The den had lost so much warmth, and all the scent of herbs and familiar things was only upsetting him. It was maybe a bad time for their fathers sake, but Wylan requested permission to find his own den, and his father had reluctantly agreed. It was a bit of cheer amongst all the sadness to look for something of his own.

His eyes, almost like fate, landed on the treehouse that sat above their den. He trotted up the stairs, and surveyed the area. It was cleaned out from Bas and his family's departure - no longer would Hazel slip in for alcohol, or Bas for nightly treats. Another familiarity they were leaving behind. People grew, and life changed. But Wylan was only just starting to realise what that meant.


"Speech"

Ollie watched his brother Wylan ask for permission to have his own den. He witnessed his father hem and haw then agreed finally. Oleander didn't even realize they could get their own dens, he had somehow assumed they would be sharing this den forever. If he thought about it, he would be glad to leave it behind. He had spent so much of his sickly childhood either within the nest or meekly trailing his mother in the garden, half delirious with pain and too weak to play.

He also asked his father if he could too and his father waved him on, it wasn't like he could deny one child when he allowed the other. Ollie bounded out of the den after Wylan and followed his gaze up the tree house. It was all well and good for the boy who had wings but could Oleander make the ascent easily? He had never been that high.

Slowly he followed his larger brother, Ollie's thin body and plush white fur pressed against the bark as he went up.

He came in a moment or two behind Wylan and gently pressed his still frail body against his. He can't wait to be so much stronger that he would barely get winded from the climb!

"I think If I use the stairs... a lot... I can get some proper strength!" He mentioned, catching his breath before properly looking around.
"You want this spot? Seems big for just one guy!" Would he care for a roommate?

"Speech"

Wylan heard the sound of another wolf on the stairs, and turned his head to see the pale form of his brother. He grinned at Oleander, and waited for the other boy to join him. Wiggling his tail a little as he did so. When Ollie leaned against him, Wylan draped a wing gently across him, applying pressure for a moment in a silent hug, before letting go.

His brother's comment seemed like rather a strong hint, and there was no way Wylan was going to deny him. But you couldn’t just give in that easily to your siblings… he trotted forward, and fully unfurled his wings. Stretching them out into the available space. “It might just be big enough for me…” he started to say, and then chuckled Ollie a grin. “There's two rooms. I just bags the biggest ‘cause I’m bigger and all.” He said, and folded in his wings so he could fit through a doorway. “I wonder if the last wolves left any treasures behind.”


"Speech"

Ollie stiffens against the hug, he was rather tired of the constant affection but he stood tolerating Wylans wing. He did lean in himself, he only had himself to blame this time.

To his dismay his beloved bigger brother then stepped forward to spread his wings and took up the ENTIRE room with them!

"Hey, no-" Wylan relented and told him about both rooms. The pale boy stuck his pink tongue out at his brother and offered a playful soft swipe with sheathed claws.

"You think Spider left something cool?" He asked curiously nosing into a corner. The Crown prince knew how to collect things!

"Speech"

Wylan gave affection as easily as he breathed, but he still noticed the way his brother stiffened, and he didn’t force the affection. Instead, he teased as he spread his wings and spoke of the space. When he mentioned the rooms, Ollie seemed to relax a little. Wylan wasn’t going to kick him out - of course not.

“Maybe!” He said agreeably, sticking his head back out of the room that had been Bas and Hazels, wondering if Ollie had found something in the other one. “Maybe Bas left some weapons lying around?” He asked, a hint of excitement in his voice. It was true he was impatiently waiting for his own knife.


"Speech"

Oleander sneezed as he picked up a cobweb with his nose among some empty bottles. Probably the accumulated collection Basilisk and Hazel absconded with not too long ago, most of them completely empty.
"Found all of Mom's bottles!" He called out to Wyl, "We can clean them up and refill them again with tonics. Maybe if we keep them up here they'll be less likely to be used for parties." He chuckled. He wouldn't surprised if they accidentally got one of Mom's Valerian tinctures and the Warlord and Lady experienced the rubber limbs from overdosing on it. He once thought it would be cool to copy them and got his paws on it. It was the worst smelling medicine by far!
"Or maybe we can at least keep the macerating tinctures up here before they're ready." He knew it took four to six weeks of the herb in the alcohol to be its most potent. However, they should keep the ready-to-use medicines near the ground for ease of use and emergencies.

"Whatchu think Wyl?" He asked, poking his head around the corner back into the other room. He wondered if he found anything interesting.


"Speech"

“Yeah, that’s a good idea. I guess… we’re going to be needed for more healer stuff, with Mum and Crux gone?” He suggested, sounding a little more subdued. It would be a long time before he wasn’t affected when he thought of their mother and siblings. But maybe… maybe they’d be back soon? He would love to show off to Halo anything they made.

“We should check up on mums bees, and maybe harvest some of the honey.” He suggested, realising that likely no one was looking after them now. Wylan pulled up a hidden stash of mouldy old food, before chucking it back on the floor. “Eeew. Think they were trying to grow their own culture?”


"Speech"

Ollie was trying to keep his mind from wandering into Mom and Siblings gone territory, the new King of De Nile. They were coming back so he believed he didn't need to get too sad about them. But yeah, those bees needed tending and they didn't want angry drunk bees anytime soon.

"Should we all tend them, or should we appoint one of us as beekeeper?" He always felt more nervous around the hum of the hives, not remembering that he got stung when he was much younger and still in the throes of his weakness. But it was also the hum of the hives that helped comfort him and the honey that helped nourish him.

He recoiled at the smell of the moldy old food. The smell hit his stomach before it percolated in his nose enough to register it and he failed to stifle a dry heave.

"Fuck! Gr-roosss!" He growled through another dry heave. Shaking his fur he reached out and with the tips of his paw then deftly flung it out a window while covering his nose and holding his breath.  When it was gone he let out air and breathed in but had one last dry heave as the smell still lingered.

"Ugh, hopefully, dinner will stay down after that, damn." He shivered as his body struggled to recalibrate.
"If they were, they failed miserably. Whatever that was, it was the wrong type." He shook his pelt again and pushed away any comfort from his brother if he even tried to make a move to hug him.

"No hugs! Go give the slave girl a hug, or dad. Not me. I'm fine." he flicked his tail in annoyance and continued to poke his nose in corners.

"Speech"

Hmm…”I don't know, what do you think?” He asked Ollie. He hadn't had much to do with the bees himself, so he wasn't sure exactly what their care would need. He wished mum had left them a detailed rundown of everything that would need doing. But she'd been too worried about his siblings and their care. He knew that, but a little bit of frustration bubbled free. 


Ollie responded even more violently to the old food, gagging and tossing it out the window. Wylan had been a little bit curious, and he watched it sail free somewhat regretfully. Oh well. 


He turned to Ollie who still seemed to be struggling with the smell. Worried he was sliding back into one of his bouts of sickness, Wylan crept closer, raising a wing… only to be scolded for it. “Yeah…alright.” He said a little dejectedly. Hugging was his own form of therapy. He backed down quickly however, respecting Ollie's wishes. “Think they would have had any secret compartments to store the really cool stuff?” He asked to distract them.

Oleander shook his white coat to further get rid of the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. He hid for a moment in one of the dusty rooms by himself and pressed his forehead against a wall. He took a moment to take in a deep sigh. Wyl didn't deserve that. He knew Wylan was especially affectionate but he couldn't just shake the irritated prickly feeling his skin made when someone was worried about him, or holding him in a hug that made him feel trapped. Being trapped in his own body as a child while he almost died a few times was enough. He didn't want anyone to worry, least of all Wylan, most of all Mortis, and above all Mom. He had to be strong for them, he needed to show them that he was fine. They didn't need to worry about him. Every time they worried about him it felt like his heart was about to burst from breaking, he never wanted to give them that pain again. Especially now that Mom had gone with Whisp and Ward. He had to be strong for them.

Another deep sigh.
Okay, he can face him again, and maybe apologize, and answer his brother's question that he just let hang in the air.

"Wyl? I'm sorry. My fur gets super prickly when my stomach gets really bad like that." And when he was in pain in general but he wasn't going to feel pain anymore, right?
"I haven't found any secret compartments yet, think maybe Dad built some?" Or maybe Spider added some. How does one find a secret compartment?

And figure out who should tend the bees... Since Wylan isn't stepping up maybe he could try. At least figure out what it takes. But Wyl was the one who liked making the honey treats. He thought Wylan would be all over trying to tend the bees.  

"Speech"

When Ollie ducked into another room, wylan struggled for a moment. Feeling antsy as he fought himself. His first instinct was to follow his brother and offer physical comfort. To wrap him in a wing, and hold him close. But he knew that was exactly what Ollie was escaping. 

He looked around the room, and found some of his interest in exploring had been sapped. His heart hurt for his brother, and had no outlet. He pulled his wings tightly into his side, where they couldnt get him into any trouble. He wanted to make this work with him and Ollie, he wanted it more then anything. His brother wouldn't be moving out on his account. 

“I underst--its okay Ollie. You do what you need to do.” He fumbled, trying not to lie to his brother. He didn't understand. When he was scared or hurt or lonely, the tighter he was held the better everything became. But Ollie wasn't Wylan, and he loved his brother enough to try and learn. “Maybe we should ask dad, or see if he'll give us a hint?” He suggested

He could see his brother struggling, holding his wings tightly to himself. Trying his best to understand even if he didn't. He was trying so hard. Ollie would try too, but his fur was still prickly like fleas or ants crawling under his skin prickly. It would subside in probably an hour though, not quick enough but at least subside.
"Hey, when my skin feels better I'll give you a big squeeze? Might be an hour though, it just needs to calm down." He bent his head low and looked up at Wylan imploringly. They'll get through this.
Not every touch made his skin crawl! Just the ones that surprised him, trapped him, or when he was feeling physically ill. Thats all! He just wasn't comforted by touch.

"C'mon, let's get a big old branch and sweep this place out! We can grab a couple of baskets and fill them up with the junk to take them down. Then we can carry some nice fresh pelts up here and maybe sleep here tonight?" He offered, putting more of a question at the end. He owed Wyland a big squeeze hug, he wanted to give it, mainly because Wylan was comforted by them, and really needed them. He just couldn't right now, and it might be something they would need to work on, but they could work on it together!

"Speech"

He grinned at his brother, warmed by his desire to try. “save it for something really important, how about that?” He suggested, so his brother didn't feel obligated today. This moving in thing was new, and Wylan was okay to give it time to settle. “That's a great idea, and it'll really be home once we hang some herbs in here” he added. The stuff their mum always had in the den, like lavender. That was a smell that meant ‘home’ to him, and would help clear out any lingering smell from whatever experiment Basilisk had been working on. On purpose or not.


With renewed energy (he really bounced back from most things pretty fast) he ducked out of the den, and trotted down the ramp with enough speed to make it dangerous. Yelling out as he did so. “Rave you to finding the best branch!”