C l o u s e ➶ A r c h e r Dawn was creeping in. Clouse could see the embers starting in the sky, creeping pinks and purples that heralded the sun's arrival. It was time to rendezvous with Avella and Scully again, they always agreed on a frame of time, but everything was so calm, so relaxing; he simply didn't want to leave. On his belly amongst the reeds, he rolled onto his side and stretched his dark limbs out lazily. The cattails swayed above him as his weight bent the stalks below. He'd feel bad if the two worried about him not showing up, but would they? Avella might, but he doubted Scully would really care much. Beyond that, well... what would they do about it? Nah, he was gonna stay right here. His gray eyes slipped close and a contented sigh pressed passed his lips. Word Count: 137, for Judas only.

The dark Archer had traveled further then his original intention the afternoon past, stating to his two traveling partners that he was going northward from the willows between the territories that, from what he could tell, were governed by four separate packs. Through the Traveler's Pitfall and into a valley between two mountains.

When night had come, he continued on with Moon Mother as his constant companion. And to the lake, a smile touching his blackened mug at the sight of what looked like fallen stars from the very heavens, swirling and dancing. Bugs, he knew, but it was a pretty place all the same. And so he laid, and so he slept.

The warmth of dawn was on his face now, the autumn breeze stirring in his dark fur. He opened his eyes lazily, stretching out over the tall reeds and sandy grounds. It would have been content to stay there awhile longer, as his son would, had the scent of his son not snapped him upward.

"Clouse? He calls into the morning skies, dark grey eyes scanning over the reeds.

C l o u s e ➶ A r c h e r The peace was broken by the sound of his own name, crisp and clear in the air. Close by, and in his father's voice. Clouse froze, every muscle stiffening. How? Was he imagining things now, hearing shit? Or could Judas really be here, a whole ocean away? Indecision gripped him. Was he here to drag clouse back home? Should he run? Would he just be running from thin air like a baby? After a minute of hesitation, he tried to get his feet under himself quietly. He needed to at least be ready to bolt, he definitely didn't want to be caught off guard. But of course, when the monthling moved, the reeds did as well, stirring and scratching against one another. Clouse flinched and his joints iced over once more. He had no idea what to do, and hated how that paralyzed him. "... dad?" Word Count: 145

Alas his nose had not betrayed him, the smell of his boy being confirmed by the shifting in the reeds up ahead and as it stopped, a small peep of 'Dad?' spilling out into the morning air. Judas couldn’t help the smirk which lingered over his features, a half-cocked grin which he often wore. Shaking out his coat, Judas made way around the edges of the lake bed and would find his son there, looking more each day like the father which bore himself, Skoll. ”Should have known I'd find you lazing around a beach somewhere.” He laughs, turning his dark eyes off from the kid and onto the lake, which, not far from them, dropped down to an open ocean. ”Too much like your ol' man already.” Already just six months and he had a streak to wander off away from his home and any responsibilities.

C l o u s e ➶ A r c h e r Motion sounded from the same place that had originated the voice. Either was real or this was a pretty serious hallucination. Regardless, there was no more hiding, and still Clouse held still as though it were somehow possible to just not be seen. For once, he'd love to be overlooked, not because his dad wasn't a good father but because the preteen had not a clue what to do about suddenly being just yards away from someone he thought was on another continent. Scully had expected this, but Clouse really hadn't; it was just him that had gone, not the whole litter, after all. Judas' muzzle parted the reeds and appeared above him. Clouse had grown considerably since he'd last seen the man, but even from this viewpoint it was clear he was still much smaller than his predecessor. Great, so he had that to worry about too. Sheepishly he smiled, the fronts of his teeth showing awkwardly as he pushed at the cattails around him before steadily rising to onto his paws. Time to face the music about how much more he still had to grow. Mother above childhood took forever to pass. "Okay so... you're not mad..." he honestly hadn't been sure about his father, but he felt very confident that his mother was certainly irate. Little did he know this wasn't true, and Nineva was only worried that she was finally facing the loss she'd witnessed so many other parents be destroyed by; the death of a child. "You... we came so far, how are you... ?" It was still too hard to fathom, Scully had to have taken more than just him or pulled some horrible prank as they left that Clouse didn't know about. Maybe he was even wanted for worse; the guy was kind of an ass. Word Count: 302

Judas would see his son then, having grown much since he had last seen the meek boy who he could remember was born the runt to the litter which he and Nineva bore. Still setting in shorter then your average Archer, though Judas saw nothing wrong with that. After all, Judas, as far as antics went, often stuck out like a sore thumb. It seemed Clouse had obtained a bit of that streak.

The Archer boy looked up to him sheepishly as he scrambled up off the ground. After a questioning which was eager to know if he was going to get in trouble and asking how his father was doing, Judas snorted to the boy, black muzzle crinkling up. "Well yeah, I am." His voice hardened, sharp, as he looked down with a sharp and dominant gaze to his child. "Not mad you left, just mad cause you didnt bother to tell me. Your mother's worried to death and she is chewing my ass because of it to find you." Which of course, Judas would have had every intention to go looking for his son even if she hadn't been worried.

His hard look softened then only for sadness, his ears turning back against his skull. Another snort and he murmured as he torn his attention away and onto the lake. "I'd of went with ya, you know." Apparently his connection to this pup wasnt as deep as it may have been with the others. He knew, for sure, Ra would be missing him quite so even though she was quite the independent little woman already on her own.

C l o u s e ➶ A r c h e r Clouse's tall ears fell back against his scalp as Judas corrected him, and his tail sunk between his legs. The youth looked properly ashamed by the time his dad finished informing him that his leaving without a word had caused his family pain. That had never been the intention, and the guilt came swiftly and gnawing. Just up and disappearing had made sense at the time, and even now he was surprised when Judas' mood shifted and the man told him that he would have accompanied Clouse. Hesitantly, the small Archer raised his gray eyes. "You... you would of?" he asked, clearly not so sure. Not because he didn't trust his dad, but because he still couldn't see why his situation would trump staying home, safe and cozy with the rest of their family. "I just... I didn't want to make any problems..." Clouse was lacking in justification for how he'd left, and that was very clear. His eyes fell again, and he briefly considered running. "I'm sorry dad." Word Count: 169

Judas watched as his son's ears fell flat, as his tail would move to tuck in-between his back legs. Sorrowful, ashamed, guilty. It was all feelings in which Clouse should have felt and at the same time his father hoped he felt now as well. They were feelings which would let his son know he had done wrong and hopefully it would be an error never to repeat again. Judas had left time and time again at the side of his brother, but he had never disappeared on anyone. His time jumping from pack to pack were known to be visits by those he stayed with. He was not loyal to any pack however, as plenty of his former pack mates and family would hope for. No, he was simply loyal to his family and family alone regardless of pack. His family just happened to be in many different packs in many different lands. Judas would see them all, if he could. Perhaps Clouse would too.

The dark Archer frowned at his son's apology, happy for it even if it couldn't change anything that happened. At least maybe next time, he would think twice before taking off. In the very least at least he had done so with two other members of their family. "I would have." Judas admits, to squash whatever doubts his son might have had in him. "Pack life for me has always been....complicated, demanding. The Dell in itself is not an easy place to live, especially for us men. Well, Clouse was hardly a man yet, but it would be some day, if he was to stop straying out so that he might survive his first winter.

C l o u s e ➶ A r c h e r Clouse listened to what his father shared, and took a moment to digest it. He'd known that his dad was well-traveled, but it hadn't occurred to him that how he pictured his father's attachment to the Dell might be false. The rest of their family, the ones born to Devilsbite as Clouse and Judas had been, had made it seem so natural to spend your whole life to the coven and to ultimately put it first. Did he and his father have more in common than he thought... ? "You'd of left mom and the others then. That wouldn't have been very fair," the boy muttered out, attempting a responsible reason why he hadn't asked his dad to well... be his dad. "You know um. Scully said I should run  from you. I think he wants to make a game out of it. I don't think he realizes how bad you can crush 'im." Clouse's lips curled upward in a small, tentative smile. Word Count: 162

Well... Judas began off, settling his rump down into the long grasses and reeds. Your siblings would still have your mother. And his mother would still have Elias despite Judas attempts to be the only one Nineva set her attention to. If anything, though Judas would never admit it, Elias could be the one to be there when Judas ran off and about. You had no one. So me being with you now seems quite fair to me. He went off, to justify both of their reasons of being away from home to begin with. Devilsbite Dell held his mothers who in turn were closely connected to Mother Moon. But there was little place for men within the ranks savor for breeding and given that most of those women happened to be related to him, Judas had little reason to stay more then his visitations.

That little nephew of mine sure likes to cause trouble hu? He spoke as a smirk spread over his mug. Or how bad he is at covering his tracks. Judas added to the 'crushing' comment. Maybe we wont tell him for awhile then? He thought. Maybe we'll make a game of him?

C l o u s e ➶ A r c h e r That made sense to Clouse, and he felt a little less bad that Judas was here now. In fact, his tail began to thump against the dirt merrily as the conversation continued it's turn toward a far more lighthearted matter; making fun of Scully. The idea proposed certainly piqued his interest, the boy possessing the same affinity for mischief as any other pup his age. "That'd be fun, he deserves to be the one 'pranked' for once," Clouse encouraged. "What would you go do though? Are you gonna go back home now?" he found himself feeling a little sad at the thought, even though he'd been intentionally avoiding the man. Now that Judas was here and clearly not gonna force him back across the ocean, Clouse wanted to at least be in touch with his dad. Word Count: 136

The dark Archer couldn’t help the smirk on his lips from spreading, listening to his son's agreement that Scully should be the one pranked for once. ”No, I don’t think so, at least not just yet.” He went onto answer his son at the mentioning on what he planned on doing and if he would be returning home, now that he knew his son was all safe and well. ”I think it would be best to hunker down for winter. Traveling is never exactly safe, Judas went on to teach his son as he spoke, But it is never smart at all to do during winter. There is a willow forest I'm going to be staying at. If you follow this river, He spoke, pointing his muzzle now to the river just along the outskirts of this open plain, ”It will lead you south. You’ll come along to the beginnings of the willows and it stretches further south from there.

He did not know if his son planned to stay with Scully and Avella a little longer, but if anything at least his kid will know where to find him-somewhere safe he could go to. If he didn’t join up with him soon, Judas reckoned he wouldn’t have any problems with coming back here looking for him. ”Ramiel and Ellery are with me.” He then informed. Surely he would think that with Ellery with them she had every intention of bringing Clouse home promptly. And she did. Just not during Winter. ”They are on the same page too.” He added, so not to worry about being snatched up and taken back to the Dell despite Judas' words.

C l o u s e ➶ A r c h e r Clouse felt relief as Judas confirmed that he'd be sticking around. This was pretty great; it seemed like he was gonna be able to stay on his little adventure of independence and cheat by having his dad close by to visit! Clouse's tail patted the ground rhythmically and continuously, even as he nodded seriously at Judas' warning. He remembered his seaside conversation with Avella, and his father's confirmation of Winter's dangers only bolstered Clouse's constructive apprehension of the season. Bring it, he would've told Winter and it's dumb wet snow if they were wolves. "Willows south by the river," he confirmed. The boy smiled when Ramiel's name was mentioned, but Ellery's name caused the expression to fall, at least until he was assured that she was of the same mind as the Archers. Another relief, because Clouse had been pretty sure that if his sister came after him it would only be to drag him back home by his tail, and his cousins had only strengthened this belief. While well-loved, the young tank of a woman had earned herself a pinch of infamy. "Awesome. Scully's gonna be so pissed, it's gonna be hilarious," Clouse spoke gleefully. "I'll try to come visit, y'know, without blowin' cover. I wanna talk to Uncle Ram, too." He had missed his sister too, but there was something he'd specifically wished he'd talked to Ramiel about before leaving the Dell. It seemed he was going to get another chance sooner than later. Clouse was a pretty lucky kid now that he was away from the coven. Word Count: 260

Clouse tail thumped hard on the earth with a happy glee, though even so in doing so, his sharp Archer eyes and nod gave way to his attentiveness as he listened to his father. Judas knew all and well about the thrill of traveling-learning new places, seeing new things, roughing about and stirring the locals. He would not let himself force his son to confines of pack life when Judas himself did not wish to do so. He only wanted to make sure that his kid was being as safe as he could be, granted life was far too unpredictable to control.

"I'm sure Scully will think he outsmarted us, but in reality he will be the last one to know what's going on. That mutt should know he wouldn't get far on his own when dragging one of my kids with him. Another small smirk and Judas reached his head out to nose his pup on the shoulder. When the bubble does burst on this, think about staying with us for the winter, hu? If Scully by then wants to sulk and stay on his own, thats fine by him. However Judas had no intention of letting his son freeze or starve to death. You be careful, alright? He said, lifting and stretching out his long legs. He was ready to dismiss himself and head back south if Clouse needed to return soon to post, lest his own traveling partners find out and decide to whisk Clouse off further from them.