Now that I'm coming home
01-01-2016, 02:31 AM
Walk | Talk | Think Even without searching for the signs, Gale could tell that her sister was suffering for having left them. Aside from the obvious weakness that remained visible in her frame, her pale eyes remained averted as their brother addressed her in a reprimand, her posture seemingly sinking in on itself under the weight of her transgressions. The grey wolf felt awful, guilty even herself, but she understood the significance of it, how irresponsible and selfish it was to leave the family without a word to any of them where she was disappearing to. And for so long. Be strong, Selini, she thought encouragingly to her sister, chewing at the inside of her lip as she began to fidget on her paws. The conversation had her full and undivided attention, and it took Solaris walking through her field of vision, right between where she and Glacier stood, for her to realize he had arrived. A chill settled somewhere inside of her, an uncertainty that bordered on fear. What would he do? Of all of them, he had been the closest to their Moonbeam, and her absence had affected him possibly the most, with Astrea being a close second. Gale feared for half a moment that he might be angry, especially given the eerily quiet way in which he approached her, but she could not see his face, had not seen the relief, the longing, the joy, the overwhelming sense of wholeness that made him reach forward and embrace his long lost twin with a sob. Blinking, Gale felt her grey-green eyes fill with sudden tears of her own, staring at the reunited siblings through a blurry filter that she tried unsuccessfully to dash away. She bit her lip, fighting to maintain her composure, and shared a look with her elder brother that she could only return with a watery smile. What more could he do or say at this point? It was obvious Selini had beaten herself up enough over her absence, and having Solaris there had surely settled that very large matter. Following her brother, Gale stepped closer to her distraught sister, hearing how she uttered her apology again and again as if she could never say it enough. Tears leaked against her will from the corners of her eyes, but she refused to get sappy and cry completely. Further punishments were delivered, these based solely upon Selini's status within the pack, and while the discussion of it made Gale uncomfortable she understood why it was done. Their pack might have been exclusively family, but even then carrying your weight was required. She tried not to think about it, however, and forcefully pushed it from her mind, setting it into a pile of complicated, difficult things that she would leave for her elder brothers - the pack's Feraxes - to worry about. Instead, she smiled at her siblings through her teary eyes, and got a better look at her sister. So travel weary, so broken and beaten. She probably needed a good rest, a solid meal... "Well, now that the hard part's over," she said in an imitation of her natural carefree tone, catching just slightly as she still struggled to keep her own emotions in check, "we're really happy to have you back." And that was the honest truth. It was exactly where all their own anger and hurt stemmed from, their fear that they would never have gotten the chance to see her again. But she needed to think of something else, before the waterworks kicked in again. "Maybe, when you're ready, Solaris can take you back to your den?" she suggested, her mind whirling as it thought of what her sister would need. "I can find Astrea and send her over to you two with some food," - she said nothing of how Selini looked like she needed a good meal and a rest - "and I can wake up Terrae and have him drop by if you need anything to help you rest or get comfortable?" He had something for that, right? She hoped so. Remembering her place, she cast a quick glance at her elder brother, meeting his silver gaze and splaying her ears outward with a sudden uncertainty. "That's okay, right?" she asked him quietly, hoping she was not overstepping her place. |