I'm Coming Home (Sorta-Kinda)

Walk | Talk | Think

Eirik was proud to say he was stepping up. Border runs - since that made the monotonous routine of examining the edge of the territory a little more exciting - were becoming a regular activity for him, and occasionally he slowed down for a walk not just because he was getting winded but because he chose to include others in his proactive ventures as well. It was kind of nice, really. He was feeling stronger, more capable, and considerably more optimistic because of the small amount of training he had gotten already from Akemi. She was a touch lady, for sure, but she seemed to know what she was doing, and his father's approval of her only seemed to solidify that thought in his mind. With her help, he hoped to one day actually feel like the big tough Guard that he was supposed to be, but for the right now simply playing the part as expected was going to have to do. 

In his mind, however, it still seemed pertinent to take the time out for himself when needed, as he was doing now. With no designated hunter leading them with the disappearance of Colman - and refusing to ask their only current hunter Saga for assistance - Eirik was on his own fetching meals, which meant he was presently out roaming the Prairie in search of a quick meal. The snows had mostly gone by now though a few stubborn patches remained, and the pale grey wolf skirted around them as he moved along, though what eventually tripped him up was a familiar but alarming scent coming in off their borders. He remembered the scent well - recognized it as being part of what had made up his grandfather's - Kylar's - scent when the man had come in and stolen part of his family away and left his father wounded and unconscious in his own home. It was one he associated with bad and with anger. 

A growl rose up in his throat as he forgot about his hunger, forgot about his hunt, and hurried forward to investigate and if necessary intercede. Untrained or not, he was going to let what happened last time happen again. As he drew closer and spotted the figure already creeping inside the pack's borders, he nearly bristled and charged forward, though it was the spots that stilled the notion instantly. He knew those spots. He had watched those spots grow, had teased about those spots being silly and unattractive. And he knew then who the wolf was. 

Anger was doused as a flood of disbelief, relief, surprise, and elation swept through him, causing his dark, quickly moving paws to hurry with a different sort of urgency. His tail wagged behind him even though he sped along, and he was sure his grin was even more goofy than usual. "Amar!" he all but screamed in exuberant, unabashed joy, skidding to a stop just beside the spotted wolf and threatening to topple him right over as he lifted a black paw and tried to wrap his leg around his cousin's neck to pull him, possibly against his will, into an affectionate hug. "Oh man, it's so good to see you. I've missed your ugly face," Eirik teased, though there was no denying the heavy emotional undercurrent to his words that threatened to leave him tearing up right there.