It had been a long time since Ru had been home. Much, much longer than he had anticipated. After the hurt of his fathers death, he had closed his mind to Abaven and his family. He had stretched his wings, and flown a little. Now, at last, he was coming home. With a bag full of trinkets, and new experiences under his coat. He couldn’t wait to see his mother and his siblings, and crawl into the old den he had left behind so long ago. home How had he ever left it so far behind?

Homesickness was crawling through his skin when he finally climbed the last hill, and came to a halt so fast it was as if he’d hit a wall. The scent of Abaven was gone. That of a stranger had taken its place. This pack, it’s alpha… this wasn’t home. “Theory?” He called out, almost a hushed whisper-yell, weary of waking the newness that had taken the place of his home.


"Speech"

Artorias’ trip up to Valta to finalize the new alliance between his and his brother-in-law’s pack had gone well. It had also afforded him a chance to see his birth lands again and check on his sister, who had admittedly taken longer to complete her work in Valta than he would have liked. But she was well, and Artorias would take all the small blessings he could get nowadays. The Lord of Cinder’s path back home led him down through old familiar territories—lands that had once been the Hallows, Abaven, and the Armada. Nostalgia was a hell of a drug and everything the wolf’s eyes landed on brought back more and more memories of a simpler time.

Bittersweet smile on his face, Artorias made his way south from the falls he had been born at to the hot springs, walking leisurely through the woods. Passing by the sulphuric pools of water, a voice calling out nearby caught his attention. But more than the voice, it was the name being called that caught Art’s attention. He hadn’t seen nor heard of Theory in years. Confusion furrowed his brows as he followed the voice, crunching through the dried autumn leaves in the underbrush until he found… wait, was that Haiku? Artorias hadn’t seen the former Abaven wolf in some time! But Haiku had been around during the fall of Abaven. Why would he be here looking for Theory?

Approaching the doppelgänger with a hint of confusion tilting his head, Artorias called out to the other male, "You won’t find Theory around here—or any of the Cavalier or Destruction wolves, I’m afraid." He stepped up closer to the wolf who matched him in size, keeping a little space between them for now so as to not panic the obviously confused stranger. "You seem lost, friend. Can I offer you some help?"

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

”Theory!” He hissed again, as if expecting her to materialise out of a border that didn’t have her scent. But where else could she be? What about his mother, his siblings? This was their home. Where else could they be? He was startled by a voice, and turned to meet the stranger. Their initial words told him that this wolf carried information he needed. “I’m sorry, I don’t know you, but you seem to know about Theory. If she’s not here, where is she?” He asked, concentrating on what this wolf did seem to know, instead of overloading them with questions. Like what happened to his mother, the pack, anything. He hadn’t meant to be gone so long.

He turned back towards the border, realising all his things, his fathers grave, everything was behind that impenetrable scent barrier. “...Where’s Abaven?”


"Speech"

The not-Haiku wolf turned to face him with a start and Artorias offered an apologetic smile, ears folding back bashfully. He hadn’t meant to take the stranger off guard. The wolf asked about Theory and then about Abaven with some apprehension. Ah, so he had been an Abaven wolf. Boy, did he have some rough news to share with the stranger and his heart went out for him. "Abaven disbanded some years ago," he regretfully informed the wolf, bringing his hind legs up under him to sit on the grass while he let that information sink in. "Theory tried to revive Abaven as a school open to all, but she became unwell. Mental stress became too much and she disbanded the pack. That was the last time she’s been seen around these lands."

Artorias let some silence pass between them as the wolf looked back into the lands that now belonged to Valta, forlorn and vagrant. It broke the Lord of Cinder's heart to see such confusion and pain on the man's face. Chancing a little scoot closer to the brown and white mottled wolf, Art tilted his head to the side as he looked over the male. "Forgive me for prying, but you look very similar to a wolf I once knew. Are you related to a Haiku Cavaliere by any chance?" Art lifted a paw to his chest. "My name is Artorias Carpathius. Haiku was a friend and lived in my pack for a time."

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. His entire life was gone? Theory had gotten sick? Abandoned everyone? He thought of the stuff he'd Left in his den. Coats, and tinctures, and shiny rocks. A pack would have made use of them by now. But stuff could be replaced. Family? Family couldn't. He'd made a horrible choice to leave, and he could never take that back.


He rubbed his eyes, swallowing a couple times before he turned back to the stranger. “Haiku is my twin. where did he go after leaving your pack?” is attention was fully on Art now, an intensity in his red eyes. This wolf knew his twin. The wolf that had been closest to his heart.

The shock and horror on the stranger's face was palpable and it hurt Artorias' heart to have to deliver such heavy news to someone who thought they were just coming back home. He couldn't imagine how he would feel if he were in the man's shoes. He wished he could give the heartbroken stranger some comfort, some words of advice to help him push through this quagmire of emotional distraught, but there was nothing that could be said to assuage that kind of loss. Art just gave him all the time he needed to process his thoughts and the terrible revelations.

When the mention of Haiku came up, some life seemed to stir within the other brute's expression. He confirmed that Haiku was his twin, which made sense given their almost perfectly matching appearances. Haiku's brother asked where he had gone to, but all Artorias could offer was an apologetic shake of his head and empathetic eyes. "I do not know. He returned to Abaven just before their fall, but afterwards... I haven't seen him since." Art gave a soft sigh, unable to offer much to the stranger. "I do not know where your family has gone to, but I know that when they return to Ardent, they'll look for the friends they once knew. You're welcome to stay in the Hallows until then—or until you choose a different path for yourself."

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Someone had to know something, right? An entire pack didn’t just vanish into thin air. He rubbed a paw across his forehead and considered Artorias’ words for a moment. Haiku had spent some time in Art’s pack. Perhaps there were wolves there that knew him. Perhaps someone in the Hallows would know something. It was the only lead he had, he knew that.

He gave one last longing look towards Abaven’s territory (it was too soon to consider it anything else) before he nodded to Art. He’d be back here. He’d have to face his fathers grave at some point. “Your offer is generous, I accept” He said, surprised that Art would go so far as to offer a place to a perfect stranger. But perhaps Haiku had smoothed the way before him.


"Senryu"

Artorias nodded his head when the wolf accepted his offer to come stay in the Hallows. He could stay for as long as he liked—until his family was found or forever. He gave the stranger all the time he needed to look back at what had once been Abaven's lands. Even now years later, it still struck Artorias as strange how a pack he had known since his birth simply no longer existed. Life was odd and cruel that way, he supposed... Once the stranger was ready, Art motioned for him to follow with a tip of his head. They had quite a walk ahead of them to get to know one another. "What can I call you, Haiku's twin?" he asked as they set off together, then added, "The Hallows is very close to the pack that now resides in Abaven's former lands. If you ever wish to visit, you'd be welcomed in." Hopefully that was a small silver lining to the man's sorrow.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"