Walk | "Talk" | think

Kotori had been roaming the pack border and calling it patrolling.  The boys mind had been running over what to make of the situation.  Mom and Azure were dead.  The boy was sure such a thing should be heart wrenching and have him in tears.  Kotori had cried a little but then it had dried up and life seemed to move on.  There was a hollow sort of sense inside of him.  Like something was missing and he should feel something but it wasn’t really there.  He hadn’t seen mom in a while and had assumed her safe and that she would return when done up north.  

Life had moved on.  At first, the den had felt lonelier with her, not in it but then he had accepted it.  Mom wasn’t there to show off his newest accomplishment or make sure he wasn’t getting into trouble.  He had assumed she would return at some point but was alright with things.  Now she was gone forever.  It was a weird feeling.  There was a sense of loss but what was with the more hollow emotion than world-shattering?

While pondering these things he scented where his dad and Tamsyn had both left.  Where were they going?  The boy also spotted dad’s bear walking back into the pack land.  Kotori imagined it had watched them go and then returned.  Once Kotori understood dad had left the boy ran off planning to go as well.  So, how did he get to the hallows pack land now that they had moved?  The answer was having dad’s bear show him the way!

Kotori could follow dad’s scent most of the time but occasionally it seemed to disappear in certain areas.  The bear knew the way through and so it was fine.  No need to take time hunting for the fainter smell.  Dad had made better time than him but Kotori kept going stubbornly.  He wasn’t a small pup anymore and this wasn’t that long of a trip!  At least Kotori was determined to treat it like it wasn’t a long trek.

With only minimum stops along the way Kotori came to the borderlands of the hallows turf and howled out his entrance.  He was going in one way or another but the horned yearling could wait a little while to see if he was invited.  If he wasn’t invited he’d help himself till stopped.  If dad could get in so could he.  Was the boy impatient?  Of course.  The boy was a Fatalis and a Fatalis does what they want.

Ulric had mostly stopped trying to keep track of the flow of wolves coming in and out of The Hallows these days. As he did his patrols he mostly just resigned himself to the fact that as long as he didn't catch scents of any loners or anyone that wasn't part of The Hallows or the Armada around then they would be alright. Because of Tamsyn's tie to her former back and Sirus' tie to both Tamsyn and Resin - not to mention the close relationship that seemed to be growing between Artorias and one of Sirius' daughters - he fully expected to have Armada scents criss crossing his border for a while. Whenever he did find one he did pause long enough to make sure it was one he recognized, but otherwise just kept going. There was too much for him to worry about right now without tracking down Sirius every time he wanted to cross into the territory.

However, just as he was finishing up a patrol, he heard a howl at the border, this time a voice he didn't recognize. Curious, he picked up his pace into a trot and went to greet them and wasn't all that surprised to catch the scent of the Armada on his coat. He was young, probably about the same age as his own children. "Hello there," he rumbled, giving the boy a small smile. "I'm going to take a shot in the dark and assume you're one of Sirius' kids?" His scent gave it away, but it was probably best to confirm it all the same. He chuckled and added, "I'm Ulric... Aegis of the Hallows." He realized that this was the first time addressing anyone at the border with his new title and it took him a moment to remember to tack it on to his name.

Walk | "Talk" | think

Walk | "Talk" | think

The moment Kotori waited he was trying to decide on how long he should wait before just barging on in.  The decision was made for him though when another wolf appeared.  The wolf was as large as dad and had a friendly look and the greeting was welcoming.  Good, no need to demand entry it seemed.

The boy nodded at the obvious question, “I’m Kotor Fatalis of the armada.”  The stated status wore as surely as any crown.  “My dad came here.  I came to see him.”   Sure as any little prince also he seemed to assume that he would get what he wanted.  

“Uhm, I haven’t heard of the title Aeg-es before.”  The young brown wolf admitted.  “I’m guessing it’s a high rank?”  The wolf had said he was ‘the’ instead of ‘a aegis’ so it might just be a rank only one wolf got which would mean something higher up.  Last he understood Resin was in charge of the hallows so it probably wasn’t that.

As expected, the boy introduced himself as a Fatalis. He had never thought to ask Sirius how many children he had, though he was vaguely aware that there was at least two litters worth. He nodded with understanding when Kotori explained that his father was here and that he had come to see him. "Fair enough. I'll show you to the castle. I just ask that you stay within the walls while you're here and let me know when you've gone." That would at least help him keep track of their visitors a bit better. as they came and went. He certainly wasn't going to keep a boy from his father, especially not with the turmoil they were all currently going through. He had lost both of his parents at different times in his life, neither had been any easier. He nodded for Kotori to follow and began to lead him across the open land that would bring them up to the castle gates.

As they walked he looked down at the Fatalis boy as he questioned the title he had given for himself and chuckled, a small smirk pulling at his scarred face. He nodded and explained, "I'm the alpha of the pack... The equivalent of your father's Warlord position." Looking back up at the path ahead of them he thought to add, "Resin recently passed the role down to me." He wasn't certain how much Sirius had shared with his children about their adoptive grandmother's condition so he just left it at that, letting Sirius share that information as he felt necessary. They walked in quiet for a few moments more before he glanced down again with a compassionate silver gaze. "I'm sorry for you loss, for what it's worth. Are you doing alright?" The young man was a stranger to him, but Ulric was a father through and through. He couldn't resist checking on how the boy was doing.

Walk | "Talk" | think

Walk | "Talk" | think

Kotori nodded at the terms of his entering.  “Sure, I understand.” Kotori had no need to roam or play around right now.  This was important.  Dad had left them and he had been clearly upset.  Being the only boy in the litter he had tried to spend plenty of time with his dad, wanting to grow up to be just like him.  They had just lost mom and Az and dad just left the pack.  Anyone could tell dad had been upset at mom and Az’s death which really was the right way to feel.  Kotori was still sorting out his own emotions but what he knew was dad couldn’t just leave them like that now.  Couldn’t Briar’s mom have gone back to the hallows on her own or had a different wolf go back with her?

When he mentioned being the alpha Kotori was only confused for a moment as he went on to explain that Resin had handed the title over. He didn’t appear to be related to Resin by blood but maybe he just took more after a different family member? Or did family bloodlines not matter in this pack for leadership?  Well, that didn’t really matter right now, did it?

“Oh, thanks.”  The mention of loss had Kotoro once more checking his own feelings.  Kotori wasn’t sure of what to answer.  He couldn’t imagine playing right now or even have fun at training but he also wasn’t crying.  He really should be more upset, right?  “I’m ok,”  it was the simplest answer to the question.  Mostly he wanted answers.  “Just,”  how to explain it? “Sorting stuff out.  I guess it doesn’t feel real.”

There, that nailed it.  Mom being dead didn’t feel real.  She’d already been gone and so now she was just more gone?  It was hard to accept the idea she wasn’t just still out there and besides as a boy he wasn’t allowed to get all upset.  Sisters could do that sort of thing, but he was the one male Fatalis kid left in the pack so he had to be strong.  Dad was really strong and he had to be as strong as dad.

Ulric nodded with understanding when Kotori told him that it didn't feel real. "That's how it felt when my father was killed," he agreed softly. When his mother had informed he and his sister of the death match he had lost, it took him a long time to accept it as fact. Being a pup when it happened didn't help matters since the concept of death was still fairly new to him. His mother's passing felt much more real since he had found her body and had buried it himself. He never saw Ganta's body since their mother kept them from seeing the bloody mess so in his angry, immature mind he could only imagine that Ganta was still out there somewhere, somehow just staying away from his family and allowing them to suffer.

He refocused his attention on the black and brown young man at his side, forcing a small smile onto his lips as he tried to shove away those old emotions that he hadn't let him self feel in many years. "If you ever need anything just let me know. I'm more than happy to help." He was hardwired to act as a father, even toward wolves that weren't his own flesh and blood. He had such a sympathy for Sirius' children as they went through this just as he had for his own pups when Azariah disappeared. When they reached the main doors into the castle he pushed one open and held it wide for Kotori to enter before nodding down one of the corridors. "I believe Sirius should still be in the infirmary. Head that way, around the corner to the right."

Walk | "Talk" | think