Cold Water Creek All colors and cares fade to gray;

Momentarily Deneb's anger flared like a flame as he recognized the glint in his brother's eye. So Albireo wanted to play a game, then? You should know better than that, brother, Deneb thought silently, letting composure settle over his features once more. Deneb had always considered himself better at these games than Albireo, although they had never really competed directly before now.

"You have me there... I'm all by myself here, and you've got allies now, haven't you?" He conceded, sighing and looking at the ground before him in defeat, for effect. Through the corner of his eye he glanced at Albireo to gauge his reaction to this new angle. "But do they trust you so much? And would they still, if I told them what I think happened?" Often all it took to start something were tiny seeds of doubt, Deneb knew. "Even if they didn't outright believe me, don't you think they'd still start to wonder about you, just a little bit?" Deneb was willing to bet Albireo had found himself a cushy little spot in this pack, and had been getting comfortable until his brother had found him. And, knowing Albireo, it was probable that if this pack's leadership had any brains at all, they'd already sprouted a doubt or two about the other Cygni's ...quality of character. He was the sort of creature that had inspired doubt in the rest of their old pack, in Deneb's mate. He remembered her words... "only a fool could trust Albireo...." Perhaps it was true. "I doubt things would remain quite as easy for you as they have been so far." Yes, brother, you may have me in a bad position, but I can still hurt you, in more ways than one. And unlike you, I have so little to lose.... Deneb took a breath, changing gears abruptly.

"I trusted you, Al. I defended you, even when everyone told me that you'd done it. I thought you were just afraid, and that you'd come back and explain everything, set it all straight." He looked up and sought his brother's gaze again, trying to charm the serpent. "...but you never did. And eventually, I came to see that they must be right about your guilt." He paused a beat before going on. "But I couldn't just move on." He let his emotion show on purpose now, there was truth in his words as he spoke, and he hoped it would make everything else he said sound more earnest by proximity. "They were my children. Castor and Pollux... did you know, they always reminded me of the two of us?"

"I didn't come here for revenge. It wouldn't bring them back. I want to know what really happened, brother... don't you think you owe me that at least? Perhaps then I could have some closure. I could live with that." For now. "And perhaps, I could even forgive you," he said it wishfully. "Then we could keep this matter between ourselves and work together again...." he stopped his speech at last, letting that last idea hang in the air.

TW for description of dead puppies ?

Albireo's face split in a hyena-like grin and his paws carried him forward a few thoughtless steps as he saw how easily he had defeated his brother with such a simple trick. Albireo should have known it wouldn't be so easy, but was still surprised when Deneb fired back with his own threats. Al's vicious grin slowly fell, morphed first to a sullen scowl of disappointment, then to a dark glower. And whether or not Deneb knew it, his threats had some weight behind them already. Al knew that Phineas didn't quite trust him, and was unlikely to take well to any sort of mysterious deaths, with his own brood mysteriously dying already. All it would take was a few well placed words by his silver tongued brother to convince them that he was some sort of serial pup murderer. He would have to start running all over again, this time with winter in full swing.

Quickly spiraling down a vortex of horrible possibilities, Albireo's head began to shake side to side, "No, no no no," He murmered. Deneb only wanted the truth, and his words were so sweet, so tempting. If Albireo could just spill it all, they could be a team again. Start over, just like old times, brother and brother. But the truth was a nasty, rancid thing who's words could not be uttered, and especially not infront of Deneb. Unable to look Deneb in the eye now, he kept his head low and canted, glanced off to the side.

"Forgive me...? You could, forgive me? If I tell you. If I tell you what happened, then will it be alright?" Albireo spoke haltingly, cautious. "Okay, uhm..." Albireo thought back, harsh summer sunlight streaming in from above, illuminating the grisly scene of two small bodies lying crumpled at the bottom of the gulch. Castor's neck turned the wrong way, Pollux's leg bent beneath him in a direction it shouldn't. It was the subtle, cloying scent of death that had snapped Albireo out of if that time. The memory so strong he could almost smell it, his heart racing now as it had then. Currently, he trembled, panting as he tried to think. How could he explain that? "They fell," Albireo managed to blurt out, as if Deneb was too stupid to have come to that conclusion himself once seeing the scene with his own eyes.

(This post was last modified: Mar 01, 2014, 07:50 AM by Albireo.)

Deneb watched in a mixture of disbelief and skepticism as his brother began to tremble. Halting words tumbled from Al's jaws. If he was lying now, he was doing a better job of it than before. Despite himself, Deneb felt a pang of sympathy for his brother - how many times had they helped each other through a difficult situation before? But he couldn't just let it all go that easily.

"You were supposed to be watching them, keeping them safe...." he stated flatly, his voice faraway. It was no longer accusatory, just full of regret. It was tempting to revisit that day in his mind, to think of how that day had changed everything, how it could have gone so differently.

Mentally, Deneb forced himself to take the regrets, the anger, the lust for revenge, and condense them into something small and secret, an ember that could smolder for now rather than burn bright and consume him. He would not win a fight with his brother today, but in the future, perhaps things might be different. Let Albireo think that his brother had forgiven him. Let him start to trust again, to rely. Some day, when Albireo had all but forgotten the pain his betrayal had caused... then Deneb could remind him. For that day to arrive, he must survive in the present. "Is that really all it was? An accident, an act of the gods?" He asked, searching for Albireo's gaze again. He asked the question as if he really wanted to believe in his brother again.

Albireo peeked up, listened as the fire seemed to fade from Deneb's voice. Albireo felt something approaching regret stir in his his heart. Behind the vengeance and hatred in Deneb's eyes was something vulnerable. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Albireo apologized, a bandaid for a broken bone. Like a child apologizing for breaking something which he could not even begin to fathom the significance of, Al was only sorry that he had been caught.

"It was... It was my fault." Albireo started, trying out the admission. "I hadn't been paying attention," he admitted, he took a deep breath, knowing even these weasely words were likely to infuriate. If anything, it portrayed him as incompetent and oblivious, which was an unfortunate conclusion and one he didn't particularly agree with, yet it was the most diplomatic lie he could manage to eject from his slimy mouth.

It was finally dawning upon Albireo that Deneb was also carefully waltzing Al towards a particularly dangerous place. He was sure if he kept talking he would manage to spill everything, piece by piece. And no matter what Deneb said about forgiveness, he knew it could only stretch so far. He had never intended to share words with his brother, only to sate his curiosity to see if it was really him. Unfortunately, Deneb now knew where he lived.

Albireo grew visibly uncomfortable, fidgeting and occasionally licking his nose. He needed to get out of here. "I need to go, the pack needs me right now." Albireo said suddenly. He turned quickly and walked as fast as his legs could carry him without breaking into a run. He couldn't imagine Deneb following him in, and unless his brother planned on laying a one man siege to the pack when winter would probably finish him off, Al would probably be safe staying within the territory for a while.

Deneb is free to chase him but I think ending this thread and going on with another might be a good idea. Don't want to run this plot through in a single IC day xD If you want you can PM me and we can talk about what next but I'm also fine with letting things just roll out IC, whatever your preference is.

"Is that really all it was? An accident, an act of the gods?" Deneb had asked this because he wanted to see if his brother jump on the chance to displace the blame from himself. Instead, Albireo's words ignited a small spark of surprise. "It was all my fault." Deneb could not be sure why his brother chose to tell him this, but he suspected that Al hoped that coming clean might earn him a lighter penalty for his crimes.

He didn't particularly care what his Albireo's motivations were, though. Deneb's ears tipped forward hungrily. He had waited a very long time to hear the admission, in his brother's own voice. He wanted to savor the sound.

The next words to fall from Albireo's lips turned slightly sour. Deneb gazed flatly as his brother made his excuses, scrambling away. "Go if you must. We should really do this again soon, though. It's been far too long." He tried to let the sarcasm convey that he was unhappy with being blown off so quickly, but was grudgingly willing to let it go. In all, though, Deneb was actually rather satisfied with the encounter. He'd found Albireo, after all this searching. If Deneb knew Al, he wagered that his brother would scuttle back to his new nest for the time being. Just like a spider.

Let him run back to his new home, let him get comfortable, Deneb thought to himself. He turned to leave in the opposite direction, away from the scent-marked borders. Slowly, he let a smug grin spread over his jaws. He wanted his brother to grow used to him being around again, to convince him that he really was forgiven. And then one day, I'll have you right where I want you... There was a small spring in his step as he loped away.

{exit}