Iroh often found himself with Banshee on his mind, as he explored the western lands or took up an odd patrol as he tried to make up his mind what path he wished to take for Eligos. Surely he had been given enough time at this point to make his simple decision, but there was no clear answer in his mind.

The Klein girl helped him to have some hope and built more confidence in the yearling. He was worth having in the pack even if his path was obscured, he knew very well he enjoyed a good fight. He still felt loyal to Pyrrhic, the Abraxas name, and Eligos. Even if he didn’t know his exact place. Iroh knew he wanted to remain with his kin, and wanted to bring glory to his Abraxas name through works done for his pack. Having a goal and purpose steadied Iroh and he was slowly rediscovering his inner peace.

The yearling Abraxas lingered at the edge of the lake, it was late afternoon. Iroh just finished a short patrol along their western border, curious about their neighbors. He hadn’t gleaned any information, and he couldn’t decide if he had seen a scout or not. He mulled over recent events and drifted off into a daydream as he lowered his massive form to the bank. Tiny little fish darted away at his presence and a songbird shrieked alarm from above. Iroh prayed for clarity, because everything was so cloudy for him these days.

wc: 250

TIED TO WHAT IS LATE, AIN'T YOU NOW

Aureus carefully stepped back from the opening of his den, eyeing the angle in which the log was laid. It's purpose was to help redirect potential flood waters away from his den but there were still gaps beneath it. Was it worth the trouble to try rolling it to a different side or should he try and fill the gaps with something else? He supposed he could use earth though that might wash away. Stones perhaps? Griff had been telling him about something called mortar and he wondered if that might work. Aureus sighed. He needed a break.

Turning away from his den Aureus headed toward the lake for a drink and a moment or two to think. It was there he spied Iroh, the youths dark shape outlined against the reflections of the lake. "Hello Iroh, what brings you to the lake today?" Aureus stepped forward to join the youth and swiftly bent his head to take a deep drink of the cool water. He then stepped in a little ways to start washing the mud off of his paws. Kali was off hunting and he had no idea where Griff had gotten off to but that was fine.

WC: 200

The orphan couldn’t figure out his place, but hopefully he’d grow into something sooner rather than later. Pyrrhic had faith in him, but would Eligos? Especially after all of this? He sighed heavily as he caught his breath, Abraxas willing he’d find his way. The thoughts were quickly forced from his mind as his attention was swiftly grabbed by the sound of his name. Blue and lavender eyes lifted to find the tan and cream form of his dear cousin’s twin.

Iroh didn’t know Aureus near as well as he knew Pyrrhic, but the visual similarities were hard to escape from. Throwing on a polite smile was easy, even if they weren’t close. Iroh lifted himself out of the relaxed position as his cousin took a drink of the sweet water. ”Hey, Aureus.” He returned warmly, uncertain if he wanted to entertain company. Either way Iroh wouldn’t invite rudeness. Small talk wasn’t terrible. ”Thinking too much.” He explained simply enough, ”Just finished a patrol, and the lake is… peaceful.” His gaze shifted out across the nearly still waters as the lake proved his point just by being.

The yearling Abraxas gave a quick sigh and returned the conversation to his older kin. ”What are you up to?” He asked simply in return. Iroh was internally counting the days until he got to see Banshee again, but knowing his family and pack members would be good for him in the long run. They were supposed to be close and watch each other’s backs. That wasn’t possible when you didn’t know or trust each other.

wc: 271
total:721

TIED TO WHAT IS LATE, AIN'T YOU NOW

Aureus followed Iroh's gaze out across the lake. It was very peaceful. There was no wind to disturb the water and it stretched out like glass perfectly reflecting the sky. "Oh, I was just making some additions to my den. I'm looking into ways to direct the flow of water away from the den in case the lake floods. I hope that won't happen but its hard to say." His gaze turned northeast and he frowned a little. "I worry what this winter will be like. Will it be better or worse than the one before? Has the volcano created a new normal or will we finally have things go back the way they were? Well… in terms of nature." Nothing was ever going to bring his father back. Nothing was going to reconnect him to his mother. It had been different to see Pyrr step down but Aureus found comfort in Eligos taking up the mantle. He was confident his dark-pelted brother would be an excellent leader. He just wish Malleus could have been there to see it.

Silence fell between them and Aureus wasn't quite sure what to say next. He really had little practice with small talk when there wasn't some end goal in mind. Sure he was learning to flirt, learning quite well but just shooting the breeze with a relative was something different. What should he say? "So, you said you just finished a patrol? Are you looking into being a warrior?"

WC: 248
Total: 969

This was a beautiful fall day, the lake was still and the territory was quiet. Iroh should have been thankful for the nice weather on that mid autumn day, but his troubles spilled too far over. Dark ears swiveled towards Aureus as he explained his work on his den, and Iroh felt shamed again. His den was simple and not well thought out at all. Unbeknownst to him, Iroh’s father was a wolf who preferred to slp out in the open and the boy inherited that quality. His den was mostly used for keeping his odd bits and baubles he picked up or that Sarabii gave him.

Aureus was planning ahead, something that Iroh should have put more effort into. He nodded knowling, preparing for a flood was a good idea when you lived next to a lake. ”I don’t think we’ll get a winter as bad as the last one.” The last winter had brought death and disaster to Aerie, surely they wouldn’t be given another as terrible. Iroh felt keenly the pain of loss, of his uncle, of his mother… the last year was full of difficulties.

An uneasy silence fell between the two as the young men delved into thoughts of their lost loved ones. They were both orphans in a way, and the Abraxas pack was completely different than it was a year ago. The older generations passed and faded away, and they were left with the newest of their name. Where would they go from here? How would the Abraxas name evolve with this new generation?

”I don’t really know.” He answered as Aureus posed another question. ”I felt like I had my whole life planned out just half a year ago,” he continued quietly having only opened up about his uncertainty to Pyrrhic and Banshee. Maybe opening up to his cousin was a good thing. ”Then Pyrrhic stepped down and it feels like the ground was pulled out from under me.”

wc:336
total: 1405

TIED TO WHAT IS LATE, AIN'T YOU NOW

Aureus cocked his head to the side as he gazed at Iroh as he stated that the winter wouldn't be as bad as the last.. "Really? What makes you say that?" He was focused in on the weather and the prey movements, not even factoring in the losses they'd suffered or the eruption itself. But that was par for the course when it came to Aureus. He'd purposely been avoiding thinking about the loss of his father so much that it was now becoming second nature. "I just worry that it will be another bitter cold winter and that the prey won't have recovered yet. I worry too about our stores. We've lost so many…" Curses, well he tried not to think about the lost ones. It was true there were fewer mouths to feed now but also fewer hunters. Aureus could hunt reasonably well but he was no expert at it and it usually took him a few tries.

WC: 160
Total: 1565