After saying goodbye and thank you to Orca and her father, the newly curse free boy practically skipped his way back home. Curses froze in the north. They froze and they died. Acere had swore that it was true. So Beat left his curse behind. The young man would slowly build a new outlook on life. It would take a while to get used to not bringing death and destruction to those around him, but it would be worth it.

There was one person that he needed to tell above all others. His Aunt Twig worried about him so much. Every time she brought him food or tried to check on him, he could see the pain in her eyes. He felt a mighty need to alleviate that pain. The boy really wanted nothing more than to hold his aunt close and tell her that he was going to be okay.

For the first time, Beat raised his nose to the sky and called out to all of Abaven, letting them know that he was home. There was a confidence in his tone that had never been there before. He was proud of his growth. Proud that he no longer was under the thumb of the curse. He wanted to share his happiness with others.

"Chatting." & 'Thinking'

Twig almost didn’t believe it was him, but the sound of his summon, specifically for her, caused the Memoire girl to race towards the border of Abaven. The voice was so different, there was pride and courage and she was sure Beat had never howled before that day. She couldn’t wipe the grin from her face as she raced towards her nephew. Her tiny form flew over Abaven’s lands to bring her back to Beat’s presence.

The almost yearling was nearing his full height which was much taller than his aunt’s diminutive stature. ”Beat!” Her voice was filled with relief, she didn’t care if he was still cursed all she wanted was to hold her poor boy. She would never take the place of their mother but she adored and loved them and wanted to see them have a bright future. Twig knew she’d do anything for him.

The young woman aimed to wrap her arms around his neck and hold tightly to him and never let him go again.

The first one to come to his howl was Twig, the one that he wanted to see the most. The small wolf ran to him, wrapping her forelegs around his neck. Had she always been so small or had he gotten larger? The lanky boy sat and pulled his aunt close with one white foreleg. "Aunt Twig... my curse is gone." He nuzzled into the top of her head. "I went to the north and the wolves there told me that the north freezes curses. It's gone." There was such thick relief in his voice. He felt his eyes tear up a bit as he pulled the small fae even more tightly against him.

Pulling back a bit, the slender boy looked down at his aunt. Ears tucked against his skull for a moment. "I'm sorry to have made you worry. I'll be around more now." Now that there was no chance of his curse latching onto the little wolf and making her die, he wouldn't leave her side.

Beat was quick to embrace her and Twig couldn’t believe the relief she felt when she felt him in her arms again. He had quickly turned into a growing yearling, he was no longer the young pup he had once been. Obviously capable of taking care of himself now, if not maybe a little skinny now. He was back home where he belonged.

Tears streamed down her face in relief as he told her his curse was gone, and told her how sorry he was that he made her worry. The Memoire girl shook her head and pushed her features into his fur, in disbelief he had returned to her. ”I know you will. I missed you so much.” She returned breathlessly, feeling a little of her guilt melt away. ”I’m so glad you’re home, and your curse is gone, and…” She whined happily, unable to form words after that. Having Beat again gave her an abundance of joy.

The young man curled himself around the woman that cared most about him in the world. He held her close and wouldn't let her go until she wanted it. He owed her that much and more. The black and white youngling rested his head atop her own, his cheek between her ears as she cried and clung to him. "I'm gonna take care of you now, okay? You've worried about me enough." With the lifelong weight of the curse being lifted, the sudden freedom brought on a newfound sense of responsibility. He wanted to make sure that Twig was okay, always.

Pulling back a bit, he looked down at the smaller wolf. "Where are my brothers?" Ears perked forward. He could only hope that they had found some sort of peace as well. They'd been so distant from one another, and with good reason. A curse was a lot to bear. It trapped you. Ate your mind from the inside. It wasn't something that he'd wish on the worst of foes.

Twig nuzzled into Beat’s fur, the relief obvious as she relaxed against him. Worry had eaten her through, she hadn’t been eating as well and her sleep was interrupted. She was skinnier and the bags under her eyes obvious. With the knowledge of the raid weighing on her as much as the boy’s disappearance. Too much training and looking was taking its toll. Twig relaxed now, she had Beat and that was one victory she could cling to literally and hopefully.

”I’m going to take care of you now, okay?” She smiled and nodded into his fur, proud of the near yearling and how he had pushed through so strongly. Twig sighed contentedly, but stiffened slightly as he asked about his brothers. Beat pulled away to look into her eyes while her ears fell to her skull. ”I don’t know.” She admitted and lowered her eyes. ”Pitch has been gone longer than you, and I haven’t seen Tempo in a few days.” She felt the guilt grip tightly around her heart as shame fell over her caramel features.

When he asked about his siblings, Twig's demeanor visibly fell. The boy frowned as she spoke and regretted asking. She obviously felt guilty about his brother's absence. "Don't be sad. It's not your fault. We're a mess." The black and white youngling placed a kiss atop Twig's head. "I'll try to find them and see if I can freeze their curses too."

Giving his aunt another squeeze, the gangly boy settled back. "I need to learn how to fight and how to hunt." He couldn't take care of her if he didn't know these basic skills. Beat would work hard to learn them and would be the best that he could possibly be. He would definitely have to put on some weight... so perhaps he would learn to hunt first.

Beat was much too sweet as she failed in hiding any part of her guilt from him. She should have been stronger, but he offered up comforting words. She wasn’t at fault, she couldn’t blame herself for the life her nephews were given. What she wanted for them and where they’ve found themselves were completely different.

”I hope we find them.” They were yearlings now, and she hoped they could take care of themselves but Twig felt like she had failed them. She didn’t teach them the survival skills they needed, she didn’t show them what it was like to be a Memoire descendant. She didn’t tell them how much she loved them.

”I’ll help teach you.” She said with much more confidence now. If she couldn’t find his brothers at least she could help him to learn and grow. ”Theory will want to help, Corvus…” They would make him a master in no time. ”Maybe the two of us should go on a hunt first.” She told him warmly as lavender eyes beamed up at him. She was so proud and so glad to have him back.

He hugged her tightly once more before pulling away. She said that there were many that would help him learn to hunt. He would need the help. He also needed to put on a fair bit of weight. Though tall, the black and white boy was nothing but bones. His coat was rough and dull from prolonged malnutrition. Beat definitely needed to get healthy too, he knew. There was no way that he could take down a deer in his condition.

"I've been absent my whole life. I know that I've missed so much." He frowned, sorry again that he had made Twig worry so much. "What do I need to know? What should I know about Abaven? About my family?" He was asking her for a history lesson, of sorts. Now that he was present, he wanted to do his pack proud. In order to do that, he needed to know his pack. He looked at Twig expectantly. Though a year old, he knew no more about Abaven than a newborn pup. Nothing had mattered before, but it mattered now.

Twig buried her features into Beat’s fur once more as he squeezed her tight. Eventually he pulled away and twig looked up into his tired eyes as he spoke to her. He’d only just returned and he needed to rest and build his body condition back to where it should be. She looked him up and down and sighed contentedly, he was back, he was safe, and he was embracing life. Beat gave Twig hope for the future. Before she answered him she reached forward and hugged him again. Still hardly believing he was back here with her.

”We have plenty of time, first I want to get you settled. Will you share my den so I can look after you for a while?” She asked instead of telling him. If he wanted his own space she couldn’t deny him. ”I’ll tell you everything you want to know over a meal.” She stood back and took him in once more, tears still stinging her eyes but this time with joy.

Twig was just too good to be true. She was the sweetest wolf he'd ever known and he loved her dearly. Even though he'd put her through hell, she was welcoming him home with open arms. The boy was glad that she was so forgiving. Beat hoped with every fiber of his being that the curse really was gone.

Twig invited him to live with her for a time so she could beef him up and teach him about the pack. The young man smiled and nodded, eager to learn all that she could teach. It would be nice to share space with someone again. It had been such a long time. Though he was only a year old, the two toned boy felt that most of his life had been spent alone. He was happy to be changing that.

”Oh, Beat.” She offered in relief once again as he nodded and allowed her to take him back to her den. She’d do everything she could to get him back to health and good body condition. As he learned to hunt she’d make sure he ate his fill and more. Maybe focusing on his health would help her to keep from focusing so heavily on his missing brothers. Twig reached forward again to hug him, unable to help herself. The emotions were near overwhelming but she couldn’t deny her happiness of having him returned to her arms. ”Alright, come on.” She wiped another tear from her eye as she pulled herself away from him and began in the direction of her den. ”We’ll get a meal and get you a well deserved sleep.” She offered to him happily, her spirits risen tenfold with his return.

Beat would allow Twig as many hugs as she wanted. He gratefully curled against her little frame, his tail thumping on the ground behind him. He was happy. It had been a long, long time, but he was happy. He wouldn't forget those that he lost, but he would try to set them aside so that they didn't rule his life with their deaths. The boy could only hope that his siblings would right their own lives eventually. He felt as though he didn't even know them.

Since Twig wanted to take him to her den and feed him, the boy nodded and went along with her. It would be nice to have company and strengthen his relationship with the pale woman that made herself his caretaker. In the future, he would repay her somehow.

"Chatting." & 'Thinking'