Ever sine she came back to Seracia Loccian has been feeling a bit better, Bronze was by her side whenever possible, trying to help her regain her strength before winter came in and caused her to become ill. She tried, really she did but it was hard. Her head was filled with thoughts of Octavian, eve if she did not harm herself physically because Bronze was there, she did it mentally. She couldn't help it. She felt like it was her that he died, felt like she should have been there for him, instead of spending all her time with Bronze. Bronze. Bronze. Stop it! She snarled, coming to a stop. Without realizing it she had wound up in the spot where she met that male, the Soulless Forest, and even now in Autumn there was still a fog. The voice started up in her head once again, causing the shewolf to crunch up, back arching and legs coming to each other until she finally collapsed to the ground, paws covering her face. Stop.... I didn't mean to... Octavian... Her voice went on and on, the sun starting to fall in the sky, casting the land in beautiful colors. "normal. talk. think. you."

Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong. He could feel it in the air, in his very bones. Something had happened. Somewhere in Alacritis, something had happened and Pontifex could feel it. What it was he didn't know for sure, just that it was wrong. His gut twisted with uncertainty and the first thought that broke into his mind was his sister, Loccian. Where was she? The last time he'd seen her was when he'd tried to coax her into a hunt, which had ultimately been a failed attempt. It had been several weeks, maybe a month or two since then? It was ridiculous how easily he could loose track of his siblings. He needed to find her. Maybe she knew something about why he was feeling like this?

Onyx and gray paws drummed against the earth with a purposeful stride, nostrils flaring as he searched for Loccian's scent. She couldn't be far. For some reason she never was whenever he called for her. There. Her scent. She was close. Pontifex turned on a dime, his stride lengthening in an aeffort to reach his sister at a much quicker pace. His golden gaze fell upon her lying gray form, her paws held over her facade. What was wrong? Loccian he called out softly, slowing his pace until he was right infront of her, nose gently bumping hers, a quiet whine slipping past his closed jaws before he spoke up again. What's wrong Loccian? Did she too feel that wrongness in the air?

	She was lost in her own world, surrouned by the image sof Bronze on moment, only to swirl into a different direction and be surrounded ocne again but by the bloody images of her brother in his finaly moments of life. Her body shook, a soft whine escaping her lips. The images kept appearing, kept tormenting her. They only went away when somebody showed up, a voice calling her name, followed by somehting touching her nose and whining softly. She did not realize who the wolf was ta first, her head lifting up, paws slipping off her face, head pulling back as she tried to figure out who this wolf was. After a few seconds it finally clicked, this wolf, it was Pontifex! Her eyes went wide, watering as he asked her what was wrong. How could she tell him about their brother? How would he react? Before she even realized it the shewolf had thrown herself at her brother, burying her face into his neck, small and severly thin body pressing into his. Something terrible has happened Pontifex! She whined, forelegs coming up and wrapping around him, trying to hold him, didn't want him to slip from her life too. She didn't want to lose the only family she had left. "action. talk. think. you."

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Just the by the way she position her body on the ground, frame pulled together, crown buried beneath her paws, Pontifex knew something had happened. But what? Had she gotten hurt? What about Octavian? Where was their brother? Surely he knew what was going on with Loccian? Of the three siblings, since their departure from their homelands, Oct and Locc had been the closest ones. When he had first met up with his siblings after so long, he had found the two together. It struck him as odd that Octavian wasn't around. Had something happened to his brother?

His golden gaze watched his sister with unabashed worry, his features crinkling together in anxiety as she slowly unfurled herself, her grey eyes glancing up towards. At first it didn't seem like she recognized him but then he could see the recognition in her eyes as she realized who he was. Her eyes were wide, water prickling at the edges before she launched herself at him, her thin, somewhat amaciated frame barely moving him an inch as she buried her face in his chest, her voice exclaiming that something terrible had happened. Frame tensed with unease, nape curling around his sister's shoulders as he hugged her to him, wanting to just take her inside of him and keep her there. Clearly something had happened and it was grave enough to have Loccian upset in a way he had never seen her before.

Pontifex was quiet as he spoke, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible in an effort to ignore the growing nausea in his stomach as his mind played with what the news could be. What happened Loccian? Tell me. He didn't want to say Octavian's name. His brother was fine. Somewhere in Alacritis, doing who knows what, but alive and healthy. The grey and black brute repeated this mantra to himself over and over while he waited for Loccian to explain, holding her tightly to him, never wanting to let her go.

She still couldn't believe what had happened to Octavian, her strong brother. He had suffered so much and it finally overwhelmed him. She knew it was not murder, there were no other wolves nearby and he had said nothing about another. That's why it was so hard for her. The pain, oh how badly it hurt on the inside. She just wanted to scream, scream so loudly that her voice went away. A voice brought her back to reality though, Pontifex, he was asking what had happened, telling her to tell him. Tears had leaked from her eyes, running down her cheek and mixing into her and Pontifex's fur. Octavian... he... he's... She could barely speak between sobs, pulling away from he brother, whole body trembling as she tried forcing the words out of her jaws. He's dead! She finally barked out in anger and sadness, lifting a paw to wipe at her eyes. She was unsure of how he would react to the news, would he be angry that she didn't tell him sooner, ask questions on what happened? "normal. talk. think. you."

Pontifex couldn't understand why Loccian was acting this way. She was normally quiet and kept to herself, hardly showed emotion. But here she was, pressed up against him, her body trembling with quiet sobs. It was such a strange situation for the grey/black brute. He had no memory of his sister ever being like this, so her current state threw him for a curve ball. He didn't shy away, standing before her, trying to be that rock for her that their brother Octavian surely had been for the longest time. Suddenly there was moisture at his chest and he realized his sister was crying. His golden eyes flickered down to her face as she pulled away from him, her grey lips struggling to form their brother's name. He gaze at her anxiously as she finally spit it out, her voice a angry bark as she exclaimed that Octavian was dead. Dead? Octavian was dead? That was impossible. Not his brother. Not Octavian, the strongest of the trio. How could he be...dead? An incredulous expression etched itself on his facade as he stared at Loccian, willing her words to be untrue. He can't be....He can't be dead Loccian....No. Tell you're lying...Octavian can't be dead... His voice was a quiet whisper, disbelief constricting his throat. It couldn't be true...

	He can't be... He can't be dead Loccian... No. Tell you're lying... Octavian can't be dead... His voice was a whisper to her ears and it only caused her stomach to clench and twist, her tail lashing behind her. She wasn't lying at all and to do so would be the worst thing she could possibly do, Octavian was not alive, he had died, died before her very eyes. And she could do nothing about it but watch! Her body trembled as she remembered that day, the blood spilling from his wounds, him asking her if he was going to die and her denying it. Trying to make him relaxed so he could pass without trouble, him telling her that he loved her... He's gone Pontifex... Octavian is gone forever. She growled, moving away from him, head down, lips pulled back as the growl rumbled in her throat. I was there! I had to watch him go, had to tell him to sleep so the pain would go away when he woke up. She had lifted her head, staring straight ahead, but not at her brother, she was looking past him. By now the tears rolled down her cheeks as she stood there with eyes wide, remembering. I can still feel his blood in my fur! She barked, looking down at her legs, flashes going over her eyes, bloody legs one moment and the next its gone. "action. talk. think. you."

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Loccian moved away from him, a growl slipping past her lips as she confirmed her words. Octavian was gone. Pontifex was numb. He'd never considered his brother dying. It was just something that had never crossed his mind. Why? Why Octavian? He'd been the best out of all of them. How could he be the first one to meet his end? It just wasn't right.

He grey gaze flickered over to him, fixing on something just beyond him. But he couldn't muster the force to try and figure out what she was looking at. His golden gaze was rooted to his sister, watching as the crystalline tears slipped down her cheeks, her angry voice echoing in his ears. He's gone Pontifex... Octavian is gone forever. His brother had gone and the grey/black brute had been absent. He hadn't gotten a chance to say goodbye. Would Octavian have wanted to say goodbye to the bastard of his brother Pontifex? Limbs folded beneath the massive brute as he slowly sat, stupidly staring at Loccian as the meaning of her words slowly sunk in. Octavian's gone.... He murmered quietly, his entire world crashing around him. What was going to happen now?

	The grey female had to shake her head fiercely, shake those images away. She couldn't deal with them, couldn't have them return after the days she had taken to just try to clear her head. It took a few shakes, but once they finally vanished she was able to pull her head to look at Ponitfex who was now sitting down, trying to process what Loccian had dumped on him. Octavian's gone... Her gaze narrowed on him, storm grey orbs growing dull, losing their brightness. Her shoulders sunk, tail hung limply behind her. It... It was because of me brother. She began, no more than a whisper. She turned her head to the side, brows coming together. If I was there for him, it would not have happened. Octavian would be alive... if I wasn't running around with some male. Her jaws clenched, body starting to tremble but not out of being cold, out of the anger that was now starting to bubble. She seemed to be jumping back and forth between emotions, going from numb to upset, from upset to angry. Why Pontifex?! She suddenly barked, turning to her brother, desperation in her voice, her gaze looking for something. Has father come back? Is he trying to BREAK us up? Her voice had cracked as she took another step towards Pontifex, ears back as she thought about their abusive father trying to fuck with them. "action. talk. think. you."

He thought things had been getting better. He?d left the lands of their birth, left behind the hatred and malice that their hateful father had nearly suffocated Pontifex with. He had managed to find his siblings and to reunite with them. They had welcomed him back, not exactly with open arms, but with an open mind and a second chance at redemption. Though the bridge between him and his siblings had been a bit shaky, the knight had been more than willing to work through it and mend it as best he could. He wanted things to be the way they had been back when they were children and their father?s grasp hadn?t been so tight. But now?.It was too late. For god knows what reason, Octavian was gone. Pontifex wanted to scream to heavens at the injustice of it all. Octavian had a good future ahead of him, better than any Pontifex could ever have. But where was that future now? Buried alongside his brother?s body.

And then Loccian?s voice broke his thoughts, his golden eyes refocusing on her gray form, a tiny looking thing as she crumpled in on herself. It... It was because of me brother. If I was there for him, it would not have happened. Octavian would be alive... if I wasn't running around with some male. The organ inside his chest nearly collapsed on itself as he listened to his sister blame herself for their brother?s death. Of the two now, no fault lay with her. It was he that should take the blame. He was the worst of the trio, the one who had disconnected with them. Had Pontifex perhaps spent more time with Octavian since their reunion he could have discovered what troubled his brother and maybe helped him out, avoided this unnecessary and abrupt end.

Just as the words were beginning to form on his tongue, Loccian spoke up again, her voice raising several octaves as she barked at him, desperation gripping her words as she attempted to gain an answer from her only brother. Unshed tears choked the words from him larynx as he spoke. Loccian?.my sister, no fault lies with you. You were always there for Octavian. Were someone to take blame it should be. I hardly spoke to him since my arrival here and now look. He?s gone and I never got to say goodbye. I never took the time to reconnect with him. I am sure had I spent more time with him I could?ve lightened his load and helped with whatever ailed him but I didn?t and this is the price we must pay now. You don?t know how desperately I wish to provide you with the answer you need, but I can not. To my knowledge father is nowhere near this place, but if I catch even the slightest hint that he is, it will be the last thing he does Loccian, I swear it.His gaze remained steady on his sister, lyrics taking on a steely edge. Too long had he been under their father?s grip. No more. Pontifex was changed. He was no longer the bastard that had hurt his siblings as they?d grown up. He was now here to take care of Loccian, his sister, his last living family. And he would protect her with his life, even if it meant killing the man he?d come to know as his father.

He was quiet the whole time, and when he did speak it wasn't much. Oh how badly she wanted him to say something, show emotion, at least try to comfort her in some way. If this continued she felt as though her sadness would become too much, her body closing in on itself, crushing her very being until she finally disappeared... No... I don't wanna disappear! She screamed in her head, eyes going wide at the thought. Her tail wrapped around her back leg as she stood there, body trembling. She could feel her mind start to retreat, the feeling slowly vanishing from her paws, running up her legs, but once it reach her main body it had stopped, Pontifex's voice making it come to a stop. Storm grey orbs lifted off the ground to focus on her brother, ears raising up off her head and pointing towards him, taking in every word. Each word, was like a needle to her heart. Not because he spoke what she did not want to hear, this all just hurt her deeply. With a heavy breath she moved towards him, pressing her neck against his, laying her head on his shoulder as he finished speaking. Thank you... She spoke into his body, eyelids closing over her eyes, ears laying back against her head, taking in her brother's warmth. Pontifex... even though we haven't seen or spoke to each other in some time... I have missed you. Her voice had calmed down, back to its usual soft and gentle tone. Even if she did not think of him much because of her duty in Seracia and with what had happened to Octavian, she had missed him. Loccian had wanted to get the trio together, to spend some family time together like a little hunt or just go on a stroll. But now that would never happen, they had lost one of the very few family they had left. All they had now, were each other, just Loccian and Pontifex. "normal. talk. think. you."

He?d always thought that he would be with his family for a long time. Despite their rocky upbringing, having found his siblings once more inspired a long dead hope within the brute. That despite their differences, and not really having been there for his siblings like he should have, that they could spend the rest of their lives like a family should. But that hope was short-lived. It didn?t matter now because things would never be the same for them. Octavian was gone and there was no getting him back.

And then Loccian was moving towards him, pressing her neck against his, resting her head against his shoulder, her words muffled by his coat as she spoke. She thanked him pressing herself against him more. His own eyes closed shut as he pressed his chin against the back of her neck, embracing his sister, wanting to comfort her. He was all she had left now. Her words pierced through him to his very core. How much of a terrible brother he?d been for the past few years? Loccian my dear sister? his words became strangled as the unshed tears finally spilled from his eyes, trailing down his cheeks to loose themselves within Loccian?s fur. I have wronged you for so many years?but I too have missed you dearly? The torrent of tears was relentless, spilling down his face. He?d been strong for too long.

OOC: eek short >.<

It felt so... odd embracing Pontifex is such a way. The only time she could remember being this close to him, feeling his body against hers, was when they were children, before she had been sent away to live with another. Oh how she missed those days, sometimes wondering if she was imagining it, imagining the three being together. It took her a bit to realize those were memories, that it had happened in the earlier time of her life. When she had been loved and cared for. A voice brought her out of her thoughts. Loccian my dear sister? She could feel weight against the back of her neck, gentle, careful. I have wronged you for so many years? but I too have missed you dearly? His voice, the strength in it seemed to fade away, and within moments she could feel a wetness on her neck. It didn't take much for her to realize he was crying, and the thought of him doing so only caused her own eyes to water. I... want to be a family again, like when we were young. She whispered, eyelids pulling apart, grey orbs looking up to the sky, running to the side of her eye and running down her cheek in a tear. Octavian is no longer here, and I don't wanna lose you either. She paused, lips trembling, spreading through her body and down to her paws. Please brother, come with me, to Seracia? She did not want to demand him to come with her, force him to join a pack just because she didn't want to lose him. Loccian would like for her brother to join with her, to bring the family together, even if it was just the two of them now. She pulled away from him, lips being pulled into a small forced smile. Snow had begun to fall around them while they had embraced, a thin blanket on her dark coat, a single flake lading on her nose as she waited for Pontifex's response. -EXIT- "normal. talk. think. you."

He embraced his sister without hesitation, curling himself around her, trying to take her into him, to mold her to him that way he would never lose her. He didn?t want to lose her like he?d lost Octavian. He?d allowed the distance between them to grow too far in the past years and he wasn?t about to let it get any bigger anymore. She was the last thing he had left in this world. He had no mate, no family, no children to speak of. She was everything he had and he would do everything to keep her at his side. Despite the cruelties he inflicted upon her, he loved her. She was his sister, his own flesh and blood and he would always love her no matter what.

Her voice was a whisper against his skin, a drop of moisture penetrating his pelt, making his realize Loccian was crying. No?he didn?t want to see his sister cry anymore. She had shed too many tears already and he couldn?t stand to see her shed any more. She was trembling against him, her voice pleading as she asked him to accompany her to Seracia. Was that the pack that she now called home? Had Octavian been part of that pack too? Surely if he was, the pack had been made aware of his passing. Had they held a burial for him? He would wait until they reached the place called Seracia before asking Loccian about it. He felt her pull away from him, her visage coming into view once again, a forced smile curling the edges of her dark lips. Snow had begun to descend from the heavens and the siblings both were covered in a thin layer of it. We will be a family again Loccian and we will not loose each other. I will join you in Seracia. Come, let?s move on before the snow starts falling harder. And with that the siblings moved off, his sister leading the way back to Seracia, Pontifex intent on joining.

EXIT