he was always up and about; tracking prey, patrolling the borders, or fleeing up the red foothills to howl at the stars. At those times, the grief seemed to take flight out of his throat, but only for as long as he had breath. But the problem with simply patrolling is that it lets the mind run wild. It doesn't take all your focus to move your paws in step, no concentration needed to spot, analyze, and avoid roots and rocks. Listlessly Ice swept through the open woods, weaving among the trees, trying to find a balance between the numb apathy he sought and the heavy weight on his heart and mind. But for all his trying, he never found a balance, and so he kept roaming, looking for distractions, and finding one perched on a log: a rather familiar sight, if you will. Quietly Ice prowled up to the dark Tainn, opened his jaws, and tried to give his bushy, black tail a tug. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

lol i'm assuming Ice just keeps a hold of it :P unless you wish for me to change that.

Wasn't it better when you thought you were worth saving

Half asleep, and certain he wouldn't be disturbed he didn't know he had a pale stalker. Far as Triell knew the world was quiet here..His nephews (that's what those boys were to him) were still too young to be wandering far. Since his first impression was attacking their eldest brother, Triell didn't think either would seek him out. For the rest of the pack sadly he didn't really know them that well. While he should wish to amend that, again he was sure they already had their impression of him. One he wasn't sure he wanted to change. He was a wanderer, and just a piece of what they use to have. He had come home a mess, with terrible news, and had fought for the title of Second, and Guardian when it probably didn't make sense for him to have those in their eyes. In the back of his mind he knew he would do all he could to change this, and be the productive, loyal member he had been. Right now, all he wanted to do was lie on his stomach and pretend that's all there was.

Until something had clamped onto his tail. Even then, Triell grumbled sleepily, if a piece of it had caught in the tree itself. He was not quiet asleep nor awake. It didn't seem worth getting up just to try to return to slumber. So the Second pulled, and pulled finding he couldn't move it. This was a strange dream to have, and he tried to crawl on the log, pressing his dull claws, pulling his weight. He was still stuck. Why didn't it hurt? Shouldn't it hurt if his tail was caught? Letting out a bit of a muted snort, he craned his neck, letting his eyes peer back. First he really thought one of the boy's had his tail. All he could see was blurry white blob, that from his height he could register the exact size. Orange-yellow eyes came into focus he was seeing Ice.

Half-scowling, Triell gave another half attempt to free himself. Then let a groggy yawn slip from his widened jaws. Smacking his lips, he titled his head."You know, I thought Merlin was going to be the new chew toy." Then again, he was suppose to be the boys in Ice's own words. "Or you looking for someone with more bite?" Playfully, he crinkled his nose showing the tips of his canine teeth. Ready to get his tail back in one piece.

are you with me through it all?