It had been a long and arduous trip but finally he was home. He was near Valhalla, near the place he grew up. Near his family. He wondered how much had changed since he left. How much was new and different. He wondered how Erani's pups were doing and if Chrysanthe had pups of her own, if she had found a mate even. As he wondered through the strip he thought of everything he had left behind, he wondered if anyone had missed him or if they hadn't even noticed he left. What would they say? What would they do? What would they do when they saw him again? A soft whine escaped him as he walked. What if they hated him?



He stopped by a stream to drink and rest. His eyes closing behind racing thoughts with a sigh. How long had he walked now? It was impossible to say at this point. It had been so long since he left the training grounds he had been practicing in. He had been helping other wolves and had been asked to stay, but the call for home was too great. The need to see his family again overpowering the friends he had made in the distant land he had traveled to. He thought of his father most of all. The huge wolf that had taken him and his brother in as his own children and showed them nothing but kindness and joy. The thought of his father was followed by that of his brother. Neo. Would he be there as well? Would Neo see what love and devotion could do to a wolf rather than hate and loathing? Would he be an example? Or would Neo greet him with the hate he always did? He shook his head, silently hoping against hope that he wouldn't have to deal with his brother.Not yet anyway. No, his family would greet him happily, and Cairo would praise him for leaving to become a better healer. Yes. It would be perfect.

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CODING BY TIFF

Surreal

Surreal was achy, in body and in heart. As she patrolled the edges of Valhalla?s territory, her upper back flared with fiery pain, and her muzzle ached, though this had scabbed over, even though there would be scars when the claw slashes across her muzzle fully healed. Her mother had been tending her injuries intently, as with all the other warriors who had been in the fighting. All she could think was why. Why had they been attacked like this? Why did this have to have happened at all? Her Uncle was gone, a prisoner in the enemy?s territory by now. Along with the Seracians that had helped them. Pontifex had vanished after the fighting. Probably back to Seracia. However, Azalea had been won back, and a few prisoners of their own had been won. An Albino, and a strangely marked female to note a couple. Would they ever get her Uncle Cormalin back? He was their Beta, after all. And she was next in line, but she needed more training. So much more. Still, if asked, she would step into her Uncle?s place in the event that he was never recovered. Her mind wandered for a moment to Falk. Had he found his brother? Her adopted brother Taurig? She?d caught sight of Taurig for a fleeting moment, but had been too busy keeping herself alive to pay any more attention other than that. She uttered a soft sigh and returned her attention to her patrol, mismatched gold and blue gaze sweeping the border, before a scent wafted over her nose and she froze. She had never really met Preston, and certainly not Neo, but she?d heard of them. So she didn?t recognize the stranger?s smell. So she approached with hackles raised, legs stiff, sending up a quick howl for Chrysanthe as she came into view of the stranger. Mismatched gaze pinned the male, taking in his appearance. ?State your name and business, if you please, stranger? Her Russian and Scots mixed accent held a hint of the strength her voice as a beta would hold was in her words, a steel edge that spoke volumes. She was giving the stranger a chance to show he wasn?t a threat to the family and pack she loved, and if he failed, he was in for a world of hurt.

He was shaken from his thoughts by a voice. A rather harsh one to boot. He didn't recognize the wolf before him. How could he? When he first saw Surreal she had just slipped from her mother's womb and taken her first breath, right before he disappeared. He did however recognize the smell of Valhalla, and that was enough to send his heart racing. He bolted to his feet, tail wagging feverishly as he trotted toward the female. "Preston Adravendi at your service. Pres for short. Call me Pres all you like." He prattled on excitedly, before sniffing her quizzically. "Who are you?" He asked as he sat. She carried with her the scent of his surrogate mother Erani, but he assumed she was another medic she had taken under her wing. The wolf looked to be in a poor state for a medic though, maybe that was why Erani's scent lingered on her. Regardless she was Valhalla and that meant the world to him. He remembered the howl he'd heard earlier and could only hope that meant his brother would be coming soon...If he was still Alpha...No. Of course he was, who could ever take his place? "I'm here to see my family again, rejoin my pack, and become a dedicated medic." He grinned, his tail still wagging.

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CODING BY TIFF

Surreal's howl had called for her just beyond Valhalla's borders. The woman had gotten somewhat paranoid of the borders, bloodstained and trampled they may be, but she worried that Glaciem would strike again while they were wounded. The ice pack just didn't ever seem to quit. The alpha would follow the sound, her lips pulled into somewhat of a frown - was something wrong? Yet there was no panic in her sister's howl, she shouldn't worry too much just yet - and yet she couldn't pull the tenseness from her stance. Along with Surreal's scent, there seemed to be the scent of another as well. A male, and one that was familiar to her. Her brows would furrow as she tried to place a name along with the smell, but it had just been so long... whoever they were they were a stranger to her now. She would stand beside the yearling, her blue eyes looking over the male that she had been speaking with. Faintly she had heard his words while approaching, and although the voice was lower now she recognized it. Perhaps this brute wasn't a stranger to her after all! By the time her eyes met his own, her lips held a faint smile to them, and despite her body being tired she would show a bit of enthusiasm. Preston was back! He had been a constant when she was a yearling, raised beside her when she was a child. Although he wasn't her brother by blood, it didn't matter. He was family and he was back and wanted to be here. "Well that's two members of our family down." She nearly laughed, but shook her head as she smiled instead. "Preston where have you been? It's been ages!" His disappearance had been sad, but there was nothing that anyone could do - he was just... gone. Chrysanthe had assumed that he didn't want to be found. "This is Surreal, one of Erani's girls. And I hope you haven't gone and forgotten about me." She couldn't help but grin at that point, closing a bit of the distance between she and her brother. He had grown up well - no longer scrawny and short, but a good sized male with a pleasant air about him. "You've missed so much!" Erani's children were growing up so quickly! They were practically as big as she and he now. How would he feel about her being alpha? About Epiphron being Queen of Seracia and Syrinx Arkos of Amenti?

Surreal took a slight step back as the stranger brazenly trotted up to her. While his tail was wagging as though he were a puppy meeting a new wolf, she wasn?t quite ready to commit to relaxing. However, as he spoke, her ears pricked. Preston? Her head tilted as she studied the male. Just then, Chrysanthe arrived, and as Surreal glanced at her older sister, she relaxed at once. Chrysanthe recognized this lost family member, so this wasn?t some trick, and that was good enough for the silver yearling. Mismatched blue and gold gaze returned to Preston, and she allowed her tail to wag slowly as Chrysanthe introduced her to him. ?I?m sorry for my poor reception, Preston. We?ve been going through a lot of trying times.? Her voice was softer now, the steel edge melted away to a relaxed timbre. She glanced at her sister. There was weariness written in Chrysanthe?s stance, underlying the pleasure her sister was feeling at meeting a brother long lost. That same weariness wore into Surreal as well.

His head almost snapped off his neck as he looked at his sister. "Chrysanthe!" He yelped excitedly, rearing back on his hind legs and rearing into a joyful hug. "How could I ever forget you?!" He laughed, nuzzling his sister's neck. His ear flicked toward Surreal and the everlasting grin followed. "Greeted by two sisters it seems. What a welcoming it's been!" He laughed. He released his brown faced sister and sat in front of the two patiently as he answered the question everyone longed to hear "I swam the great sea, and found a pack to train me in advanced medicine techniques. They had all sorts of strange herbs and remedies, but I could only stay gone for so long. I knew your heart was breaking without me around to tease you." He said with a boastful laugh. His ear flicked again toward his youngest sister as she mentioned trouble. "What...Exactly happened while I was gone? You both look a sight."

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CODING BY TIFF

Surreal seemed slow to accept a stranger - and Chrysanthe didn't blame the yearling one bit. But Preston was someone that the alpha had grown up beside, and unlike Neo, he had been loyal clear up until his disappearance. Memories of the brothers were filled with something bitter sweet in feeling, but she would happily greet her long lost brother, pleased with his resurgance and apparent devotion to his family. Although Glaciem had done away with much of the trust she had in lupine that weren't somehow related to her, she had not given up on her family. As he reared back and pulled her into a hug, she would grin,nuzzling her brother's cheek - a bubble of joy blooming in her chest hearing the sincerity in his laughter. She had nearly forgotten how sweet her sibling could be. His adventures had done good for him, he seemed to have grown into himself. His tribalesque markings sat boldly on his pelt, and seemed to symbolize strength opposed to the exotic look he sported when he was younger, smaller. "I can't wait to see what you've learned Preston - your skills may be needed sooner than you expected. Believe it or not, we're not the worst of it." Her words held a somewhat omnious tone, but she didn't want to scare him off as soon as he came back. "Valhalla has gained a substantial enemy in Glaciem - it's new ruler is dead set on destroying us. You just missed the battle on the plains." She would explain regardless, not wanting to lie to Preston. "Things should settle down while everyone heals - you have time to settle in." She could only hope he would still want to stay knowing that all was not as peaceful as when he left. "I would love to know more of your journey - what were these sea wolves like?" Did they live on the islands? Like the ones that lingered off of Alacritia's coasts? Or were they further out? Past the view or imagination of any of the wolves that lived on the mainland? The alpha was honestly curious, Preston had been gone for two years, it felt like an entire lifetime to the clay faced woman.

Glaciem? GLACIEM?! Of all the packs that he expected to trodd over the peace of Valhalla he would never have suspected Glaciem of all places. He was stunned for a moment, unable to speak as he looked into his sister's blind eye. Who was this monster of a wolf and why would he be so dead set on destroying Valhalla of all places, a home to friendly wolves and peaceful people. His attention returned to Chrysanthe as she asked him about his travels. "The sea wolves..." He said blankly. "The sea wolves! Right! They were smaller wolves, with dusk colored fur that fell off of them like waterfalls. Truly a beautiful sight." He chuckled. "They catch fish with beautiful colors, some almost twice their size and some with skin so rough it cuts your cheeks while you eat. They use every herb on the island, and even some remedies from the fish they catch, although...I'm not sure how much I can use here in the desert." He noted. "I'll just have to make a few trips to the islands I suppose." He said with a hearty laugh.

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CODING BY TIFF

Surreal

Surreal listened to Chrysanthe?s words about Glaciems change in leadership, her reference to the attack. ?Underhanded. They had two big cats. Obsidian was attacked in the fighting, trying to protect Rayne. From one of their fighters. They attack healers.? The last three words were issued in a growl, her mismatched eyes flashing angrily. The future Beta glanced past Preston, hoping her Uncle would appear, but no, he was still a prisoner. Chrysanthe changed the subject, asking about the sea wolves Preston had mentioned. For a moment, her returned brother looked blank, then recalled what Chrysanthe was talking about, and leapt into a small regalia of the wolves. Desert? Valhalla was hardly a desert. Surreal glanced around. Trees, and open plains, as well as many meadows were what made up Valhalla?s vast territory. She decided not to contradict Preston, however. He was freshly returned home, after all. Duty called, however. ?I need to get back on patrol, but we can talk later, eh brother?? Her tail gave a slow wag, before her head pressed against Chrysanthe?s shoulder in a gesture of affection. ?I?ll see you later sister.? She bade them a nod of farewell and took off at a slow trot, falling into her pattern of look, sniff, continue on. -Exit Surreal-