I'm Calling

Hati had found himself meandering through the area around the delta, trying to find someplace else to hide himself from the heat that wouldn't result in people falling through the roof, when a rather familiar scent caught his nose. Snuffling, he circled the little area at the riverside, trying to confirm it to himself. Two familiar scents, actually, counting the one he recognized as belonging to one of the females who had invaded his cave not long before. The other scent he was sure belonged to his youngest brother Skoll, but that didn't seem possible. He seated himself, staring hard at the place and trying to decide if he was alarmed at the idea of the wolf who'd been so obsessed with Hroovitnir having found his way to this place. No, not alarmed. The thought of running into a possibly vengeful Skoll raised no worries for him, merely a hot rush of anger and the desire for blood. If Hroovitnir's brat wanted to mess with him, Hati would shred the little beast, brother or not. As if Hati had ever cared about his family, anyway.

The thought of his brother triggered a rush of memories, tumbling like pebbles through his mind. Hati lowered himself to his belly, crossing his paws over his head with a groan as if to block the sights and sounds from himself, but that of course did nothing. Why did everything insist on reminding him of things he didn't want to remember? Why did his family insist on following him here, awakening what was best forgotten?

As if the thought of family had summoned it, a howl - lonely and desolate - rose over the delta. Hati's snarl quieted, his face cleared of its scowl, and he uncovered his head and raised it to listen. That sad sound would have been easy enough to ignore, or to work up the fury to go put terror in the one who would disturb his madness with their self-pity, but the voice was Akemi's. It drew him unwillingly to his paws, heavy head shaking to attempt to deny the cry's pull. He couldn't help but recall the moment in the cave, when he'd seen - thought he'd seen - Akemi when he attacked the intruders. Was his mind playing tricks on him again?

But he could not deny the need to protect his youngest sister, the one wolf in the world who somehow still managed to have a good opinion of him despite... everything. The pain and sadness in that call destroyed him, tore what heart he still had to pieces. Breaking into a lope, he followed it.

As soon as he caught sight and scent of her, Hati slowed. Approaching with caution, mixed feelings surging and tumbling through him like the raging of ocean waves. Part of him wanted to grovel before her, confessing everything horrible he'd ever done and looking for absolution. Part wanted to show her how dark and lost he was, chase her away forever and save her from himself. Instead he was held frozen between the two, head held high and ears pricked toward her in an unconsciously proud stance. Gold eyes held dampened fire as he watched her, conflicted and silent.



"Speech"

the sins of our father, the sins of our young