He'd have to leave soon, again. This was only a visit, he kept having to remind himself as he trotted through his home. This place smelt of heaven and familiarity, and he missed it so deeply. He missed his siblings and his family, and it almost seemed like it had been even longer than just a season since he had really seen them. Even before then, Starling have been so wrapped up with his learning that he hadn't really spent much time with his siblings outside of Finch and Shrike. He spent more time with Bass than anything but that was mostly for italian lessons and his forced healing lessons on his father. It was like...you didn't know how much you would miss someone untill you had the proper chance or reason to miss them. He sighed delicately as he stared down at the water that rushed around the rocks, the rapids. He spent little time here in his young life, the only real times he came up here was when there were plants here that he needed for his store. But there was still a reason to be here..he still felt an odd nostalgia. Time was running out before the time limit he set, and he still hadn't seen most of his family yet. He didn't want to go back...not yet... "Burn Baby Burn" "Italian"

Lark still didn't understand why they had left in the first place - only that he was grateful for his family's return. Sure, family was important and he understood their desire to visit them, but.. wasn't Abaven more important? Did they not realize how awful Abaven was when they were gone? He didn't think badly of Allen, but he simply wasn't as good of a leader as Bass, and he never could be. They needed his father to rule here. He hadn't meant to follow Starling to the rapids. A place that they had been once warned against, had been told to stay away from for fear that they might fall in as small children.. it had become his refuge. No longer did he fear crossing the rapids; if he wanted to be alone, all he had to do was make his way across and head east and he wouldn't be bothered by anyone. But being alone wasn't on his mind today. Not when he caught a glimpse of Starling resting by the rapids. His tail would begin to wag slowly behind him as he approached. Starling had been the hardest of his siblings to truly spend time with. He was always too engrossed in his own studies to spend much time with him, which he understood, but it was still a disappointment. Lark made no effort to mask the sound of his pawsteps as he drew closer to his slightly smaller brother, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Been awhile," he'd comment idly as he moved to sit beside him.

Starling's ears would swivel forward the moment he heard pawsteps on the soft ground, but his eyes never left the swirling rapids. There could be many wolves those paws belonged too, and Bass instantly came to mind. But when Lark spoke he blinked and lifted his gaze up to his big brother. For a moment he could almost cry, the smile that creased his lips was really like nothing he had shown before. "A-awhile, yeah.." He said softly, his chin dipping a bit at the stutter before he looked to the side. He was still more than fully embarrased. He was older now, why did he still have to trip over not only his paws, but his words as well. He glanced towards the rapids then, a ghost of a smile touching his lips again as Lark sat beside him. Lark was the sibling that Starling idolized most. He seemed regal, he didn't trip over his paws and he was really...strong. Starling was an awkward, gawky thing that liked plants. He licked his lips slightly before glancing over at him, tilting his head slightly. "H-how've you been?" "Burn Baby Burn" "Italian"

Starling had left too, not just to learn for himself but also to benefit his family. Still, it struck him as strange.. couldn't someone come to Abaven to teach him? Why did he have to leave the family for that? Either way, he loved his siblings dearly no matter where they went and what they chose to do. His grin hardly faltered as Starling spoke to him, his tail batting behind him against the earth, genuine happiness filling his gaze.  "Did you learn a lot?" came a gentle question, his head tilting as he turned to watch him, almost unblinkingly. It'd been so long since he'd really seen Starling and his presence was quite comforting to him. He paid no mind to the fact that his brother was more timid and awkward than him.. he didn't think any less of him. He was still his brother, a Destruction, and he had more potential than he knew. "I've been okay. It's been really weird without you guys though. I didn't like it."

Starling would smile gently at his brother, forever kind even in the face of Star's embarrassments. He really idolized his brother, how he was both strong and sweet at the same time. It was easy to tell that Lark was 100% Bass's son. And sure, Starling could find his connections to the family, but he certainly wasn't a prodigal son. He didn't hold the fighting qualities he longed to have... With a gentle sigh he'd look at the water at his feet. "Yeah, q-quite a bit." He said, eyebrows pinching. He hadn't told anyone but Allen that he wanted to extend his training, and that was because it had been a last minute decision. "Still a l-lot more to go. I-I'm just...visiting." He'd look at Lark's reflection in the water then, trying to read his expression. "I extended it t-till the end of s-summer.." He said with a gentle smile. It had been strange for him too, still is. He hadn't ever felt so lonely at night than he did during his first week. He missed his siblings, missed his dad. "I-it's great e-everyone is home n-now though." He said happily, tilting his head as he regarded the water. "M-means I don't have to w-worry as much while I-I'm gone." He giggled then, turning a small smile up at his brother. He missed Lark a lot, all of them..so much. He shifted then to push his shoulder against his brother's for a moment before he straightened again. "Have y-you been working h-hard?" He asked softly, wondering how training has been going on here with Allen. "Burn Baby Burn" "Italian"

Lark was usually content to not look others in the face all the time, but he found himself staring at Starling now. It was strange that he had gone away; that he had grown up a bit without him. Though he hadn't changed much outwardly - he still looked the same, just a bit older and bigger, and he still had the nervous stutter that he had always known - he wondered if it was possible that he hadn't changed on the inside, even if just a bit. He smiled a bit, though the expression faltered when Starling admitted he wasn't staying here, just visiting until the end of summer. "But... why?" he asked firmly, not understanding what could make Starling want to leave. Now that they were together again, what else did the world have that was better than this? "Couldn't you just, like, train with Motif here? Or have dad find someone to come here to teach you?" Lark's brows would furrow in general frustration. Why had they left in the first place, and why on earth would he want to leave them for another full season? It simply didn't make sense to him and he felt himself sighing as he let his head fall to rest on his paws. Had he been working hard? "No. I skipped the last training session," he said quietly. Lark had the ambition to work hard, but things had been so weird without most of his family gone and he hadn't wanted to participate in Allen's training. "I want to train with dad. Not Allen."

Starling would sigh softly as Lark questioned him, his ears slipping back and his gaze drifting to the side. He'd stare into the water, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he fought with the desire to stay, and the promise to go. He couldn't just...not return to Sonticus to learn. He would just stare at their reflections, tracing his gawky, awkward form compared to his brother's warrior appearance. Oh how desperately he longed to be like Lark, to be comfortable and physically capable. Instead, he had his healing, and he had to focus on that. If he didn't, he'd fall into a spiral of longing and jealousy. He had to keep moving towards his goal, if he had any hope of being half the wolf he knew Lark was destined to be. "Healing...i-isn't like fighting, Lark." He whispered softly. "Th-there are s-so many herbs t-to learn, and they g-grow differently and e-everywhere. I h-have to travel t-to know whats o-out there. An-and other h-healers in o-other places h-have different methods..." He said in his quiet, imperfect voice, his eyes stinging slightly as he tilted his head away from Lark. "I h-have t-to learn...t-to g-get better. S-so if s-something happens to...o-one of you..." He would clench his jaw again, turning back to Lark and offering him a small smile. "I d-don't want to l-leave either. B-but it's m-my...destiny, r-right? I h-have to learn all I can." He'd give him a big smile then, showing teeth which is something he normally never did. He had to learn not just for himself and the pack, but for everyone he ever met and came across. When Lark spoke of training, Starling would look up at him, tilting his head slightly. "Oh Lark.." He said softly before he looked back down at the water, nodding slightly. "I-I know, Lark...b-but...y-you have a responsibility t-too, right? D-dad probably w-wont be happy th-that you skipped t-training.." He said softly then, looking at his reflection in the water. "D-do you realize...h-how great you h-have it?" "Burn Baby Burn" "Italian"

Lark had always been stubborn, since the day he was born. He wasn't necessarily pampered, but his life had been relatively easy and he was used to things going the way he wanted them to. He absolutely abhorred the idea of Starling leaving again, even if it was for the greater good. He wanted him to stay here, with his family, where he belonged. His nose wrinkled as he listened to his brother speak about healing, saying it was different than fighting.. that he needed to travel to find herbs that grew elsewhere. A slow shrug was offered as he shuffled to flop down next to him. "I guess," he would mumble, following his words with a soft sigh.  "Someone's gotta know how to take care of us when we get sick or hurt." But it still sucked, no matter how much Starling was right. His expression softened a bit, thoughtful as he gazed over at his brother. "I just hate when you guys are gone." Lark wasn't ashamed to admit it, not in the slightest. Though not the most sensitive of creatures, and definitely not the most affectionate, the love he had for his family was something he was proud of and just as open about. He found himself sighing again at Starling's words. "I won't skip another one," he said firmly, turning to nudge his brother's shoulder gently. "Promise." A moment of silence followed his words as he mused over what Starling said. "What do you mean?" he questioned, nose wrinkling. "We all have it good. I can't imagine a better life."