Rudy had been awake for a few days now.  The first day his rattled mind had been hazy and confused with all it had to take in.  After all that time in a coma amusingly he had found going back to sleep and resting had helped give his mind time to sort things out.

There had been several changes while he was out of it.  With the demon brother Oxx being a key part of tragedies that had come up.  Both Gwynn and Art had separate encounters with him and none had a good ending.  Bowen was back but he hadn’t a chance yet to catch up with her and where she had been.  While Bowen was the most exciting to check on there were actually a number of wolves he should seek out to spend time with.

Rudy tossed on the list of things he should do and who to see until the list sounded too high and it was all shaken out.  Rudy got tired easily currently so one activity at a time and then see what else he was up for.  The wind was ripping through Rudy’s fur and it only picked up more speed as he got to the beach.  The waves were foamy and while some slid up the beach others sprayed out as if angry at the confinement.  Thunder rumbled softly overhead with the promise of rain though it hadn’t started quite yet.  

The frustration of being weak and having not been there when his family needed him seemed to match with the weathers dour mood.  Rudy lay down far enough away from the water so that only a bit of spray would find its way onto his fur.  The motley grey wolf tried to put his attention on the atmosphere and stop thinking over so much.  Rudy wanted to go hunt to help clear his mind but unfortunately there was no way he could imagine succeeding.

Rudyard Carpathius

Bowen had been curled up on the beach before the winds picked up and the storm threatened to release its might down upon her. The copper and ivory fae had peeled herself from Haiku, needing a bit of time to herself. He had been so sweet to her. So loving and kind and attentive. Sometimes though, Bowen just needed some time to herself to breathe. To work through the undulating miasma of emotions within her.

The wind began to blow harder, whistling as it gusted around the small fae. She didn't mind bad weather. In fact, it made her feel calm. Reminded her of stormy nights on the ship where the waves rocked her to sleep. There had been some dangerous storms while she was aboard the vessel, but the one looming overhead not was nothing like that. The rain could come down in sheets and it would be a gentle shower in comparison. More than once she thought they would all sink to the bottom of the sea, but they came out on top every time.

Motion from the side caught Bo's attention and she looked over just in time to see Rudyard plop into the sand. The girl watched him for a long moment before rising from her place and padding across the stretch of beach. Without asking, she lay down beside her brother, tucking herself against his larger frame. "Hey, Rudy," she spoke softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Bowen"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

Rudy turned his head as Bowen showed up, his tail lifting a bit to flag back and forth little pieces of sand skittering beneath it.  “Bowen,” heartfelt greeting to see her once more.  For a moment the other problems didn’t matter.  Bowen, his little sister was back.  He had tried to be a good brother and make time for all his siblings but when she had just disappeared on them Rudy had questioned shouldn’t he have made more time for her.  Now she was back, and it was wonderful.  

His mind was filled with plenty of bitter apples at the moment, but bowen was like the brilliant red apple of the group.  “I’m alright,” mostly true and some things only time could fix, inside and outside.  “Just soaking in a few thoughts, ya know?” Rudy shrugged, sliding his head sideways to nudge his head up against hers letting his chin rub up against hers, more proof she was back and just enjoying the contact with one who had been possibly lost.  “What about you? I’ve just been asleep a bit.  How are you managing?”

The rain started lightly at first but it only took a few seconds before it was a steady solid rain.  It wasn’t a harsh downpour and the thunder was still a softer sounder that wasn’t perfectly in time with the lightning that leapt over the clouds and danced down to touch the ocean.  Rudy was good for idle chatter often enough but this time he kept his comments to the base questions.  Most of the time he also wouldn’t bother just laying around in the rain but he’d certainly put up with it at various points when it interrupted him.  Going back to the castle would mean not laying next to Bowen and he was enjoying the reality of her presence.  

Rudyard Carpathius

Bowen appreciated the affections that Rudy lavished upon her. It made her feel like not much had changed in her absence. They still loved one another and she still felt safe and protected in her mottled brother's presence. Rudy said that he was just out here to think and Bowen made a small sound of agreement. She'd come out to the beach to do the same. He asked about her and Bo gave a small shrug. "Some days are easier than others. I struggle a lot." As the rain began, Bowen sighed. "This doesn't always feel like home anymore."

Due to the angle of the rain, Rudy's larger frame blocked a lot of it from the smaller fae. She still got wet, but her brother was getting soaked. The rain was warm like only a summer rain can be and neither of them seemed to mind. Bowen tilted her muzzle upwards, bumping the underside of her brother's jaw. "I'm glad that you're okay, Rudy. You had me pretty worried when I came back." When Bowen had returned, they hadn't known if he was going to wake up or not.

Thunder rumbled and the wind from the storm made the waves roll a little more roughly against the sandy shore. Bowen placed her muzzle upon one of Rudy's forelegs, using it as a pillow as she stared out to sea. Half of her soul was out there somewhere. Would she ever get it back again? She wasn't sure.

"Bowen"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

“I’m sure I can’t understand the specifics, but I get the struggling.”  The worst would Rudy had been dealt so far was from mom’s slow wasting away.  The sharp pain of the injury was gone but at times the scar left behind still ached.  Rudy would gladly accept countless blows from a bear to not have such a thing ever happen again.  He could understand struggling and some days being harder than others but, there was no way for him to understand what all she had gone through.  He didn’t know all of it and, even if he did it wouldn’t be the same as living it.  

“Some things are hard to talk about, they’ll hurt if you do.  So, if it hurts then you don’t need to speak of it but, if you ever want to talk about any of the bad stuff I can listen.” Rudy offered a faint smile, “I can be quiet and listen when there’s are a good reason.  If you ever need me its always a good reason.”  They had missed so much of their young life together but she would always be family and someone he would die to protect.  He would even be her personal wall from a rainstorm when needed.  The storm fit well here though.  No one was likely to approach and interrupt, and the mood just fit.  

What could he say to it not feeling like home?  There were no good words he could think of so letting her feel it was home would just have to come over time with actions.  Rudyard use to think the right words could fix anything.  A lot of things had happened the no amount of words would fix.  That naïve puppy bubble had been popped.

When she brought up the bear Rudy offered a momentary classic Rudy smug smile, though it was more for sure and faded after a moment to a smaller diluted version, “Oh c’mon Bo.  I’m not a leader of the pack yet.  I won’t die before that day happens.  I was just taking a good long nap.” There was a part of Rudy that realized death was possible of course but most the time it was easy enough to ignore that part.  Right now he was more concerned for family than a matter of his own life, “besides,” he added quieter, “No way I could stay asleep when you returned.  I’m sorry for worrying you though.  I won’t let it happen again.”

With his sister’s head on his foreleg Rudy lowered his head against her neck but not too far.  She was so small, he didn’t want to weigh too much weight on his little sister.  “You know,” Rudyd hesitated before adding, “I actually do feel really bad about that.  I let myself get injured and then I couldn’t be there when others needed me.  I was sleeping while the rest of my family was suffering at one point or another.” Gwynn, Art, Mom dealing with all of it and even Bowen though he had no idea she’d even show up again.  It was something no one would blame him for most likely but he could still blame himself.  It wasn’t really a thing he planned to admit but maybe sharing a bit of his own inner workings would help pull Bowen away from her own problems.

Rudyard Carpathius

Though Rudy was so much larger, Bowen found herself getting damn. It didn't even matter. She was used to sea spray and all sorts of weather conditions due to her travels. A little bit of rain on a beach wouldn't kill her. The warmth that the pair of siblings shared was enough to fight off whatever chill the rain may have brought if she'd been alone. Her brother was nice enough to place his neck over her own, this shielding her from even more of the rain. Maybe he was doing it intentionally, or maybe he just wanted to hold her close. Either way, Bowen liked it.

Rudy offered to listen and Bowen gave a soft nod. She didn't really want to talk about it again. No amount of talking about it would make her feel whole again. She had been a thief and had stolen valuables from wolves in many different places, but something had been stolen from her as well. Her childhood. Her innocence. Most of all, time had been stolen from her. Time with the ones that she loved. Time with the big lug that now shielded her from the storm.

Conversation shifted back to Rudy and he joked at first before admitting that he felt bad about having been unconscious. Bowen wrinkled her little pink nose for a moment. "No one blames you for that. Sometimes things happen that are out of our control. You getting put to sleep by a bear was one of them. Don't worry about that, okay?" The water slicked girl pressed upward against her brother's chin and neck as it rested over her in a makeshift hug. "We're all just glad that you're okay."

"Bowen"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

It was so nice to have her back.  The feeling of her against him, a reminder that she really was here and real again helped soothe some of his inner frustration of the bad things that had happened.  The touch of the rain over his coat was fine, somehow it just added to the reality of the moment and perhaps even more special as he got to shield her to some degree.  For a long time, he couldn’t protect her so if this was the best he could do now then he’d take it.

No surprise she stayed quiet about the past.  Rudy had no desire to dredge up memories of mom going insane, her death, even the fight with Art had felt so horrible at the time.  Some things were better left unsaid if not able to be forgotten.
“I know they don’t,” Rudy shrugged, “and if someone else said it I’d be saying the same to them.  Emotions just aren’t always that logical.  It’s fine though.”  Rudy’s tail thumped on the ground at her last words, “We’re all just glad your ok.” He was silent for a moment before adding, “Thanks Bo.  Was kind of frustrated but, this is nice.” Sometimes all you need to feel better is being with those you love.  It sounded sappy but this moment also proved it to be true.  

Rudyard Carpathius