She hardly paid attention to where she was going these days. Simply letting her paws carry her where they may. She was nothing more than a darkened shadow that slithered her way across some foreign land. The slight drop in temperature was the only clue she was of where she was. But all she would see what the ebony shadow that curled around her mother, in a loving embrace before her snapped her neck. All she could smell was her mothers blood that soaked the earth and poisoned the air. She could see the white ghost slipping away, along the dark shadow, the bringer of death. She could hear her mothers cries echoing in her head, her pleas for help. Eyes clenched shut, trying to wash away the memories. But there was no point. She hadn't seen her family since. They didn't even know she was there, that she was a witness to her mothers brutal attack and merciful death. The time that had passed since then went unnoticed. She ate when she was hungry, drank when she was thirsty, slept when she was tired. It was a mundane routine. But she knew her mother would have her hide if she didn't care for herself. For that reason her pelt remained clean, a vibrant ebony, she tried to keep herself from losing weight, and for the most part had been successful. But she was alone. She had nothing to live for. While she was never close to her mother, that was still her mother, the one that had brought her into this world, had raised her, had taught her what she knew. And now she was gone. Ripped away by a ruthless killer. A sigh fell from inky slips. Toxic green pools looked up, seeing caves in a mountain side standing in her way. She looked around for a brief moment before pushing forward, allowing her paws to kiss the cool stone of the cave floor. It was dark, but the little sunlight that filtered in helped. She would barely make out strange shapes on the walls, written in some kind of something. It was so strange looking. Who would put these here? She was too young to know what humans were or that they had lived her. It was moments like these that she wished her mother were here, she would know what these strange shapes were and what they meant. Walking a few paces deeper into the caves, she allowed herself to settle down on the hard stone, curling her long legs under her. A moments of rest. Eyes drifted shut, leaving her hiding in the shadows, barely visible. Muscles relaxed, tension falling away as sleep claimed her. She didn't realize how tired she was. But it didn't take long for the nightmares to claim her, for her mothers cries to chase her, for the stench of blood to suffocate her, for the gruesome sounds of snapping bones and ripping flesh to terrorize her. Speech,

Walk | "Talk" | Think Like both of his siblings, Rune had inherited specific traits from his parents and time had made them his own. From his father, he had inherited a calm mind, a place from which he surveyed the world not with appraisal or greed but mere curiosity, wishing to understand and know how each piece ticked and therefore see the faults as well. From his mother, he had inherited her innate sense of place, of tracking, the foundation from which he had molded that side of himself into a skilled hunter. He used those self-improved skills now, not in search of prey or even for the entertainment of a chase but in search of someone in particular. Restlessness regarding the impending trips to be made outside of his home territory had caused him to seek solace elsewhere, traveling north away from Tortuga. Terrain became wild, frozen, unfamiliar to him, but nothing successfully stopped him enough even to consider turning back. And nothing would once he had encountered her scent. It had been fresh, surprisingly recent, and immediately captured the youthful male's attention with no room for anything else. Months had passed since he had last seen his sister, even more since they had been together under good terms. Each of them, it seemed, had taken the loss of their mother very differently, and of his siblings he thought himself the most stable. Neither of the other two had shown themselves upon their childhood home since though he had often wished for their return. Now knowing that one was so near, he was determined to locate her before considering his return trip and losing himself in pack affairs once more. The scent brought him even further north than he would have traveled otherwise, to the mouth of a cavern that opened up along a mountainside, remnants of snow still lingering up along its peak. He paused slightly outside of it, staring upward at the mountain before lowering his frosty blue gaze to peer as far inward as he could in its pale lighting. Why here? he wondered, unable to understand the draw of this place for his sister. Did it have something to do with why she had been away for so long? Or perhaps just convenience? Waving away his thoughts, the black and grey male padded forward on silent paws, head lowered with his dark nose skimming above the floor to follow the guiding scent. He had hardly entered no more than a few feet before he spotted her, her lithe frame, so much like their mother's, coiled up beside one of the stony cavern walls. Little to no attention was given to the strange, cryptic markings that adorned the walls he passed, his attention focused solely upon his sister. His movements as he approached were made with the utmost care, doing his best to stay as silent as possible so as not to disrupt her sleep with fear of an unknown intruder. She seemed awfully peaceful there in sleep, though it only made him wonder how she must have been during her waking hours. Brotherly affection and a strong protective streak made him wish to lie down quietly beside her and keep watch but their bond had not been as strong as it once had felt ever since they had separated; he felt no certainty that she would have even accepted the gesture. Unknowing of the nightmares that warped her sleeping thoughts, Rune lowered his dark nose to hover over her shoulder and spoke to her in a simple, quiet tone, "Maia."

Absolute panic. It consumed her, eating away at her sanity slowly but surely. Her cries. Her blood. A white phantom and a dark knight. Maia. Her name drifted her through her thoughts but it wasn't her mothers voice, it was deeper. Her brain soon recognized another scent within the caves. Rune. Eyes fluttered open, revealing verdant optics. Momentarily disoriented she looked around herself before meeting her brothers icy gaze. It was almost like having her mother look back at her. Except for her brothers significantly lighter pelt. "Rune, what are you doing here?" A yawn parted her inky lips, revealing ivory daggers. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts before pushing herself up to sit before her brother. How long had it been since she had seen her brother? He had grown, matured. He had always been the smallest, but now his size rivaled her own. A gentle smile graced her features as she offered her brother an affection nuzzle. She had missed him. This chance encounter brought Vixe to mind, where had he ventured off to? He and herself had always been the troublemakers. Ebony plume swept across the stone flooring with a few wags. It lightened her mood to see one of her siblings. But where was their father? Did he even know their mother was dead? Was he even still alive. It was a battle to keep the panic from settling in. She couldn't lose both her parents, she just couldn't. It didn't matter than Secret or Kylar hadn't really been involved in their lives, it didn't matter that they both disappeared regularly. All that matter was that those were her parents! Her outward expression never once faltered, staying collected despite her inner turmoil. She wasn't sure if her brother would see through her mask or not, she hoped he wouldn't. "I've missed you." She spoke earnestly, she missed her family. She missed her fathers attention, her mothers wise words, her brother Vixe's attitude, and Rune's quiet presence. She wondered what he had been up to, what he had done to occupy his time. Surely he knew of their mothers death, but she doubted he knew that she had witnessed nearly the entire gruesome event. Speech,

Walk | "Talk" | Think Very peacefully his sister woke, those vibrant green eyes of his, so reminiscent of their father's, panning upward to meet his gaze. Just slightly he smiled for her, an expression that he tried to remember from their youth, somewhat playful, somewhat smug, but only in his quiet manner. He had always been the silent one, the observer, the one who let the others race off on their adventures first and then brought up the rear, occasionally taking lead but only when it became painfully obvious no one else could. But as he met her eyes, he saw very little of the Maia he remembered, as if the young, innocent girl he had grown up with had disappeared over the years. Her green eyes looked tired, haunted, full of shadows and demons that only she could see. It troubled him, the look about her, so thin and frail looking, not full and lightly muscled as she should have been, as dictated by her lineage. Her question was merely a distraction to him as he continued to survey her quietly, and absently he answered, "I found your scent. So I followed." Surely he needed no excuse to track his long lost sister down? At least he hoped she would find it acceptable. It had been so long...and after discovering the freshly covered grave of his mother he longed to cling to what little family he had left. Allowing her space, the grey wolf took a quick step back so that Maia could rise, his frosty blue eyes ever watchful of her to make sure the demons that plagued her behind her eyes had not entirely ravaged her body as well. It seemed their presence was not a wholly permanent one, the black she-wolf twisting her lips into a small smile for him and reaching forward to offer him a kind nuzzle. Rune gratefully accepted, brushing his cheek against her own as he savored the small contact. Who knew how long it would be until he saw her again? Her tail wagged as she expressed to have missed him all this time, and the smile about his face jumped just a fraction before it settled comfortably back to its original level. "I've missed you too," he answered without hesitation, wishing in that moment that he could convince her to return with him, to live once more within the borders of Tortuga, make Vixe join them, and piece together the family they had once possessed. But there would be time enough for suggestions like that. He was far more concerned about the rest of their family. "I haven't seen Vixe. Or dad," Rune admitted quietly, eyes falling downcast with the confession. He sighed heavily, not wanting to add what he needed to but doing so anyway, tone somewhat low and monotonous, "And then mom--" He tried to speak of it, of her, of the place she rested now, but the proper words evaded him. It was too touchy a subject to just talk of casually; he hoped Maia already knew and that an explanation from him would not be necessary.

She could feel his eyes survey every inch of her. He rarely missed anything, no matter how insignificant of a detail. She knew he saw the weight she had lost, the demons in her eyes. His answer was an obvious one, though given absently as though his thoughts were otherwise occupied. He stepped back only to give her space but returned her affection touch, returning that he missed her. The revelation that he had not seen their brother or father came as no surprise. They had always been elusive, around but never in sight, never making their presence known. A soft sigh slipped from between inky lips. And mom... Audits flatted against her skull, a visible flinch shifting her light frame. Her mother. Gone. Ripped from this world. A soft whine echoed around her. She lurched herself forward in one fluid motion, burying her face in her brothers neck. She had sought no comfort until now. She wanted nothing more than to know that she was not the only one upset about their mothers death. Surely their father knew, who else would have buried her? Tears threated to spill onto her dark features, causing her to curl up against her brother. She didn't speak, she made no noise, keeping her sobs under control, control that was in shreds already. She didn't care if her sudden proximity startled her brother. All she wanted was a moment of comfort, to know that they would get through this and everything would be okay. Leaning back only enough to look up at her brother, she met his sapphire gaze, so similar to their mothers, she tried to find the words, but couldn't. What was there to say? What could be said? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Speech,

Walk | "Talk" | Think The reaction Maia gave was not a favorable one. In fact, he had only been anticipating sadness, plain and simple, perhaps even tears if Maia was inclined to cry about their loss. But the way she moved, the tightness to her flattened ears and the undeniable flinch... His brow puckered at the center as he watched her, the concern he felt over seeing her in this debilitated state strengthening at the new information he was receiving. Even minimal as it was, he had to wonder how much she knew about their mother's death, what it was that made her cower back from the memory and turn the once vibrant, adventurous girl into this subdued, unstable wolf with barely enough weight on her to call her healthy. Suddenly she was no longer merely sitting there across from him but coming toward him, the motion so unexpected that all he had time to do was open his blue eyes wide and catch himself at the last second with a quickly braced leg. So apparently he was not the only one to be torn up over this loss either. Accepting Maia's openness about her distress, he turned and curled his head over the top of hers, closing his eyes as he let himself embrace some of her loss, some of her fear, and sharing with her that he felt the same. No noise, no tears, fell from the huddled form of his sister against his chest, but he knew it was there. His family was a strong bunch; even this small show of trust and expression of grief was a big move. But knowing just what Maia was going through, or assuming he did, Rune was not the least bit inclined to judge her. It took a little while for her to calm down but eventually Maia shifted as if trying to rise. Rune moved and allowed her the room to sit up though she only moved far enough back to see him. He met her green eyes with a steady blue stare, consolation and understanding written within his gaze as he could not find the right words either. Instead of trying to find a way to somehow prolong the memory of their mother's death, he changed the subject, drawing in a quick breath before posing a question to his sister. "Where have you been staying?" It hardly mattered where it was she had been all this time now that they had finally been reunited. Now his concern was whether it would be possible to keep together the family that he had lost without doing so again.

Her brothers embrace soothed her wounds, grounded her, silently told her that she was no alone in the way she felt. They remained still for an unknown amount of time before he released her, allowing her to sit up. No words were exchanged, but she could see the understanding and consolation in his steady gaze. She was thankful for his presence. She never imagined having to lean on one of her brothers so much. It made her wonder about Vixe, how he was doing, if he cared, where he was. Where have you been staying? It was a changed of subject that she appreciated. "Here and there." She had never stayed in one area for long, stopping only to rest and eat before moving on to the next place. "What about you?" Had he stayed within the borders of Tortuga? Or had he found shelter elsewhere? She knew that there was no way she would be able to stay in Tortuga ever again. Would her family ever be repaired? They had been brought together by her mother and driven apart after her death. She had left behind a broken home. But she couldn't bring herself to blame her. Whatever her mother had done had been for a reason, she never did anything without a reason. She had learned that from a young age from the ebony woman. So what was her reason, her purpose now? She was uncertain, there was no way of knowing. Emerald pools turned towards her brother, so many questions lingering in her gaze. Speech,

Walk | "Talk" | Think Though her answer was spoken with less sadness than he would have anticipated given the recent topic of conversation, it was still not quite as favorable as it could have been. "Here and there" could have basically been anywhere and nowhere all at once, and neither option spoke of very much protection or prosperity. Was this what she had been doing? Roaming around from cave to cave seeking random shelters and inconsistent prey to satisfy herself, to keep herself alive? And what sort of strangers might she have been meeting during these travels? Who watched out for her when she chose such a life of isolation and loneliness? The boy's brow furrowed itself yet again as he contemplated her response, still half thoughtful to offer her accompaniment back to his home if she decided it might suit her still. To his mind, it should have; it was where they had grown up, where their mother rested in the earth, the only home they had ever truly known of. And suddenly she was asking about that home again, though unknowingly, only curious where he himself had been staying during their absence. "Morphine took back Tortuga," he stated in explanation, "so I went back there." Never mind the fact what had once been a large pack was merely a shadow of its former glory, or that they were in desperate need of information regarding their neighboring packs. He was still far too attached to the place to consider painting it in an unpleasant light. "You wouldn't," he began to say but stopped himself, pausing briefly before pursuing the question anyway, "want to come back...would you?" He knew already that their mother's death was a touchy subject, and that what was left of her remained there inside the home he shared with the once-again Tortugan Imperial. But considering how nice it would have been to have more family living in the same location, how nice it would be to feel that semblance of wholeness from at least one of them returning, he figured it was worth a shot. OOC: Weird writing as if Tortuga wasn't disbanded and reclaimed yet. xD

Morphine. The name was familiar. She had taken over the pack, though it came as no surprise. But it did surprise her that her brother had lingered there, continuing to call that place his home. He wanted her to come back? She wasn't sure she could. Could she really call that place her home again? "I'm not sure." Emerald gaze dropped to the ground, brows furrowing. She didn't want to go back, but at the sametime she did. She wanted to go home, for things to be normal again. For her family to be a family again. But she knew that couldn't happen, wouldn't happen. Only Rune had reached out to her. Not even her own father. What kind of family was that? She met her brothers gaze once more. Confusion glittering in her eyes. She didn't want to lose him again. Even though they had been total opposites growing up, they now shared something in common, had a stronger bond than before. She felt as though she could depend on him, lean on him when times were hard and he wouldn't abandon her. Who would have though. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Do you want me to come back?" Speech,

Walk | "Talk" | Think Rune could tell from the moment the question had left his lips that the proposition he had offered his sister was a challenging one. Her gaze evaded his own as she answered uncertainly, the expression about her face becoming thoughtful and worrisome. The grey wolf was only silent, giving her the time and space she needed to revert inward and consider what it was that he had set before her. He had never truly been good with words, not the way both of his siblings had been. There was nothing more he could say that might convince her to more strongly consider returning with him; he was simply not that charismatic. But he did not lose out on hope. Instead he wished she would think of what he thought of when she considered it. Tortuga was where they had grown up, the land they all knew like the back of their paw. They once had a den there that they shared, a spot where their mother would allow them to play, places that they had found together as youths when they would wander. And surely she had good memories of the times they were able to spend with their parents too? It was difficult for him to fathom that the attachment he held toward the place of their childhood might not be felt so strongly by his siblings, and so he didn't. Eventually her eyes did seek his again, and he merely blinked patiently as she managed a little smile. It was a good sign, he figured, whatever meaning it had behind it. No verbalized answer would come from her inquiry, just a slow and resolute nod from her lighter colored brother. Very much did he want her to come back to live with him, if nothing more so that she had a stable place to reside and a source of company, food, and protection on which to count. Even if she chose to keep distant from him for whatever reason, even if she did decide to revert to old ways and do things that made him roll his eyes, just knowing he could keep an eye on her and trust her to be safe from harm, loneliness, and abandonment he would have been happy.

No words were voiced by her brother. Only the slightest nod was given. He wanted her return to Tortuga, the place she had once called home. Hesitation kept her from speaking right away. Her gaze didn't waiver from him, so many things swarmed in her head. She couldn't loose her brother again, she just couldn't. But she couldn't answer him right now, she didn't have the answer he so desperately sought after. There was nothing she could tell him. "Would you stay for a bit? I'm in need of a good nap." She attempted to let her once carefree attitude show through, let the music flow through her lyrics. But she was only somewhat successful. It was a start though. Moving to her brothers side, her bodice slide to the earth, crown tilting back to look up at her brother. It had been so long since she slept beside someone. And who better it be than her brother. A small smile once more graced her features, encouraging him to stay though she knew he wouldn't say no. If he laid beside her, then she would bend to rest her skull on his paws, pressing against his side for warmth and comfort. It didn't take long for her to slip into a sleep, this time was different though. She wasn't swallowed by infinte blackness, she simply floated into a more pleasant place of nothingness that enveloped her in a blanket of warmth that shielded her from the demons that threatened her. A blanket that was her brother. -exit- OOC- figured it was time to end this and get caught up on current times lol Speech,

Walk | "Talk" | Think Maia gave no immediate answer to Rune's offer, and though he did feel a touch of disappointment he could not bring himself to hold it against her. They had all been through so much, had changed so much since they had all been together last. Rune knew it, deep down, that things would never be as they once were. He would never have the same sort of relationship with his siblings that they had had when they had shared a den, before they had been separated and wandered about on their own. Things had happened to each of them, sculpting them into who they would be as adults. Though he could not quite comprehend his sister's hesitance in refusing to answer just then - still of a mindset himself that Tortuga would always be home for them, no matter what - he made no attempt to draw the conversation back onto the touchy topic as the pitch colored girl changed their conversation, asking a request of him instead. Comfort. That was all she wanted. And given what he knew of her recent escapades, of possibly wandering the territories in search of safety and shelter without anyone there to keep an eye on her or have her back, it seemed like a small and simple request that he needed to comply with for her. They may have been separated for a considerable length of time, but blood was thicker than absence as far as he was concerned. Once again, he merely nodded, glad to at least see his sister's attempt at a smile even if it lacked the natural sincerity behind it that he remembered coming so naturally to her in their youth. She wasted no time in settling herself there upon the ground, and he did the same, allowing her to curl up against him and rest her head upon his paw. He reached over her to give her upturned shoulder a soft nuzzle as she rested, silently contemplating to himself what would happen to them once she woke and they parted ways. Would they stay close? Would they disappear from each other for another indeterminable amount of time? Whatever the case, he hoped it would only be the for the best. OOC: Works for me. c: All done then!