Remember Every Scar
He'd been walking for so long. The life of a rogue was not something he had liked during the years he'd been away from Alacritis. And even after all that time...he hadn't found his daughter out there. His beloved little girl...he had been on a quest. It was his mission as a father to find her, but the more time passed without so much as a hint of her whereabouts had made him begin to lose hope. He was giving up. The old dog didn't want to abandon her...but he had to acknowledge the fact that she either died long ago, or was living happily somewhere else. He chose to think the latter.
The male had passed through the west a season or two ago to find that Valhalla no longer stood. So in another search, he sought out someone...anyone, who had been there before and might still be around. The Adravendi line to him, was a a sort of guide. No matter how lost one got, they somehow always found each other. Or so he thought and hoped. His path led him to the borders of one of the eastern packs, the faintest traces of a scent both foreign and familiar had pulled him this way. He shook out his shaggy pelt, standing several feet from the border as faintly clouded blue eyes gazed into the other side. This was the end of his journey, wasn't it? This was where he would die, he was sure.
He refused to die a Loner...and his aching bones wouldn't be able to take another long journey. Despite his efforts, he had to settle somewhere eventually. And perhaps, that would be today. The male started his howl, lifting his head as he sung until his head was pointing straight up at the sky. His song was full of a mix of emotions, but the most prominent would be that of mourning as well. He'd lost his beloved Ashtoreth, his little babies...but he needed his family together then. He couldn't have left his little girl. But in the end, he had lost them all. I'm sorry Ashelia...Cador..Vaishya...Ashtoreth...I failed..
The call that reached her ears was hauntingly familiar. It had been years since she'd seen him - six, to be exact. Epiphron had been close to her cousin when Valhalla had first traveled to these lands, but his time spent with his family had seemingly been short. Though so much had changed since then, she recognized his voice. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest; could this be true? Where had he been all these years, and why was he back now? Shaking her head as she stood, feeling temporarily dazed, she would direct herself toward his call..
Her pawsteps were precarious as she made his way to the border. It seemed too good to be true to find another relative alive and (hopefully) well. His call was likely meant for someone like Leo, but she couldn't pass up this chance to reunite with her cousin. Epiphron's pace would quicken as he came into view, a faint dream-like smile touching her lips at the sight of him. He looked so much older, but she knew she did too. Leon had seemed so much older than her back then - but look at him now, she thought quietly, mentally chuckling as she drew closer and lowered her head as she got a good look at him. "Cousin," she'd breathe as she came within earshot, moving forward as though to embrace him, but pausing before doing so."It's been... so long." Her voice was brimming with quiet emotion as she studied his aged face, searching for some sort of solace that he was still the wolf she remembered.
Cousin...His song would end the second he heard that hauntingly familiar voice. His eyes opened as he sought out the voice, blue eyes falling upon the form of someone so familiar, yet a stranger in appearance. How long had it been? Her words registered in his mind, and he was desperately trying to remember the last time he'd seen her. The only memories he could remember, that had been fading over time, were in their younger years. He stood unmoving, quiet as he looked at her. Damn...how much time did pass? He noted her tattered ear, and despite the age they both were, time hasn't yet weathered her looks like it had him.
"Epiphron...it's been so long..."His voice came out in a cracked whisper from being unused for so long. Sure, he'd spoken to loners during his search, but the past year or so, it felt like he had been the only one left on earth. His eyes never left her, afraid that maybe it was his age that was making him demented. But as the moments ticked by, he knew it was real. She was real. With a choked sound, he stepped forward and closed the distance between them. His neck wrapped over hers in a heartfelt embrace, his face pressed into her fur. He couldn't believe it. "It's...been so long..." He would repeat again, eyes closing as he breathed in her scent, memories flooding his mind. The familiarity, the comfort. "I missed you, pip.."
Leon had been someone she'd looked up to when she was younger. He'd given her good advice about adulthood - and then when she'd really needed him, he'd been gone. Why he'd left Valhalla, she didn't know, but she could only guess. Things hadn't been perfect there forever - leadership had changed hands multiple times, there had been feuds with other packs and an irritating amount of inter-pack conflict. Maybe something in particular had made him want to leave. It didn't matter much now - all that mattered was that he was here. He was home.
"I.." she choked back her words as she gazed at him, his own voice painfully familiar, albeit hoarse. She was grateful he moved forward to embrace her, and she would lean into her cousin's touch with ease, letting out a breath of air she hadn't realize she'd been holding. His touch was comforting - a reminder of all the things they had lost over the years. She wondered if Leon had half a clue what all he had missed. Epiphron fell silent as she breathed in his scent for a long moment, before pulling away hesitantly. "I've missed you," she said gently, a touch of sadness gracing her voice, though it was obvious she was glad to see him. "I haven't seen you since I was still a child." She'd been a yearling, maybe close to two years, but she'd still been naive and youthful, nothing at all like she was now.
He breathed in her scent when she leaned into him, grateful for such a comforting touch. He'd been gone so long, no familiar faces and no one to comfort him when he needed it. But here, here he felt his heart break when she said that she missed him. And then he wondered why it was that he'd been gone so long. Why was it that he had become distant from her? He couldn't remember anymore, all that mattered now was that he was back, he was here with his beloved cousin and he would not dissappear again.
He pulled back just a little as he gently nuzzled her cheek, his dull blue eyes brightening for the first time since he'd been gone. "I'm sorry for being gone so long. Forgive me, Epiphron for having been so distant." The same sadness that was in her voice, touched his as well. He would sit then, his aching bones struggling to hold up his weary body after so much traveling. But he knew that maybe, it was time to stop searching. It pained him, but almost three years of fruitless searching for her, well...he began to accept that maybe, she was gone forever.
Sighing, he looked at his paws for a moment as the weight of the world seemed to fall on his shoulders. "Everything is gone, isn't it? Including my family...? I...I went searching for my daughter...and then everything fell apart..." Wait, she knew right? He couldn't remember if she had been there at that time, but just in case..."Ashtoreth and I had finally gotten married. And we had three beautiful children. Vaishya, Cador, and...Ashelia...she's the one that had gone missing...so I went to find her, and now.."
"Most everyone is gone, yes," she said, the sadness in her voice heightening. "This pack here -" she'd gesture to the side gently, before turning back to him. "- it is run by my son Leo." He'd certainly been named with her cousin in mind, and a brief, light smile touched her lips as she spoke. "My daughter Amalia is here as well. You are certainly welcome to stay with us." Epiphron knew Leo would not pass up the opportunity to let a family member stay here. It seemed Leo had lost his own family.. three of his children, that he'd had with Ashtoreth. A soft sigh fell from her lips as she felt some of the tension fall from her shoulders. "I'm sorry," she offered him tentatively. "The rest of my children are gone, as well. I know how it feels.."
ooc: sorrryyyyyyy just going to pop in so I can accept Leon and get my last alpha check post for the week! I'll hop back out as soon as the official joining stuff is done Leo was normally very quick to answer the calls that came from the border, but today he was in the middle of a game with his daughters so it delayed his arrival a bit. Once he had gotten himself untangled from Heather and Roza he made his way toward the edge of the Hot Springs. He was both surprised and happy to see that his mother had already arrived. He was glad that their guest didn't have to wait around for him to arrive, but as he got closer he realized that his mother must know this man which explained why she was so quick to answer his call. As he walked up he heard the older man mention Ashelia and his mismatched ears perked with surprise. He slowed as he padded up to the pair, glancing from his mother to the man that had called them, a small smile on his lips. He stood next to his mother and gave a small dip of his head. "I'm sorry, I hope I'm not interrupting. I'm Leo, Epiphron's son and the king here." His head tipped to the side slightly as he looked to the man curiously. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but did you mention Ashelia? She joined Fiori not too long ago." |
He was saddened to hear that the family's kingdom was gone. It was all he'd really known, and he was upset that he'd left. That maybe if he'd stayed, he could have done something. But he couldn't leave his little girl out there alone, and still even with all his searching he couldn't find her. She told him not to apologize, which in turn brought a low whine rising in his throat as he sighed. He wished he had stayed, he wished he could have done something to try and stop it all. But even then, would he have been able to? He was oblivious to all the drama and destruction that had befallen the family while he was away, but maybe he would ask about it later.
When she gestured to the pack lands and told him who it belonged to, his mood lifted a little. He chuckled to, at the name she'd given her son. "Leo huh? Sounds familiar. I wonder who gave you that idea." His voice was lighter, happier at the thought. For a while, he thought he had been completely forgotten, but it seemed not. And then her daughter Amalia...yes, he remembered her. Vaguely, but the memory was there. Blue eyes met hers at the mention of losing the rest of her children, and it saddened him that she had to go through that too. "I'm sorry." His mind was made up though. He wanted to stay. He was getting on in years, and he didn't want to die alone out there.
Just as he was about to talk, another voice cut in, introducing himself as Leo. His ears perked at the name for a moment, before surprise and shock settled in. "W-what? Ashelia? How? When?" He was so overcome that he didn't know what to say. Could it be his daughter that he'd been searching for? All that time...had she been on the continent the whole time? He looked to Epiphron for a moment, then back to Leo. "W-what's her last name? What does she look like?" He needed to know if it was his baby. Needed to know that this wasn't some cruel mix up.
She nearly snorted at his comment. "I never said I was creative with their names," Epiphron would tease him, a sparkle in her eye. Of course he hadn't been forgotten; there was no way she could forget any of the wolves she'd grown up alongside, even those that had died, even those that had betrayed her. They were etched permanently on the walls of her mind.
It was no surprise that Leo arrived as they conversed, wanting to see who it was that had called. "Leo," she'd chime in, her eyes alight with joy as she gestured to Leon. "This is Leon, my cousin." A smile touched her lips - and her expression widened when Leo spoke up about Ashelia. Perhaps things might get better for all of them, now..
Leo glanced toward his mother as she introduced the man in front of them. His brows lifted in surprise and he turned his eyes back toward Leon with a smile. So he was family after all! He also couldn't help but notice the similarity in his name and Leon's. Leo wasn't his first name, but he wouldn't help but chuckle lightly at the coincidence. The man immediately launched into a series of excited questions when he mentioned Ashelia. Leo couldn't help but wonder how he knew Ashelia. Was he her father? He could only assume so. "We bumped into each other a while back and she ended up coming here to join Fiori. She's mostly white with brown on the top of her head and back and black on her chest and purple eyes. Is that the same Ashelia as yours?" He sincerely hoped so. Their family in general had been so scattered and absent for most of his life. Any time he could bring some of their family back together was a very happy moment for him. He looked to Leon curiously and hopefully, waiting to see his relative's reaction. He wasn't sure if his mother had met Ashelia yet as well so this may very well be news for her as well. |