Their memories where stagnant, and nothing in the days that had followed had teased from them their lost past. They knew, both of them, that they could not leave things as they where. The silent brother had let his paw whisper to her Frustrated curiosity, serious contemplation. Question, question before he got to his paws, his gaze grazing towards her body, and up towards her eyes. He held her gaze for only a moment. A private, quiet thing that spoke of trust and family. His wandering eyes drifted back down to her paws, so he could watch for what she might say in return. He knew she felt the same frustrations as he did, knew that every morning as the sun rose, her paws itched and her eyes roved. She was missing something, an act perhaps, a ritual. Something, something her body knew the barest edges of her, and her mind had forgotten. He felt the same frustration every time he saw the tree in his dream, the magnificent, flowing branches. The flowers of red that pulled free and drifted, wild, in the wind. They had lost themselves, and he was determined that they find their way back to who they had been. He led her silently from the area they had been denning, walking until his pace quickened, until his steps kicked up dust and his stride ate the earth. He let out his frustration upon the earth, letting each step drum against it, until the landscape became to vanish around them, changing. He didn’t know for how long they ran, their stamina was in line with their strength, boundless. It was a piece of their past, this strength of their bodies. He released his stride when he caught the scent of the coyote. This, or something akin to it was what he had been searching for. He let his steps slow, and fall to a stop, turned to his sister, and signed a Crooked Smile “Will you fight with me, blood of mine?” he asked her softly. "Speech"|"Ademic"

Ballad Pyre Ballad curled tightly at Lament’s paws, all she had felt in the past few days had been lost. Lost and sad. Every night she looked up to the moon, at sunrise she was awake and found herself looking towards the sun. She paused at noon, and also at sunset. Every. Day. The repetition was a comfort but she knew deeply that she was missing something. Some critical piece of information she couldn’t quite grasp. Lament signed silently before he stood up, and she found her own silver gaze meeting his for a moment. They were family, and that small moment of intimacy did her immense good. Ballad felt depressed, and if she didn’t have Lament she would likely wither away to dust she was so lost on her own. "Sadness. Loss. Lost." Her paws shifted before she pulled herself to her feet after her brother. Ballad followed after her brother unquestioningly, her fiery paws matching his pace as he slowly accelerated. The physical exercise also pulled her further from her depression as the joy of running took over. She let the wind ruffle her black locks as they kept at the trail, time ceased to pass. By the time her litter mate slowed she didn’t know where they were or what time it was. Her silvery gaze looked to the sky as her pretty paws came to a halt beneath her. Her chest expanded with huffs of breath, her mouth open slightly as she inhaled the sweet spring air. Lament seemed to smell something more than the fragrant flowers. She cocked her head curiously as he signed a smile and asked if she wanted to fight alongside him. That was when the scent of coyote hit her. A look of realization came over her as she mirrored his sign. "Always," she answered. Even without her memories the girl would always be there for her brother. "Speech"|"Ademic"

Simple exercises weren’t enough, and well he made steps day by day to keep his body limber and in shape, he knew he craved a challenge. The run had done him gone, invigorated him and made him feel alive. His paws where quick to move beneath him, signaling a sweeping grin, and soft laughter bubbled free from his lips. The act of laughing was nothing to be ashamed of, it wasn’t uncivilized like the emotions that passed the faces of barbarians, it was true and free. He knew when his sister caught the scent, and her body became alert, her lips answering his call with agreement. He let his own body fall into stance, cautious and curious, his paws falling still for the moment. He heard the yippy barking of the coyote and knew they had found something to terrorize. He didn’t like these creatures, scavengers at best, den robbers at worst. He followed the sounds of their cry with cautious steps, keeping low and travelling unseen as he moved closer. He would see their target after a moment, a fox that had gotten its paw wedged and stuck in something, he couldn’t tell what without a closer inspection. The coyotes circles the hapless creature, teasing and nipping, waiting for it to tire. Patience, call his paw flicked to her in their silence, indicating towards the left with his movement. He himself moving further right. He dug in and waited for her call, letting her lead the attack on the scavengers "Speech"|"Ademic"

Ballad Pyre Her lithe form shifted as she promised Lament her aid forever and always. She pulled her lips back to show her impressive fangs as her fiery tipped ears lowered to her skull. Ember marked hackles raised as her tail lashed out behind her to aid in her balance. She followed her brother’s lead as he showed her the way towards their target. Coyote overwhelmed her, but she picked up hints of fox as well.  Her silvery gaze fell upon the cruel scene as Lament signed to her softly. She nodded in affirmation as she took the opposite direction as her brother. The fiery she wolf slipped through the underbrush as she shifted herself across from Lament. She decided on her ambush spot, feeling her form slip through the forest undetected until she wanted to be seen. Even though she had lost her memories the girl fell into her training eaily. The girl crouched, coiled her haunches and launched towards the coyote, her voice loud as she half howled half growled and launched herself at the similarly sized canid. She opened her jaws and aimed to wrap her jaws around its throat, right under its chin. She aimed to wrap her legs around its neck and gain control of the creature’s movements. Ballad had no qualms killing one of these mangy scavengers. "Speech"|"Ademic"

Before the first ring of her call could finish striking the air, Lament moved. His coiled legs pushing, leaping, and he was upon the closest scavenger. Their fangs, one of their greatest weapons was well used in most of their fighting forms. As his weight fell upon the creature, holding it down, his sharpened incisors tearing at its throat with more ease then an average wolf could hope for. The creature fell limp beneath its feet, bare moments after the warrior had landed. It had not had a moment to call out a warning, nor put any effort into fighting back. He leapt to the next, but this one had already seen him, and it lunged to the side. Not expecting the cowards move, Lament fell heavily to the forest floor, growling as he wiped his head around. He would see Ballad for the barest moment, her own fangs around the throat of their enemy. He would see the coyote creeping up behind her, and he would throw himself into action, bolting beside her to grab it. It was already turning to flee him, but he would find purchase around its hind leg and pull it heavily to the ground with the strength in his fangs. He ripped his teeth free and the creature, hurting and afraid, would tear into him. It got a got grip on his shoulder before Lament slammed that body part into its mouth, jarring it and knocking free its grip. He got a good swipe at its injured leg, and well it yipped, he tore out its throat. No quarter, no mercy for the scavengers. "Speech"|"Ademic"

Ballad Pyre She had little to no attention to spare for her brother Lament as he took down his own chosen foes. Ballad felt her attack land, her elongated fangs finding their mark and taking the creature’s life with relative ease. They always had to be on guard though, even with the added advantage of their incredible teeth they were still on the small side for wolves. The young warrioress let the body slump to the ground as she moved to look around her, the sight of one sneaking up her blind spot. Before she could even move Lament was there. The coyote made to flee, but her brother had a tight grasp on the canid. Ballad didn’t watch the end, knowing it wasn’t going to end in the coyote’s favor. She spun around in time to catch another one sneaking in. Fearlessly she jumped back into battle, mirroring Lament’s movements as she struck at her foe’s throat. This one had just watched its comrades violent deaths and was expecting such strategy. It evaded her movements, and countered viciously. As he jaws snapped together, empty, the coyote turned nimbly and caught her scruff in its jaws. Ballad reacted instinctively and threw her shoulder against its neck. She didn’t manage to shake him free, but she jarred him considerably. Ballad renewed her efforts and tried to strike at the base of the creature’s neck where it met the spine. "Speech"|"Ademic"

He released the body of the second dead coyote. They were growing a healthy fear of him now, and lingered at the outskirts, reluctant to leave, reluctant to engage. Ballad found one with less reservations, and he watched as her first strike missed. He turned quickly to hiss at one that thought to catch him unawares, and it leapt back, afraid. He turned back to the battle to see his sister caught, with the coyote hanging on by the scruff of her neck. She was putting in a remarkable effort to shake her limpet, but it must have known to release would be death, and showed great tenacity in hanging on. The warrior waited until Ballad was angled just right, and then he leaped, landing hard on its hind leg and Lament would make a planned fall across its back, where his teeth could graze against his eye. “Release her or die.” he said simply, his voice remarkably controlled despite a few ragged breaths from the quick exercise. The creature released her, and he was honour bound not to strike, instead he released his weight from its body and it slunk away to join his comrades. They waited until he joined them, before letting lose their yippy cries and tearing away. He looked after them for only a moment longer before he turned to the injured fox. It cowered and whimpered, and he could see now that its leg was completely mangled. It had injuries on numerous places on its body, and looked as though it was in a great deal of pain. “I’m sorry, little sister” he said gently as he approached. He kept his body down, trying to look non threatening as he got close enough to sniff its worn body. “She won’t make it.” he informed Ballad, his voice soft and sad. his paw twitched silently beneath him. Regret, sadness "Speech"|"Ademic"

Ballad was suddenly released from the grip of the coyote as Lament came to her aid. With little more effort the last of them were chased away. They had come out victorious, but as her brother walked quietly over to the trapped fox she could feel doom upon the air. The young fire marked she wolf approached carefully, her pawsteps planned exactly as she followed behind her brother. The fox didn’t have much choice in allowed Lament closer, but she didn’t struggle as hard as when the coyotes were harassing her.

The dark pelted woman looked on with baleful silver eyes as her brother announced what she feared. The fox was finished. Too little too late. Ballad felt tears sting her eyes as Lament’s paws gestured his deep emotions. The girl sunk a little as the mood soured.

”What can we do?” Her voice was a hoarse whisper, oddly cold in relation to the situation they were in, but she offered her own signed emotions. Horror. Sadness. Regret.

His sister looked to him for advice, and he found his heart heavy. The little fox stood for all the ways he had failed of late. Failed to find the answers he and his sister needed, to find their family. To reach this little fox in time, and save her. He hung his head gently, his paw moved to sign apology and he kept his motions slow so not to startle it. He moved a little closer, and then he struck. His elongated, sharp fangs curled around her neck and sunk directly into her jaguar. With a swift turn, her neck broke and the little one died. He released her and stepped back, emotions turning in his gut. He learned in that moment how much he disliked failure. “We should gather the coats from the coyotes we’ve killed. We might need them.” he said gently, his voice also void of emotion. This time, his paw didn’t sign, he felt a little washed out. "Speech"|"Ademic"