Dead hearts are everywhere

Walk | Talk | Think

Dutifully, Eirik followed after his mother and siblings. It felt surreal to be leaving the Fern Gulley and Algoma Prairie on a search for a new pack, to know that the home they had for over a year had so quickly crumbled away beneath their paws and was now gone. More surreal yet was the absence of his father, the protector and guardian of their family. He was always so devoted, dedicated to every little detail that kept them safe and comfortable. Where had he gone? What had happened to him to let this happen to their family?

He walked almost in a daze, even as he took his turn carrying the tired pups. It still had not quite settled in yet, and not even as they stopped outside a wood of mangrove trees did it really settle in. The pale grey wolf's rosy eyes searched through what he could see of the interior of the lands, vaguely aware of Sarai's whining voice protesting every bit of their travels, including their destination. This is it? Eirik wondered, his black paws coming to a stop beside his petite mother and the small children she had collected at her paws. This is the pack? Our new pack?

The sound of Sarai once again determinedly trying to walk off on her own finally broke through the haziness of the boy's thoughts, and a little distractedly he glanced over one shoulder to see her very purposefully putting distance between herself and her family. He sighed, and without bothering his mother about it he go to his paws and quickly trotted after her. "Sarai, stop." He hurried toward her, and then around her, standing in her way to, hopefully, effectively cut her off from the escape she had planned to make. "We can't go back. It's not safe anymore." The words felt rehearsed, lacking conviction coming from him. Was it really so unsafe back there? Could his father have already returned and once more secured the lands for his family?

Despite his own lack of certainty, he did not allow himself to think of going against his mother's decisions and stepped toward his younger sister, hoping to coax her into a backward step, and more, back toward Alamea and the pack's quiet border. "C'mon, don't do this," he pleaded gently, lowering his head and trying to reach for the girl to offer her a consoling nuzzle. This was hard, he knew that much, but he did not want her to feel like her needs were being entirely ignored in the move.