Alsander

Alsander padded beside his eldest brother, while one ear cocked backward to monitor Cael?s movement as they passed from a meadow and into a patch of forest. The ground was carpeted with emerald mosses, interspersed with tiny flowers of the crawling variety, the leaves rounded ovals with pointed tips, standing on stems two inches long and thin, that split into two, and at the ends hung pink, bell like flowers, that gave off a sweet, vaguely minted smell fragrance. He wondered if Cael would know their names. He was glad to have a brother so knowledgeable in the ways of plants. Cael had been scouting a few times in the last weeks or so, and had met several wolves. But they were very close now. So close to finding Claire. They had been watching the borders of the one pack that matched the male scent they had found mingling with Claire?s, and now and then, he thought he caught a glimpse of their sister, there and gone. And now, they were finally moving, approaching the borders. When Caerul drew to a stop, Alsander stopped as well, glancing over his shoulder at Cael. Could they feel his excitement? His hope that this search was over, and that their original search could continue. Or maybe that search was over as well? His tail swayed nervously. What if it had ended? He glanced at Caerul. ?Well, we?re on the Border? According to what we?ve seen, the patrol should be coming through here in a moment? Should we call??

Caerul sat. Waiting. But waiting for what...? They had been waiting and watching this border for some time now. Every now and then they caught a glimpse of a patrol, but didn't dare make their presence known until they were sure their sister was here. So far, he had detected the faint hint of his sisters presence, but the scent of the other one that was with her was stronger. Could it be that the wolf she followed frequently patrolled the borders? And was she patrolling with him? Looking for him and her brothers? The thought of it hurt his mind, if Claire had been around then surely she'd be able to detect them. They had traveled together for a very long time, and their scent was surely embedded into her very soul. She would know if they were here, waiting...watching. Ears flicked back to the voice of Alsander, he glanced over to the border again. Indeed, the time for another patrol would be soon. He turned to his brothers and nodded. "I will make the call. Prepare yourselves, we don't know yet if this is the pack that Claire has been or if she simply passed through. But the scents we followed indicate that the one she was with has been patrolling this area among others. Claire's scent is unmistakable, so I have no doubt she is here. We also don't know if these wolves are hostile." With that, the man turned back to the border and took a deep breath. It was now or never, their chance to find their sister. He sucked in a breath, then let out a long loud howl. Any patrols nearby would hear it, telling them that they were here. He hoped they wouldn't attack, the last thing he wanted to do was get injured on this trek.

Cael Amestades

The ivory druid waited anxiously on the border of this pack that the trio of brothers had been watching for a while now. He sat back on his haunches, his tail wrapping over his forepaws neatly. The longer they watched this pack and its patrols, hiding away in the shadows, the more strongly he felt that Claire was here or at least had been here. He got more and more eager to find out if his hunch was correct, but his brothers held off, waiting and watching for an infuriatingly long amount of time. Cael had remained quiet, not speaking a word against his sibling's decisions. That's how he was now, silent and waiting. His ears flicked forward at the sound of Caerul's howl, the sound echoing through the surrounding area, calling any nearby patrols to their location. Ceal took a deep breath, taking in the calming scents of the nature around them, letting the air out in a soft sigh as he tried to calm his nerves. All of their searching had led up to this. This was the moment that they had been waiting for. If Claire wasn't here... the druid wasn't sure what he would do. His heart ached for his sister, having missed her dearly for all this time. Eyelids would slide down over sapphire and gold, closing him away from the world for the briefest of moments, soaking up the calm of the forest, his eyes opening with fresh clarity as he waited to see who would answer Caerul's call. Thought Speech Others Companion

Surreal

Silver paws flew over the mossy ground, sleek silver fur lay flat, mismatched gold and blue eyes narrowed against the wind. Her tongue lolled from her open jaws, and muscles rippled under her pelt. Abruptly, she swerved, dashing forward, swerved sharply again, tail wind milling for balance. With a final lunge, she pounced, snapping her jaws shut on her target?s neck and twisting. Her prey went limp, nerves that controlled bodily movement severed. She shook it for good measure, before the limp, brown grey body fell from her jaws. Panting, Surreal straightened and looked around, before dropping onto her haunches. She looked down at the hare, whose large dark eyes were blank with death, glazed clear of emotion. She felt pride about her kill, a sense of accomplishment that made her sigh happily, and her tail smacked the mossy ground. Bending, she lowered her head to pick up the dead hare, but paused at the sound of paws on moss. She wrinkled her brow, listening closely, trying to remember Uncle Cormalin?s teachings in Forest Craft. Three? Yes, three pairs of paws. She picked up her catch and crept closer, sliding behind a bush and peering through the stems and leaves. Her ears pricked. Three males, ranging from dark to light, and largest to smallest. They smelled sort of familiar. Like Cousin Claire! Uncle Cormalin had told her and her sisters to keep an eye and a nose out for males like that. He hadn?t been able to tell her much on what they looked like, but Claire had. And they looked just like what Claire had said. She wagged slightly. More relatives. More family. She stopped moving, listening. The misty silver one was talking. Call? Uncle Cormalin would be coming by soon! Her attention deficit disorder was almost gone now, with only occasional lapses in her attention now and then. She was almost a year old! Her birth season was literally days away. She could hardly wait. It would be when her real training would begin. Fight training. Hunting, Defense! Oh, and Endurance! She shook herself, forcing her focus back to the scene on the other side of the bush as one of the three howled. Then her excitement got the best of her. Dropping her hare, she pranced around the bush, tail wagging slightly. Not one to beat around the bush, even though she had just walked around one, she piped up in a voice young and more influenced by her mother?s mixture of Highlander and British than by her father?s lazy Russian. ?You?re my cousins, Alsander, Cael, and Caerul! Aren?t you?!? Ever to the point. Mismatched blue and gold eyes gazed up at the still much larger wolves, fearless, friendly, eager, curious.

Alsander

Alsander nodded at Caerul?s words then set himself into the stance their foster father had taught them, relaxed, but ready. His ears flattened slightly as Caerul sang to the borders. Mismatched gold and green eyes flicked to Cael, before movement to their right caught his attention, and he turned his head to look. A yearling she-wolf, silvery grey in color, marked with black timber markings. And mismatched eyes of gold and blue had come prancing around a bush, tail flagging friendship. Her words made his ears prick! Cousins? But she had named their names correctly. ?I... y-yes! I am Alsander.? Her knowing who they were meant one thing, and one thing only. Claire was here, and she had found their father. ?What is your name, little lass?? He gazed down at her, warmth growing in his chest. This little star was their cousin. Who were her parents? An aunt? An uncle? He didn?t know much about his blood family. All Amber and Laoch had been able to tell them was that their father?s birth pack had been massacred when their father was a yearling, and that he had left them with their foster parents to find a sibling. He must have found that sibling. And Claire had found their father. By the happy friendliness of this little lassie, this pack was good, and prey plentiful. All the wolves they?d seen had looked happy, and he thought he might even have caught sight of their Alpha, from the way the large white female with a clay brown face and blue eyes had carried herself. His tail wagged. He couldn?t help it. I feel it in my heart. We are home!

Please...hear my call.... The large male was bringing his song to an end. He had howled long and put all his feeling into it. Telling any others in the area that there was three of them, and that they meant no harm. Towards the end of his call, his jaws snapped shut as he heard something rustle in the bushes nearby. He quickly turned, seeing his brother Alsander turn as well, and his eyes fell on a smaller wolf, a yearling at best, stop and greet them. He stood there, stock still and confused. A blank look on his face as this pup simply asked with innocent yet excited laced words. His mind swirled with the question of what she had said. ?You?re my cousins, Alsander, Cael, and Caerul! Aren?t you?!? He stood shocked. The usually composed brother, wordless and bereft of thoughts. Cousins? They...cousins to her? Could this pup be a relative of theirs? If she knew their names, then he knew Claire was here. She had to be. He pulled out of his stillness when he heard Alsander's voice, asking the girl what her name was. Indeed, the man was curious now as to who this young one was. And perhaps...how she was and if she was, related to them. Deep inside him, he felt something stir. Family...we have other...family... His tail wagged ever so slightly. Hardly noticeable, as he was filled with different emotions that he had never felt before. They had found Claire, they had found a relative, they had found...a home.

Cael Amestades

The druid's ears pricked when he heard a rustle in the bushes in front of them, his eyes fixed on the spot where the noise came from. Moments later a fea emerged and her appearance alone was enough to make Cael's eyes widen with surprise. Her eyes exactly matched his with the one exception that where is right was gold and his left was sapphire, hers were the opposite. Even the silvery hue of her fur wasn't far off from Alsander's gray pelt. When she started spouting off their names and calling them her cousins, he wasn't hard for the ivory brute to believe. The family resemblance was uncanny. The fact that she knew all of their names must mean that Claire was here! He had been right! His chest swelled with joy and a smile touched his muzzle, barely containing himself. He wanted to jump and run into the territory to find her and make sure she was really here and well. He needed to see her with his own eyes before he would truly believe that his dear sister was okay. The fact that they had more family than they had ever thought or the fact that their birth father might be here as well never crossed his mind. All he cared about was Claire. He remained silent through the encounter, waiting to see who else would show or what this fea could tell them. Thought Speech Others Companion

9

Erani

A song rippled on the winds, and she lifted her head, ears pricking. It wasn?t Cormalin?s voice, but it was similar. She pulled herself to her paws with a huff and took off at a trot. Surreal had been toward that edge of the territory. While the song hadn?t held a threat, she wanted to be sure of her eldest daughter?s location and safety. So her paws took her to where she could smell the silver daughter?s scent trail. She smiled as she caught the twists and turns of the path, as it intertwined with a hare?s fear smells, and then she found them. Three males, ranging in size from as tall as her in the slate grey male?s case, to three inches below her in the smallest and most slender male?s case. Surreal?s kill lay behind a bush, and she glanced down at it as she passed the bush, pleased at the bloodless kill. Surreal herself had approached the males, and with all the exuberance of her young age, had greeted them. They looked startled, the mist grey male finally answering with an affirmative of her daughter?s announcement. Erani watched tails begin to wag. So? These were her long lost nephews. She stepped up to stand beside her daughter, lowering her head to brush Surreal?s shoulder. ?That was a fine kill, little one. You?re getting to be a fine hunter, and only a yearling. You have done well. And you?ve found the lost brothers.? She smiled, running her tongue over her child?s cheek, before her eyes turned to the males. ?So, you are my nephews? It?s wonderful to finally meet you. Your father should be along soon enough, and won?t he be glad. Ever since your sister found him on the Battlefield, he?s been anxious to find you boys and bring you home. I am Erani, by the way. I am the Lead Healer of Valhalla.? Her voice was warm velvet, almost mystical, lilted with Highland but mainly soft British. During her three years of solace as a youngster, she had lost her Irish accent. A gentle smile pulled at her muzzle, as her eyes took them in.

Surreal

Surreal lost any sense of caution as the mist grey male with the eyes like the sun and the leaves stammered a yes, and introduced himself as Alsander. Cousin Alsander. She liked the ring of it. Almost at the same time he asked her name, she chirped ?I?m Surreal! I?m going to be a warrior!? So she would be, someday, but she had a ways to go. She pranced her front paws on the mossy ground, tail now whipping back and forth. ?Will you be staying? It?s nice here in Valhalla, and you must have so many stories.? A soft touch on her shoulder made her jump, until her mother?s scent caught her nose. She leaned into her mother, pleased at the praise for her kill of the hare. ?I caught it all by myself, Mother!? Her head raised high on her shoulders, but under a steady glance from her mother?s deep blue gaze, she lost her over proud stance, taking a more modest position. It was hard, and it was a strong rabbit. He ran well.? Her mother?s tongue caressed her cheek, and her tail whipped side to side, smacking her mother?s side. Her mother?s attention turned to her cousins, and she looked back at them as well, as her mother spoke to them. Cormalin would be coming through soon! Oh this was turning out to be a wonderful day for the silver daughter.

Cormalin

Cormalin padded along the border of his home, ears flicking, eyes open, nose alert. At times, he paused, raising his head up high to catch airborne scents, or low to check the strength of the scent marker, and adding fresh scent wherever it was weak. Chrysanthe would be along on her rounds later and add her all powerful alpha scent to his marks. Hers was the stone boundary that you couldn?t see or feel, but rogues didn?t cross unless they wished to cause trouble, hadn?t learned the lesson yet, or were stark raving mad enough to cross the scent markers of a pack that numbered in the thirties, almost to forty members. He was in the act of adding his mark when the howl rang across his ears. His leg lowered, tail cocking slightly, as he listened. Then he was off at a smooth, near-silent trot. Under his sister?s ministrations, the old scar in his leg hardly caused him to limp anymore. He was fitter than he?d ever been, his fur thick and sleek, the long ruff and chest fur rippling like silk under the breeze caused by his movement, his unusually long furred tail flowing behind him. By no means was his tail as long haired as Obsidian?s who?s tail bone only extended a foot from her rump. The hairs were only three inches beyond the usual length, giving him a regal, majestic look, which helped attain an air of power and confidence. The wind caressed his face, bringing him the scents of five, three males that smelled familiar somehow, and two females, both of whom he knew very, very well. Erani and Surreal. Sister and Niece. He arrived with a soft gruff of greeting, coming to stand beside his sister, giving her shoulder a brief nuzzle before his mismatched gold and blue pools turned to survey the three males. His heart stopped. The pleased smile on Erani?s face went unnoticed as he stared at the three before him. Slate grey sabino, as Obsidian would have called those markings, with the eyes that looked out the very color of Akana?s eyes. Misty, silvery grey, with a wedge blaze, and mismatched gold and green pools, and then he beheld the third, and final. The eyes were the same colors as his own, though mirroring instead of matching. The shadow on the male?s brow was reminiscent of his own white star. For the longest moment, he stared. Then he looked at Erani, who gave the slightest nod. Then he looked back to his sons. ?You?ve come? My sons have come home!? His tail began to wave through the air hard enough to make a sound of air whooshing through fur.

Alsander Grey

Alsander?s head was in a whirl, first this silver lassie, and now a snowy female who had a great sense of power and serenity, and deep, deep blue eyes approached them, nuzzling the little one, who had given her name without so much as a hint of hesitation, even as he had asked it. Surreal. He liked this elegant female instantly. She radiated gentleness, but he could sense the steel strength hidden underneath. And she was their aunt, and he saw the resemblance between herself and Surreal, a sameness in their facial structures and eyes. She also spoke of their father. And their sister! And then she gave her name. Erani. Aunt Erani. He liked it. And she was a wolf of substantial rank, according to what he knew of pack hierarchy. He knew right off the bat that she and Cael would get along very well. His attention turned to Surreal, registering her questions. ?I.. I would love to stay in Valhalla.? Stories? Oh yes, he and his brothers had many stories? He grinned as Surreal greeted her mother, receiving the praise Erani gave about her kill, which he couldn?t see anywhere, but that didn?t mean anything. It was probably behind the bush she?d come from around. And he watched as any boastfulness from the yearling was quelled with a simple glance from her mother, and Surreal praised the rabbit as well. And then a soft, deep gruff from the other direction made his head turn, and he stilled, staring at the large black male who approached. As the male came to stand beside Erani, nuzzling her shoulder before lifting his eyes to them and freezing himself, Alsander took in the form of him. He moved with assurance, and his powerful build was confident and strong. His scent? The same scent that had mingled with Claire?s on the bloodstained field. His eyes mirrored Cael?s blue and gold mixture. In those eyes, Alsander read so many emotions, and only one was bad. Shock, excitement, joy, hope, and then, fear. Fear of their hate. He didn?t need Cael?s perceptiveness to read that in the male?s eyes. The heavy tail of the black male began to was, hard, and then he spoke. It was all Alsander needed. He was home. No matter what he had to do to get in, he would be staying. ?Father?? deep voice choked with emotion, he bounded forward.

Grey toned ears stretched forward as he eagerly took in the words of the young pup who had come before them. She had said they were related, and his tail wagged in happiness. He smiled, shock disappearing as the young one had said her name. "Surreal..." He let the name roll off his tongue in a whisper. So they had a cousin...wait! That meant they had more family!? As soon as the thought burst into his head, he watched as another she-wolf gracefully appeared from the woods, joining the young one in friendly greetings. He listened quietly, shock standing him still as she began to speak. Eyes widened, their Father...was here? He stared at the woman before them. His brain frozen and his mouth not seemingly able to find words of any kind. The lump in his throat would not allow any sort of letter to pass. He stared at the pair of she-wolves...yes, they both had resemblance to them...Surreal with her two toned eyes, similar to that of Alsander and Cael...and Erani, their Aunt Erani...her Sapphire blue matched that of Cael's, as well as the gracefulness that he possessed as well. His chest swelled, why couldn't he say anything? Eyes flicked to his brother, Alsander. Valhalla...our new...home? We...have a home...and family... He took a step forward, trying to keep his emotions under control. But just like his brothers, suddenly having found family after searching for most of their lives put them all on the emotional edge. He was finally able to find his voice, after a long moment of silence within, he neared Alsander and his tail began to wag harder. He felt his brothers excitement in waves, and he was just as excited. Just as he was about to speak, a soft voice, that of a male came behind them. Before he turned, a black figure walked forward and joined the female pair. Eyes widened, tail stopped still, and he stood rigid. The eyes...His eyes...they are a reflection of Cael's...but...our Father? Could it be? Did Erani really mean what she said...? The voice belonging to the black figure spoke, confirming his thoughts. ?You?ve come? My sons have come home!? He swallowed, almost choking on the lump that was formed in his throat. Their Father...they had found their Father...Immediately he turned to see his brother rush forward. Greeting the male. He watched his brothers reunion with him. The male too chockfull of emotions to move, speak, even breath. He saw in the black man's eyes, the fear held within them. Along with a vast range of other things, fear seemed to be etched there the most. Was he afraid that his sons would reject him? He had been the one they were looking for his entire life. Unmoving, Caerul stood there. Trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. He would allow his brothers to reunite with their long lost Father...and then, if his body allowed, he'd greet the lost family they had been searching years for.

Cael Amestades

Cael's two-toned eyes turned to the pale fea that approached them next, introducing herself and Erani, the lead healer. She sparked his interests right away with just her position. His aunt, the lead healer. He couldn't wait to ask her all sorts of questions! He was sure she knew so much more about healing than he and couldn't wait to learn from her, if she chose to teach him that is. His attention was quickly taken from her however when another wolf emerged, this one with a black pelt. Cael immediately caught his scent, recognizing it from the battlefield. So this was the wolf that had found Claire. His eyes mirrored his own and he even had a mark on his forehead that was very similar to the druid's. Cael could barely believe the words that came from the brute's mouth. "You?ve come? My sons have come home!" His eyes widened with surprise, his ears turning toward the brute, watching as Alsander rushed over to greet them. "Father...?" In the span of minutes they had met a cousin, aunt, and now... their long lost father. A smile slowly spread across Cael's muzzle, rising to his paws as his tail whipped back and forth behind him. They had so much more family than he had ever imagined! Ever watchful, he saw the emotions flicker across their father's eyes, knowing this was as unbelievable for him as it was for the brothers. He padded over to stand shoulder to shoulder with Caerul, remaining silent, but the overjoyed expression on his face said plenty. Now all he needed was for Claire to appear and his whole world would be back the way it was supposed to be. Thought Speech Others Companion

Claire Aobhinne

The howl, when it rang out, should have been just one of many, just another one summoning her Alphas to the border. Chrysanthe was still the only one that she had met, but thus far, Claire did like Valhalla. It filled the emptiness that hung heavy in her chest without her brothers around. Well, it came as close as anything had, anyways. But that howl. Her head swung up and ears pricked attentively in the direction of the sound. Could it be...? Surely she was getting her hopes up. Surely she was, because there was no way that they had found her when they had been separated for so long. She was imagining things. It wasn't Caerul howling, and when she got there, it would all be some cruel trick. And yet Claire found herself stirring anyways, her paws carrying her smoothly across Valhalla's territory. She moved easily from one edge to the other, her heart thudding wildly in her chest as she moved. Her brothers were here. The thought ran wild in Claire's mind, though she tried to clamp down on it, to tune it out and force it away. It surely wasn't them, and when she arrived there, she would see that and have her hopes dashed. And yet, Claire found herself hopeful anyways as she approached, nostrils flaring as a chaotic mess of scents hit her nose. Aunt Erani, Father, Surreal, and... She listed the names off to herself, hesitating only when she began to pick up on scents of other family members. Was it? That was when Claire broke into a run, each stride eating up ground as she practically flew forward, skidding to a stop when her gaze focused upon the reunion. "Brothers," She almost choked on the word, and it was difficult to remember how to make her body work. Oh gods, she loved them. The dainty female took a hesitant step forward, her eyes wide as she surveyed each and every one of them in turn. They were unharmed. They were all right and they were here! She could have skipped in that moment, if she could remember how to make her legs work. Speech,

Everything had happened so fast...first, a young cub had found them, calling them cousins and each by name. Then, another had appeared. The healer named Erani who told them that their Father was here...then, as if the world had opened up a portal into some unknown land, his Father appeared. The older sibling stood shocked...his Father...the man they had been seeking out for years, was now right in front of them. He was overwhelmed...so overwhelmed in fact, that he had no words that came to him. He did, he had so much he wanted to say...but at the same time, nothing. If their father was here, then that meant... "Brothers" That voice! His head shot up, and there, as real as daylight, was his sister! An excited whine escaped him as he charged towards her, skidding to a halt as he nuzzled her head and neck. He covered her with his tongue, he was so...happy to see her! She was okay! Words could not describe how he felt right now. Tears began to spill over as he hugged Claire, his sister was alive! "Claire! You're alive! You're safe! You're..." words began to fail him. He was so happy to see her now, nothing else mattered.

Cormalin

Cormalin felt dazed, with amazement, and joy beyond anything he?d ever felt since he and Akana had sealed their lives together. His middle son, Alsander, bounded forward. Father? My sons! He met Alsander with a wolfish hug, heavy tail swishing across the ground. His world had narrowed to the three males, widening only to see Claire?s arrival. So far, Alsander had been the only one to come forward to embrace him, but when Claire arrived, his darkest son (it gave him such a thrill to think that) lost the distance, charging toward Claire and covering her in kisses, babbling. Erani stepped forward and nuzzled his shoulder. I have to get going, brother. Herbs to gather. He nodded dazedly, and hardly noticed her depart with Surreal and the rabbit in tow. Some sense kicked in, and Cormalin coughed. ?My sons, you, are welcome to make Valhalla your home, as Claire has. Please, I?m sure you wish to better reunite with Claire, and I need to get back to my patrol but, can we meet later?? Would they want to? He ducked his head in a quick nod, duty calling him onto patrol, and he slipped off, feeling as though he walked in clouds. -Exit Cormalin, Erani, and Surreal | permission to end thread? -