Caught at the Crossroads

It didn’t take long for the meeting to wrap up, and with his attention fixed on the beach, he immediately identified his sister approaching out of the distance. He watched her silently for the longest time, not entirely sure what to say- what to call out. It wasn’t until she was sitting next to him did she have the bravery to break the silence, pointing out that she should have been able to predict his departure. That she wanted to insist that he stay. He wasn’t sure he could have told her No. “I know … just as it would be selfish of me to ask you to come too.” Aresenn echoed the sentiment in a mumble.

The next part brought a short and soft chuckle. “I don’t think any of us got good at the sentimental stuff. But that’s quite alright. We managed ...” He interjected while trying to swallow whatever it was making his throat feel tight. “Thanks for always being there, Riv. It meant a lot. I care for you too, and any amount of distance won’t change that.” Aresenn assured her. His sister’s own laughter broke the tension a bit, before insisting that he return for an occasional visit. Of course he would. “I certainly will. You won’t get rid of me that easily.” The boy vowed.

As to why he was leaving … that was a more complicated issue. “As we’ve gotten older, things have just become clearer. The ones we looked up to, the ones who we thought knew everything and the ones we thought made the best decisions for everyone … well, they are just as lost and clueless as we feel- or at least that’s how I feel … I won’t speak for everyone in that aspect.” Maybe Rivin felt like she was well-adjusted and had everything she needed at her disposal. He wouldn’t deny that for her if that was her experience. He on the other hand, felt that the progress he had made was solely due to his own making. He felt most of his skillset had been developed on his own accord. Not that he was asking for someone to lead him now, he supposed that he had things pretty well figured out … but it would have simplified things a lot when they were young had they received more consistent input. “We needed guidance, Rivin- I needed direction from someone, anyone. But there were way too many children and not enough adults who gave a shit, or had the time to invest.” The adults were outnumbered by pups that felt like three and four to one, which was poor planning on their part. But there was another root of the Pirate’s problem in his eyes- the lack thereof a plan. That was a whole different tangent, though. “But as it turns out, things aren’t always as black and white as they seemed when we were kids. We are all just figuring things out as we go, and we all have flaws. I get it. I won’t hold it against them. I’m not mad at anyone ... It’s not good. It’s not bad. It just is.” Aresenn finished with a sigh.

He let his amber gaze momentarily drift out over the ocean. He’d miss that part too. Returning his attention to his sister, he looked at his sister for a quiet moment, before offering her a saddened grin of his own. “At the end of the day, I found direction … it just leads away from here.” It was hard to say, but needed to be said. As to where he was going … that was a little easier to convey. Aresenn quickly began the transition into a different line of thought- because god, emotion sucked. “I need to figure some things out. But for now, I’m going north. Sephiran’s up there … and I’ve met a girl a few times who lives … in the mountains.” He knew Rivin was aware of the Saxe boy, but wasn’t sure if she had ever crossed paths with Andromeda or not. He also wasn’t ready to admit that he had an interest in a girl from Armada due to the longstanding rivalry between packs. Whether his sister bought into that relationship or not, he wasn’t entirely sure. But the truth of the matter was, Andy’s sister was the one who had finished Pyralis off … and while he hadn’t necessarily been close to the old woman, he knew Rivin had been fond of her. So that was a conversation he would avoid for now.

“Where is Gil moving the pack? Did he say?” He asked, wondering if the new alpha even really knew. Knowing where the new territory was would make finding his way back easier in the event he needed to.

"Aresenn Praetor"