The nightmares that clawed their way through her sleep had left the slender female exhausted as she wandered the lands, putting each paw mechanically in front of the other, moving slowly along with no particular destination in mind. What was she supposed to do without her brothers? When her dreams were filled with the terror of water closing over her head and her lungs seeking air desperately, only to be filled with water? And the blackness was the worst part. The dull emptiness that lasted for a few beats before the nightmare was over and Claire was thrashing on the solid ground, not in water. And then she would have to remind herself that it was just a dream, that her brothers would find her soon, that everything would be okay. They had been crossing a thundering river that pounded and surged beneath them, swollen with the first melting snows, and the bark had been slippery. Her brothers had made it across just fine, but Claire had slipped and been sucked beneath the water. By all rights, she should have been dead, but she'd woken up on the opposite shore of the river, shivering violently in a chilled breeze. And then she had gotten up and wandered off without a thought for her brothers until much later, when her thoughts had gathered themselves together. Claire was determined to find her father, even if she was going to be alone. They were closer now to the lands that he was rumored to live on than ever before. Or she was, at least. She had no clue where her darling brothers were. If nothing else, though, she supposed that this would show them that she could handle herself. Because she was still alive, still chugging away, still padding along, even if she was blind to her surroundings. As the lands opened up into a vast plain, Claire continued to pad along mechanically, paying little attention to her surroundings, to the bloodstained earth beneath her paws. In a more normal state, she would have never been found here, but right then, Claire wasn't entirely in her right mind. She was focused on putting as much space between herself and that river as possible. And then she would focus on finding her brothers. Her family. She needed them. Speech

Cormalin

Spring was upon the land, and Cormalin enjoyed the early Spring warmth that was just beginning to sneak in. Even though Summer wasn?t his favorite season, it had its perks. His nephews and nieces would become yearlings. Already, they were beginning to show maturity in their bodies. At nine months, Castiel was the largest, followed shortly by the rest, Surreal in particular. Lyric would always be small, the runt of the litter, but her heart was pure and no less smaller for her body?s size. He smiled. She and her sisters would be head turners when they were grown up. He?d chew up the first male who dared to try make sport of his nieces. Love was a different matter altogether, however. White four point star wrinkled as his brows furrowed. He missed Akana. He regretted at times not taking his children with him. Perhaps staying until they were old enough to travel with him. But that would have been cruel to Amber and Laoch. And cruel to the children. What were they like? Were they even alive? A scent brushed across his muzzle on the light breeze. Several scents really. He realized that he?d wandered to the Battlefield. He didn?t like the place much. He had come here for a spar or two, and had met a prospective new member for Valhalla, and the male Alpha of Ludicael. He hoped the young female, Meili, would enjoy Valhalla if she chose to stay there. The scent he caught now was fresh. And somehow? It was familiar. He lifted his head and turned to gaze out over the field. A single form graced it?s bloodstained expanses today. Black, small, and the scent said feminine. His curiosity was piqued, and he approached slowly. She came into better view. Small, dainty. Familiar somehow. The way she moved said she was running from something, but the graceful step, screamed of familiarity. Who was this lass? ?Are you alright, lass?? Deep baritone accented with British tones and a faint Irish lilt rumbled gently. He didn?t want to frighten her, though he towered over the smaller female. Large, black as night save for the white four point marking between his eyes, with a thick, long haired ruff and long haired tail, he stood, waiting for an answer. Something in him begged and screamed for it.

Claire stopped her mechanical movements only when another wolf appeared. He was black, with mismatched eyes like her siblings, and the star on his forehead reminded her vaguely of the marking that adorned Fintan's forehead. She closed her eyes for a moment to ward the thought off. His similarities to her siblings reminded her only of what she was missing in that moment, and while she was sure he meant the best (the fact that in a place like this, he could be a wolf out for blood or something similar did not even occur to the female), she could do without the reminders of her brothers. The Irish accent only served to remind her more of her siblings. Claire flicked her ears, lifting her head slightly to look at the black wolf, taking comfort in the gaze that reminded her so dearly of her Fintan. "I . . . yes, I'm fine. Thank you." The Irish lilt to her words was thicker than usual, due mostly to the fact that Claire wasn't really thinking about what she was saying. She was busy trying to shake the fact that he reminded her of her brothers. The aching reminder was not one that she particularly appreciated. She didn't want to think about them right then. She needed them. As much as she tried to prove that she could handle herself, she needed them. They were her family. Without them she had nothing. No mother, no father. No pack to turn to when she couldn't take care of herself any more. Everybody needed someone to turn to. Claire was no exception. And right then, she needed her brothers. Needed to know that they were okay. She wasn't worried about herself as much as she was worried about them. Family had been ingrained into her since day one, and ever since the death of her parents, well, they had been inseparable. Until now. But where were her manners? It took Claire a long moment to turn her mismatched gaze upon the black male once more. And began to take notice of her surroundings for the first time. Woah. This wasn't the nicest looking place. Ew. It stunk of blood. How had she missed that? "What is this place?" Claire asked absently, gaze roving her surroundings curiously. Speech

Cormalin

The dainty female stopped as he approached, eyes turned to look at him. One was a pale blue, the other an emerald green. She seemed to ache in a way. Her eyes told a great deal. At first, he wondered if she was lost inside as well as out. But then she lifted her head to fully look at him. Her voice spoke out, thickly Irish. She had a lovely voice, the cadence graceful. So familiar. Mismatched blue and gold eyes searched the green and blue, studying what lay in their depths. She must have been through trauma recently. His instincts welled up, urging him to step close and embrace her, comfort her. But he resisted, unsure of how the lass would react to a complete stranger doing such a thing. She seemed to gain some new awareness at that moment, eyes taking in the bloodstained Battlefield. Her curious question made a smile pull at his muzzle. ?This is the Battlefield. Some wolves come here to start fights. Some come to answer challenges, and still others come to be claimed or find a new home. My own home is Valhalla. I?m the male Beta there. It?s a lovely place in all its seasons, though with my thick black fur I prefer Winter, Autumn, and Spring to Summer.? He gave her a light wink. Then he turned gently serious. ?What brings you yourself out to this place??

Battlefield. Claire frowned as the male spoke, examining her surroundings curiously. It actually was rather pretty, in a sense, but the stench of blood. Ugh. It was hard to get it out of her thoughts. Claire flicked her ears, turning her attention back to the male as he continued, describing Valhalla with a proud tone to his voice. And then he mentioned thick black fur. Caerul had had thick, equally dark fur. But both of his eyes had been green and the similarities stopped there. Caerul was black and white. This wolf was just black. He reminded her far more of Fintan and it was that resemblance that threatened to tear her heart to pieces. She missed Fintan. Gods above, she missed all of them, but Fintan in particular would have understood how she felt right then. Her druid brother would have understood. Claire's thoughts held a fond note to them as she turned her attention back towards the large male. A light laugh escaped her as he spoke of preferring all other seasons to summer. She knew how hot things could get when it was warmer out; Claire too had thick, equally dark fur. "It reeks of blood," Claire frowned a little, twitching her ears idly. "But I guess that makes sense. It's pretty for a place where so much blood is shed." Again there was a heavy note of Irish origins to her voice as she spoke. But his next question distracted Claire for a long moment. I was separated from my brothers," Claire explained at last, "We were looking for my father. And ever since I was separated, I've been wandering, I guess. I hardly even noticed that I'd arrived." Claire shrugged slightly. "I don't suppose you've heard any news of three males looking for their sister? They've almost all got mismatched eyes like me." How else could they describe all of them? They were strong; they were family oriented. But that wasn't something that Claire could describe in a way that this stranger would understand. Speech

Cormalin

He watched her look around as he told her of this place, and then return her attention to him as he spoke of Valhalla. Her laugh was lovely, and struck a note in his heart that sang of longing. And her next words made him chuckle softly. And then she told him her reason for being here. He listened carefully, full attention given to her as she told her story. He wondered who their father was. Whoever he was, he was lucky to have such a lovely daughter. He wondered how she was separated, but didn?t ask her. It was likely a frightening experience, and it showed on her face. As she inquired about her brothers, he shook his head sadly. ?I?m afraid I haven?t. But if you would like, I can take you to Valhalla. You look exhausted, and it?s dangerous out here to let your guard down. My name is Cormalin, by the way.? He made the offer of a safe place with a smile. He hoped she would accept. Something in him needed her to accept. This wolf pulled at his heart in a way that was certainly not like the pull Akana had had on him, but it was similar. Rather like the pull that had led him to find Erani.

Of course he hadn't. She shouldn't have gotten her hopes up like that. But still Claire forced herself not to sigh, trying to hide the disappointment from this male. Why had she expected this stranger to know anything of her family? Claire twitched her ears in vain irritation with herself, though as she listened to him as he continued, she had to appreciate his kind offer. A place to sleep, for at least a night, a place to rest while she gathered her strength before setting off in search of her father and brothers. Maybe it would be nice. "I thought as much. Thank you anyways." Claire inclined her head slightly, "And it would be very kind of you if you were willing to take me to Valhalla..." Her voice trailed off vaguely after that, however, as she realized what he was saying his name was. Cormalin. That was her father's name. And hadn't he reminded her of her brothers? His eyes were like Fintan's. The star on his forehead matched the smudge on Fintan's. Like Caerul, he was black. Like all of her brothers but Caerul, he had the mismatched eyes. "My name is Claire Aobhinne," Claire forced herself to respond, to not just sit there and stare blankly at this wolf who gave a name that matched that of her father. "Cormalin, did you happen to know a pair of wolves known as Laoch and Amber at any point?" No sense in jumping to conclusions. Maybe this was just some fucked up, freakish coincidence. And yet, Claire doubted that. He reminded her so much of her brothers that it had to be true. Oh, what she wouldn't give to have them there. They could have all been reunited in that moment, but instead it was just Claire meeting her father for the first time in her life. She wanted to beg for answers, to ask him why he'd left, what the world had been like, but Claire forced herself to stay silent, to wait and listen to what Cormalin had to say about her adoptive parents. Would he recognize the names? Or was she simply reading far too much into this situation? "speech"

Cormalin

He saw the disappointment in her eyes and felt a bit of sadness for her. He knew how it felt to be separated from one?s family. But she pulled herself together, accepting his offer of safety in Valhalla. And then something he said seemed to hit her, and her words trailed away, and it seemed as though her mind had started running miles a second. And then she spoke, and he felt his heart stop, then leap to a gallop, blood pounding through his ears, vaguely reminding him of Obsidian?s hooves when she ran across sand. Memories flooded him. Akana?s faint whispering of a name. Cl-Claire Aobhinne. For my mother, and yours. I love you Cormalin. They?re so beautiful. Mismatched eyes stared at the young black female that stood before him, sight veiled by mist. He answered her next words with a voice thickened by unshed tears. ?Yes? I knew them. Five years ago this last Winter, my mate and I were blessed with four beautiful pups. Three boys, and one girl. You. Akana faded after giving you your name, and blessing us all with her love before she fell asleep. I? I wanted to keep you all with me, but I couldn?t have kept any of you alive without milk. So I ran to find Laoch and Amber, knowing that they had just lost their litter, and that she still had milk that was in the correct stage to give my newborn children nourishment. Amber was glad to take you all. You were her chance at having a litter. They had tried? Many times before, to have a litter, but something always went wrong. ?So I gave her my children. But I couldn?t stay. That place held so many memories that I couldn?t stay. And I didn?t want to steal the happiness Laoch had in being a father by being there and taking away from his place. And I needed to find my sister, your aunt Erani. I needed to make sure she had survived, or find out if she had died. So I trailed her by word of mouth and my heart, and found her, not in this land, but in Old Alacritis. She was there, in this pack. Happy, strong, and she had become Lead Healer. I was a coward Claire. I watched her from a distance, watched her struggle when our Alpha female of that time became ill and died hating Erani for telling our Alpha the truth when she would have lied to him about how ill she really was. I watched from afar as Erani mourned and blamed herself for the Alpha female?s death, and as she raised the Alpha?s children to be strong wolves. Our current Alpha female is one of those children. Chrysanthe. ?And then the mountain in the northern region of the land erupted, and we were all forced to run. Some were scattered, and I got separated from the pack. And when I found the group in out new territory, the new Alpha, Collision, noticed a friend I had met along the way, Obsidian, and spoke to me. You should have seen your Aunts face. After that, seasons later, I finally approached her, her pregnant with her first litter, and we spoke. I had expected her to reject me. But she accepted me as though years hadn?t passed. So, I am at home now. We?ve gone through a lot of Alpha changes, but we?ve settled down now.? He was rambling, oh how he was rambling. Part of it was shock, and another was from how much he had dreamed of talking to his children, telling him about the years he had been gone. He was in a dream, and yet he was afraid. Like with Erani, he was scared his daughter would hate him for not staying. Mismatched eyes gazed into the pale blue and green pools, wanting to see what she was thinking, and fearing it.

The explanation that she didn't dare ask, but desired all the same, came spilling from Cormalin's maw in the seconds after she introduced herself. Claire could feel her world reworking itself in that moment. She had a father now. A father, and possibly a pack, right? A family. And one that her brothers would find. And they would all be happy. Together. It was a word that, up until then, had only included her brothers and herself. They were all that they had now that their adoptive parents were dead. But now, things were changing. Had changed. Her life had changed. Now, Claire wasn't alone. Her first reaction, the first thing that she blurted, when the silence fell and Cormalin watched her silently, was, "I have an aunt? And cousins?" There was wonder in the female's voice, wonder for a family that Claire had never realized that she had. Up until a few seconds ago, she had been alone, alone and lost and confused, and now she had a father and an aunt and she had cousins. And her aunt had raised the Alpha of the pack that Cormalin spoke of, of the pack that he was the Beta to. There was a family. A family. There was wonder in Claire's thoughts, dominating them as she gazed at Cormalin, eyes wide and her voice just a little choked up when she continued. "I . . . It's nice to meet you, Father." Her tail wagged behind her as she spoke, even if she was a little choked up. Father. Father. Dad, maybe? No, she liked the ring that Father had to it. She had a father! Well, to be fair, she'd always had him, but she was only meeting him now for the first time. This female probably couldn't have hated anyone if she tried. But she couldn't be any further from hating her father. She was overjoyed to have met him at last. The only thing souring the moment was the fact that her brothers weren't there. "I wish my brothers could be here too. I wish they could meet you." They would have delighted in meeting their father, would have doted upon their cousins. Everything, everything would be perfect if they were there. But if this was all that Claire could have, she would take it in a heartbeat. She had never expected that she would find her father. And yet, she had. And it had only taken her almost dying to find him at last. "speech"

Cormalin

The anger he feared didn?t come. Instead, she asked for confirmation that she had relatives. Cormalin?s face broke into a smile, tail wagging. ?Yes. And an Uncle through your Aunt Erani. Your cousins are Castiel, Surreal, Arella, Gabriel, and Lyric, and they are a pawful of the sweetest children you could meet, though Gabriel?s hard to understand. He?s on to stay back in the shadows, and never has liked to play. You also have adoptive cousins. Chrysanthe, our Alpha, her sister Epiphron, and their brother and sister, Syrinx and Eos, though the later two haven?t shown their faces much since Chrysanthe rose to Alpha. Chrysanthe will like you.? He hoped she would. She was sweet, but had fire in her heart. Her next words sent his tail whooshing through the air, and his head raising high in delighted pride. He was a father again. Never had stopped being a father. The stance was an invitation to embrace. ?We?ll find them. Together we?ll find them, Claire, and I?m sure Valhalla will happily help.? His promise was voiced with intensity. They would find his sons. And bring them home. He turned, foreleg raised in an offer to walk on. ?Shall we go home??

She was almost overwhelmed by her father's description of her new family, but there was joy building in Claire's thoughts. All of her listlesness was gone, drowned in sheer joy. She had an aunt, an uncle, cousins. "I want to meet them all!" Claire breathed, tail wagging in the air behind her. Maybe, just maybe, she would find all the family she needed in Valhalla. Even a mate. She was getting older, after all. And yet, Claire couldn't bring herself to worry about that. She was simply over the moon that she had finally met the wolf that was her father. There was just the slightest hint of anxiety to her voice when Claire looked at her father, "Oh, I hope so." If the Alpha was her cousin, surely she would be slightly more inclined to hope Claire, but the female was still nervous. Family meant a lot to her, but that didn't mean the same was true of everyone. After all, apparently she had cousins who had simply cleared out. Maybe they didn't value family as much as she did. But panicking wasn't going to do anything. Claire forced herself to take a deep breath, to begin to calm down, and by the time Cormalin offered that they go home (and oh, how right those words sounded), she was breathing easily again. The female felt her tail wag joyously behind her, "I'd love to!" Leaping up to pad beside her father, walking so close to him that their pelts brushed, Claire basked in the presence of the larger, older male. Would she ever get used to this? She hoped not. She hoped that she valued it forever. --exit claire ! -- "speech"