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Pale ivory paws carried the fea down along the bank of the huge river, her nose still ever searching has it had been for several weeks now. She had engraved the scents of her little friend's family in her brain before she had left all that time ago and since then that had been her focus. She had wandered all over Alacritis, met so many wolves, but she hadn't found a single trace of his family. It was like they had simply vanished into thin air. With a heavy heart, she traveled back down to the southern tip of Alacritis. Telling Talon she had failed was not something she was looking forward to. Having to look into his hopeful gaze and tell him that they were gone was the last thing she wanted to do, but it seemed that it was unavoidable. When she felt like she was near enough to the Seracian border for Talon to hear her, she slowed to a stop. Now that she was a member of Glaciem, she didn't feel completely comfortable getting too near the other pack's territory so she hopped this was close enough that it wouldn't be too awful of a walk for him. Gathering her courage, she lifted her muzzle to toward the sky, letting loose a long, loud call for her three-legged friend. Her voice tapered off into silence and she sat back on her haunches, her emerald gaze watching carefully for him. She had missed him very much and worried about him, wondering if they young boy had been really okay on his own. Speech,

There was no doubt in Talon's mind that his family was gone. His father had left some time ago, but he could find no sign of his mother or two sisters anywhere in Seracia. Their scents, even in their sleeping quarters, slowly faded -- and never returned. He would've been utterly and completely alone, if it weren't for Euphrosyne and his friend Kangi. If it wasn't for the older female, promising to look for his family, they he would've already gone off to find Kangi. But Euph made him feel safe, as though she was his mother, and he decided to wait for her. Perhaps once things settled down, they could go find Kangi too. He had expected Euph to come back sooner, but he did not doubt her, even as weeks passed. The already-skinny boy grew even more gaunt, having never learned to hunt on his own, at least nothing larger than small rabbits and other rodents. He slept in his family's den still, clinging desperately to any last remnants of them there -- the faint smell that lingered but slowly faded, bits of their fur that littered the dirt floor. On the fringe of Seracian territory, Talon went unnoticed. In the night he slept, and in the day he wandered near the borders, waiting expectantly. But no one ever came. He was beginning to grow rather miserable. He had little interest in doing much, even interacting with others -- what was the point, after all? But the sound of his friend's call brought him out of his dark thoughts, striking something akin to joy in his heart. He was surprised that she was calling him from a short distance away, rather than simply approaching, but it didn't stop him from eagerly hopping onto all three paws and making his way toward her. Even as he left his den, turning to briefly look behind him, he had a feeling she had found nothing. The call was not filled with joy, but almost mournful -- even if Euph tried to hide it. As she came into view, he tucked his head down, watching his paws as he walked. Despite his downtrodden appearance, though, behind him his tail had begun to wag slowly. "Euphrosyne!" He called in a shaky voice, hobbling closer to her, his pace increasing ever so slowly. "I missed you so much!"

>

Relief washed over Euphrosyne as she saw the skinny form of her dear friend hobble into view. She jumped to her paws and trotted over to meet him, not wanting to making him have to travel any farther than he absolutely had to. He was even skinnier than she remembered and the downtrodden look on his face broke her heart. She was happy to see his wagging tail, however, glad to know that he was still happy to see her after all this time. Her tail wagged as well, beyond overjoyed that he was still okay. As soon as she reached him she gently licked the top of his head and raked her gaze over him, checking to make sure he wasn't injured in any way. He had definitely lost more weight and that worried her, but over all he was physically okay. "I missed you too, Talon! Very, very much." She sat down on her haunches once more, her emerald gaze resting on him happily. Her heart was still heavy with her news, but seeing him eased her pain a little. Something told her that he already knew the truth anyway. If she had found his family she would have had them with her or at least have their scent on her or something. But there was nothing. Talon was small, not stupid. "You already know, don't you?" she asked softly, her ears folding back against her head. "I looked for them everywhere. I'm so sorry, Talon." Her voice wavered ever so slightly, her throat tightening with unshed tears. She had wanted so desperately to fix everything for him, but try as she might she couldn't. Speech,

Though he had done nothing particularly strenuous, he felt fatigued to the core. But he would not admit it to Euphrosyne; for he decided, as he approached her, that he would follow her to the ends of this earth. He had nobody else, besides Kangi, and maybe she could live with them to once he found her! Tail slowly wagged behind him as he hobbled closer to her, his eyes welling with tears that he refused to let fall. Feeling her tongue against his head, he dipped his muzzle to the earth and tucked his head under hers. He had grown nearly an inch or two while she'd been away, but he was still rather scrawny -- even skinnier than before. The boy could doubtlessly use a good meal. "Yes," he replied softly, whimpering sadly. He sat down as well, curling closer against her neck. "I-it's okay.. thank you for looking..." Slowly he pulled away, his silver gaze still glazed over with tears. "Can... maybe... I live with you? At least for awhile? I don't know much about hunting or anything and I don't really know anyone in my pack well..." His voice was pleading -- if only he knew he hardly had to ask at all. He was worried she would turn him away, that she didn't want to deal with an unsure, afraid yearling -- he'd never asked if she had any family or friends of her own, but he didn't want to intrude on her life if she felt uncomfortable with the idea.

>

Euphrosyne smiled gently and curled her head around his neck as he curled up against her, embracing him to her. It was only then that she noticed that he had actually grown a little. She couldn't help but wonder how much more he might have grown had he had a proper diet, a pang of guilt for leaving him here by himself hitting her. She shouldn't have left him here, she should have taken him with her in the first place. At least then she wouldn't have had to worry about him and he wouldn't be so fearfully skinny. But, at the time, leaving had been the best solution. There was no other way for him to be sure that his family wasn't coming back and that they weren't somewhere in Alacritis. At least now he had is answer, no matter how awful of an answer it was. She released him as he pulled back to look up at her, his silver gaze shining as he pleaded with her. Her gaze softened once more and she answered without hesitation, "Of course you can, Talon. It'd be an honor for you to live with me." She pulled him close once again, smiling as she nuzzled his neck affectionately. While she was nervous about the idea of having someone to care for, she did care of the yearling dearly and couldn't imagine telling him no. Pulling back to peer down at him again she gently licked the tears away from his eyes and added, "I'm going to do my best to take care of you, okay? You'll always have a home with me for as long as you want to stay with me." Speech,

A sigh fell from the boy's lips. What would life be like now, he wondered? All he wanted was a constant in his life -- and it seemed, besides Kangi, that Euphrosyne was his answer. He had no idea where his mother and sisters had gone, but he was an optimistic at heart; and he would persevere, despite the tears that had begun to stream down his cheeks. Wrinkling his nose slightly, he sniffed, trying to stifle a soft whimper from spilling from his lips. "Are you sure?" He inquired softly, eyes widening with slight surprise -- the tears were now not only of sadness, but also of joy. Behind him, the pace of his wagging tail increased tenfold. "Where will we live? Do you have a certain home, or do you sleep wherever?" It was an exciting prospect, traveling the world with her, but he didn't know where she liked to live yet. Did she have a group of friends? Family? His eyes shone; the possibilities were endless. He was certain he would find out soon enough. He giggled gently - almost nervously - as she licked at his face, wiping away the tears. Talon was still unused to such affection from others, excluding his family, and it warmed his heart immensely.

>

A laugh bubbled up from Euphrosyne as she watched the boy light up with excitement when she agreed that he would live with her, his tail wagging faster than she thought possible. "Of course I'm sure!" she replied, giving his forehead a lick. Her family had been very affectionate with each other and now she considered Talon to be part of her family so she felt like she should be just as affectionate with him. The fea was used to little kisses and nuzzles of all sorts and was comfortable giving them to Talon to show how much she cared for him. She hoped he didn't mind, she did it without really thinking, and hoped he would say if they did bother him. Her ears perked at his next question and her situation suddenly rushed back to her. Her brown-tipped ears flicked at the memory of meeting Isardis and the ensuing mix of confusing feelings that had followed. Now she was claimed to his pack up in the snowy north. Did she really want to bring Talon into that life? Her emerald gaze met his silvery eyes once again and a smile touched her muzzle. She pushed her doubts away. She would make it work. Surely she could convince Isardis to let him stay and leave him be. Euph would hunt and care for him herself if she had to. As long as Talon wanted to be with her she would do whatever it took. "I actually just joined a pack, up in the north," she replied, smiling happily, trying to keep any worry out of her voice or expression. She purposely left out the fact that Isardis had forced her to join him. "It's really snowy, but not all that bad. The alpha's kinda tough, but I'm sure I can convince him to let you stay with me. What do you think?" Speech,

Sadness had embedded itself into his heart, and part of his grief would never leave him; but his exterior seemed to lighten considerably as Euphrosyne pulled him close. Always optimistic, having been raised to always see the good in the world and in others, he found it difficult to act depressed for long -- at least when he was in the company of a friend. Behind him the pace of his wagging tail had begun to increase, so fiercely that it seemed his body was swinging from side to side slightly. "Okay!" Talon yipped gleefully, his face contorting into a smile as he gazed up at her. He watched with interest as she opened her mouth to speak. She said she had joined a pack, and his smile widened. That was a good thing, right? At least she seemed to sound as though it was. It meant he would be safe; he wouldn't go hungry or have to worry about being snatched from his den in the midst of night. "I like the snow," he said, though admittedly he didn't remember much of it -- he'd been very young during the winter months, hardly more than a pup. She did say the Alpha was tough, but assured him everything would be fine. "I think that sounds good. As long as you're sure," he added again, his insecurity creeping through as he watched her with wide silver eyes.

>

Euphrosyne was relieved when Talon agreed with her, but she still saw his insecurity in his eyes. It was understandable, moving to a brand new pack out of the blue like this, especially when Euph was insecure about the whole situation herself. But, she was determined to make this as easy for him as she could. She was bringing him into this crazy life so she was determined to help him along with it as much as possible. She gave him a reassuring smile and licked the top of his head affectionately. "No need to worry. I promised I'd take care of you and that's exactly what I'm going to do." She glanced down at his skinny form once again with that thought on her mind, knowing he needed a good meal in his system before she took him to back up to the north. "How about some food before we go?" she asked, turning her emerald gaze to their surroundings. The river beside them was the most obvious option for food nearby, so she padded over to the river's shore, carefully stepping out into the current. She watched carefully for fish to swim past her paws, her ears trained forward. She only had limited experience with fishing so when the first fish came to her the catch was very clumsy, but she managed to toss it over onto the shore with Talon. She caught three more fish for them, each one a little more sure of a catch each time. Happy with her job, she turned and climbed back onto dry land, shaking the water off of her legs and stomach before settling down to eat her share, but not before she gave Talon a smile and said, "Eat up! As much as you want. I can always catch more." Speech,

Things would be okay! Talon was sure of it now, as he watched Euphrosyne's soft green gaze. Her eyes were full of kindness and warmth, and it filled his own heart with joy -- despite the sadness. As a rather introverted boy, he did not generally trust others easily, but Euphrosyne had proved to be genuinely kind and caring. He would trust her with his life, if he had to. And he pretty much was, going to live somewhere with her, with a pack in the north. He could only hope they would be kind wolves, and that he would feel welcome there. But with Euphrosyne, he wasn't sure if he needed anyone else in the world. Except maybe his friend Kangi. "I'll take care of you, too," he assured her suddenly, not wanting to seem like a mere pup. No -- he was a yearling, having already experienced a full four seasons. It really didn't seem like it, but most of his life hadn't been terribly memorable. His mother had never socialized him much, so it wasn't until now -- now that he had been abandoned -- that he found himself wanting to meet new wolves and explore the world a bit more. "I won't let anyone hurt you." It was probably an unfounded promise, but he would try nonetheless. He owed that to her, at the very least, right? She offered to find him food, and he nodded. It suddenly became rather clear how hungry he was -- he felt his tummy growling even as he thought about the possibility of eating. He slunk down to his belly, watching Euph as she padded to the river and began to snatch fish out of it. So cool! He couldn't fish quite as well, but he'd been practicing since he'd been on his own. It was much easier than trying to chase -- and often falling -- after rabbits and other rodents. Swimming still was far easier for him than walking. He grinned as she tossed a few fish nearby, and he was quick to pull one toward him and begin to tear at it gently. He was careful as he tore the flesh away, knowing he didn't want to swallow the bones. "Thanks," he mumbled between a bite of fish. He gulped the meat down, looking up at her between bites. "Will we go to our new home after this?" Behind him his tail wagged, looking forward to the change of scenery. It was far too painful to remain here.

>

She watched happily as he devoured the fish, glad to know that he had some food in his belly now. It was a step in the right direction to get some meat on his bones and help him grow up strong. She was sure he was a yearling by now, but he still had some growing to do. She made a mental note to be sure to show him some things about fishing some time soon. She remembered well their tip back from the emerald island and how well he swam and she had a feeling that fishing would be a breeze for him as well with proper training. Her ears perked up at his question, considering it for a moment before nodding in agreement. She hated to be going back to the cold north so soon, but she was sure someone would notice her absence if she was gone for too long and the last thing she wanted was Isardis or one of his minions to come looking for her. And yet... She still hated to hurry back. Maybe they could take a detour of some sort if he wanted to. "We sure will! We don't have to hurry there if you don't want to. Is there anywhere or anyone you'd like to visit first?" Speech,

Things would get better. He told himself this silently as he gnawed delicately on the fish bones, gingerly swallowing the meat that was left on the bones. His eyes were fixated on his small meal, his mind slipping ever so slightly as he ate. What if he ran into his parents again someday? How long it had been since he had even seen his father ... was he really such a bother that they couldn't wait for him to return home for them to leave? Part of him had been convinced they would come back for him -- they had to. And yet he had spent weeks waiting for them, and there'd been no sign from any of his family. Not even a faint scent, brought on the wind, would be gifted to him. He knew he was different, but upon consideration, it made him feel different in a very bad way. Defective, almost? Maybe Ghost hadn't meant to have a boy with only three legs. Maybe it was less than ideal for her to have to care for him still, when his siblings were already hunting well on their own. A soft whine threatened to escape his lips, but he stifled the sound by taking a deep breath in. 'Is there anyone or anyone you'd like to visit first?' First he thought of Kangi... but he hadn't seen her in some time. If she wanted to see him, she would've been here already, right? Slowly, thoughtfully, he shook his head. He would find her someday, but this ... was for the best. He was certain of it. He figured she wouldn't miss him very much, anyway; certainly his family wasn't going to ... "No, I'd like to see our new home if we can?" He writhed on the ground a bit, slowly pushing himself onto all three legs. His tail wagged a bit behind his slender frame, his eagerness to see where they would be staying evident in his eyes. The yearling had no idea how far the trek north was, or the fact that it was colder there than here.

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Euphrosyne nodded in understanding and agreement as her little friend requested that they go on to their new home. She stood with him, and motioned over her shoulder back the way she came. "Lets get going then! It's gonna be a long walk, so just tell me if you wanna rest or ride on my back again, alright?" She smiled and gave his forehead a lick. "I'm glad you're going to be living with me," she added before turning toward the north and padding off with Talon at her side. She wasn't sure whether to think of Talon as a friend or her adopted son... In a way she supposed he was both. As far as she knew she was the only adult in his life so she felt the need to stand in for the mother that had disappeared from his life. She hoped that she was able to fill that role well enough. The weight of that new responsibility settled on her shoulders as she walked, slowly making their way back to Glaciem. Speech,

With food in his belly, he was content and re-energized. The sadness he had felt previously had disappeared for now, and had been replaced by a new kind of hope -- a feeling that was rather new for him. There was so much to look forward to, and also so much to be anxious about. As he stood, his tail waved behind him, curling up so it stood proudly above his back. For a yearling, he was still painfully naive, and yet he was beginning to learn what terrible things the world had to offer. But in contrast, there seemed to be so much goodness still... his silver eyes watched her, a smile growing on his lips. The journey would begin. He wasn't sure whether he would get tired, but she offered to carry him if he wished. He laughed, a gentle giggle that escaped his parted lips. "It's a plan," he agreed, nodding his slender head, tail whipping behind him a few more times. "I'm glad too." He quietly tried to envision the life they might share together. In the cold mountains, adventuring through the snow and storms; he could only hope she wanted the same. Euphrosyne was like a mother figure to him, and yet also like a friend too -- he didn't know if she would want him around forever, but he hoped their friendship would last for some time. Slowly he paced beside her, heading North, to his home he had yet to see. The journey would be long and exhausting, but he knew he could do it with her by his side. -exit Talon-