Tornach heard his mother's call, as surely the rest of his family had though he, as he had been since the siege, was not within his family's usual haunts. He wasn't ready to interact with them yet - he was still too sore over the recent events to seek them out. He was confused and hurt; his heart ached. Lost and angry, he did not know what to do. He had learned that his heroes had faults... serious faults, faults that shook his beliefs to the very core and completely changed the way he saw them. He had seen the bloody, broken aftermath of war, a war that his mother had relished in. He had seen his cousin die brutally at the jaws of the Hellstrom wolf, the wolf whose son he had saved. He had seen that the adults of his family had done nothing to stop it. His mother had not even been there when Arian died.
And she had called them together and expected them all to answer.
His eyes were hooded within his dark mask as he considered whether he should, but in the end he could not justify even to himself ignoring the summons, not when he knew very well what it meant. Surreal was finally going to make the pack she'd been claiming since he was a child she would make. He wondered what it would mean to them as a family; nothing good, he decided. He had seen what power did to wolves, and it troubled him. He had seen his mother stand over a wounded boy and threaten him because she was stronger, though he had always believed it was right to help those in need despite your own troubles. He wasn't sure that his mother could make good decisions under the yoke of leadership - he did not believe that power over others was a healthy thing, not anymore.
But it was his family.
So the dark-coated yearling turned from is solitary path and with great reservation quietly approached the small group. He was surprised and wary when he realized that he knew very little about the wolves gathered - there was a girl that he'd never seen, though she looked familiar somehow. He recognized the nomad healer, and of course his mother and brother and the gray male Creed, but he did not feel like he knew anyone there. Where was his father, and Zuriel, and Baine? No doubt they would be along shortly. They led where Mother followed, no matter what madness lay beyond. He wasn't sure he could... wasn't sure he trusted anyone enough anymore to follow so blindly.
Stopping a distance away he did not seat himself, but stood with his head and tail high as he regarded them with a troubled, withdrawn gaze. "Máthair," he greeted with a healthy dose of caution.
""
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