Another mission the powers have called me away

Another time to carry the colors again

My motivation an oath I've sworn to defend

To win the honor of coming back home again

White paws lightly kissed the rocky terrain of the pass, the touch surprisingly gentle for the height of the wolf stalking the land. Sk?ll, the youngest Hr??vitnisson, had come to the land at last. Blue eyes gleamed in the angelic visage as he surveyed the area, nose quivering as he read the scents there. At least some of his family members had traveled this road some time in the recent past - he could smell his brother Loki and, fainter, the scent of the Betrayer, the Defiler... Hati.


A snarl temporarily contorted the childish face at the scent, before vanishing as quickly as it had come. Surely, he would avenge his father or die trying, but there were far greater causes that took priority over that one for now. The empire in the north had fallen with the death of Hr??vitnir, for Vili was incapable of carrying on the legacy and refused to hand the pack over to any of the true heirs who remained in the pack. Yes, Hr??vitnir had made Vili his heir, but only to galvanize his sons into working harder to deserve the pack. He had no way of knowing that in such a short time he would be betrayed and murdered by the same foul creature he had such high hopes for. And now... all the true heirs, Sk?ll's older siblings who had strayed without the guiding hand of their father, they were needed more than ever, and it was up to him, the youngest of them all, to bring them back to the family fold. To found the Empire his father had dreamed of.

The young wolf continued on his way down the pass, wondering as he did how large this land was... how long it would take him to find what he sought.



"Speech"

My declaration embedded deep under my skin

A permanent reminder of how it began

No hesitation when I am commanded to strike

You need to know that you're in for the fight of your life

What did you expect to find?


Was it something you left behind?

This wasn't the path he meant to take and Baldur, for the life of him, could not figure out why he'd decided this mountains was the best way to get back up north. He'd slowly been moving that way in the hopes of reaching cooler temperatures. The narrow, rocky path wound and slithered it's way through the mountain range and it made him decidedly nervous. There were bound to be mountain lions and lord knew what else up here. Baldur made a mental note to avoid this area in the future.


As he continued on his way a breeze picked up blowing gently on his face. Ahh? he paused for a moment enjoying the cool mountain air. Maybe this place wasn't so bad after-


Baldur paused as his nose took in a familiar scent? but no, there was no way. His suspicions were all but confirmed when a large snow white male turned the corner. Sk?ll. This particular sibling adored Hroovitnir for what ever sick and demented reason. He was every bit as annoying as Hati in Baldur's opinion if not more so and Baldur could only guess what he was doing here. Baldur grinned.


"Hello, brother, finally jumped ship too?"


"Speech"

Don't you remember anything I said when I said,


Don't fall away and leave me to myself

Another mission the powers have called me away

Another time to carry the colors again

My motivation an oath I've sworn to defend

To win the honor of coming back home again

Concentrating as he was on finding his way south to where his family had apparently settled, Sk?ll was not as on his guard as he would have normally been, so when he came around the corner and there was suddenly a WOLF right there, he was a bit unprepared for it, blinking uncomprehendingly at the form for a moment. Oh, he was ready enough for trouble from the wolf, but it took him a long moment to recognize...

"Baldur?" he asked incredulously. An opportunity from the gods, for sure. He smiled beatifically at the older brother he hadn't been expecting to find here, smiling despite Baldur's assumption that he too would have abandoned their family.

"Not at all, brother mine. I'm just rebuilding the ship completely." He winked at his brother, icy eyes gleaming in good humor. "If you made it here, I'm guessing Thor did too?"

He hadn't been involved in the fiasco between Vili and Baldur that had resulted in Baldur and Thor leaving the pack and frankly he wasn't sure what side he'd have taken if he hadn't been patrolling - Vili was his father's chosen heir and as such his orders should have been inviolable, but Thor was the oldest remaining Hr??vitnisson, a direct blood link that was in Sk?ll's eyes superior to a mere brother, and if he and Baldur, another blood descendant, had both been at odds with Vili... well, that was something to consider. Besides, he'd hadn't yet reached his full growth, later putting on a couple inches and quite a few pounds of muscle. The scrawny adolescent he'd been at the time wouldn't have done well against Thor and Baldur or Vili and Ve.

"A lot of our other siblings left since you two did, too. Any of them make it? Akemi? Freyja? Weth?" He cocked his head to the side, curious to know which of their blood had survived.



"Speech"

My declaration embedded deep under my skin

A permanent reminder of how it began

No hesitation when I am commanded to strike

You need to know that you're in for the fight of your life

What did you expect to find?


Was it something you left behind?

Baldur stared as Sk?ll almost ran right into him. Something really had to be weighing on his brother's mind. He almost hoped that Sk?ll was bringing news of their uncles deaths or the fall of the father's empire so that the past could finally be buried shut behind them. But in some ways he wondered if that was too much to hope for. His younger brother stared at him for a moment before grinning and speaking.


Baldur's head tilted slightly. Rebuilding? He frowned. Eyfura had a similar idea but with their family as torn up as it was from years of mistreatment and distrust he just didn't see it happening. "Eyfura thought similar, good luck." He grinned, not intent to take the other wolfs ambitions seriously. As far as he knew there was no power that could get all of them together again. "Thor, Akemi, everyone pretty much? No Hodr though?. how is he? I don't suppose Vili's died of his stupidity yet?" The frown once again marked his maw at thoughts of his twin. He'd been hoping Hodr would join them at some point and the other brute had yet to show. Baldur had a little knot in his stomach as something started chewing at his brain again.


"Speech"

Don't you remember anything I said when I said,


Don't fall away and leave me to myself

Another mission the powers have called me away

Another time to carry the colors again

My motivation an oath I've sworn to defend

To win the honor of coming back home again

Sk?ll just smiled again at Baldur's obvious skepticism, cocking his head to the side as he did so. It didn't really bother him that much that his brother doubted him. He was the youngest brother, after all, and his newly acquired height and bulk wouldn't have impressed Baldur, who was only an inch smaller. It did sting a little, though, that his effort would be considered comparable to Eyfura, who - while one of the bloodline - was only a half-sibling, and a girl at that. Still, he shrugged it off as he always did. "I have plans, and I have patience," he answered cryptically instead.

Moving past it for now, Sk?ll nodded at hearing that his siblings had all arrived safely. Baldur's concern for his twin was admirable, showing that family was still important to him. "As far as I know, Hodr hadn't left the pack before I left. Things are a little more... disorganized," he spoke the word with disgust, "under Vili's rule. We have lost quite a lot of territory without regular patrols, and hunting has been something of a free-for-all." Aware that he was stepping over the line into criticizing the chosen alpha, Sk?ll stopped speaking a moment. Still, it did bother him the way Vili ruled with all Hroovitnir's might and none of his charisma or cunning.

Vili was running the pack into the ground - he supposed it was really not surprising that only Hodr and eight of their half-siblings had remained loyal. Vili no longer enforced the charge that his children were inferior to Hroovitnir's children, and the brats were running rampant and refused to obey when he'd attempted to restore some form of order. Without backup from Vili - who probably felt threatened by him, to be honest - and Ve - who really had never wanted anything more than to kill ever single one of them anyway - and without the authority of rank he had been unable to do much.

"Anyway," he continued, shaking off the irritation, " Vili is still alive and still the head of the family - " again a flash of distaste "- and probably hasn't gotten anyone else killed since I left."



"Speech"

My declaration embedded deep under my skin

A permanent reminder of how it began

No hesitation when I am commanded to strike

You need to know that you're in for the fight of your life

What did you expect to find?


Was it something you left behind?

Baldur debated his options. He could try and push past Sk?ll or he could simply turn around and head back down while putting up with his brother following him. Either way he was about ready to leave this conversation. Sk?ll was polite sure enough but as every bit as untrustworthy as Loki in Baldur's mind. He didn't really want to know what plans were cooking in the younger wolfs head nor did he particularly care as he was already forming plans of his own.


And yet Baldur hung around, wondering if there was an news of Hodr. He had a bad feeling at it struck him for the first time since he'd left that his twin might be punished for his actions against Vili and Ve if not for his resemblance to Baldur alone. His outward expression seemed cool and apathetic though deep inside his heart was churning. Sk?ll's answer wasn't terribly helpful but at least it was a start and he wasn't as prone to lying as Loki thank goodness. So Hodr was still clinging to the crumbling empire?


Baldur glanced out across the horizon, back toward the land he was born in. It was tempting to go back, to get Hodr? to maybe slay one of his uncles. There was a seed of bitterness though toward his twin. Wasn't Hodr there when he'd made his move against Vili? Had he stood there and watched? Or was Baldur's memory simply failing him? It seemed everyday his thoughts and his memories would twist and shift into new shapes no matter how hard he tried to sort them. Seeing Sk?ll again was not helping.


"Well, with a little luck the fates will grant Vili a swift end. It was nice running into you Sk?ll but I must be on my way." Baldur pressed his right side up against the mountain as he attempted to brush past his younger brother.


"Speech"

Don't you remember anything I said when I said,


Don't fall away and leave me to myself

Another mission the powers have called me away

Another time to carry the colors again

My motivation an oath I've sworn to defend

To win the honor of coming back home again

Sk?ll was nothing if not persistent. When Baldur tried to push past him, obviously intending to either leave him behind or make him follow - something Sk?ll felt was a bit beneath his dignity, to be trailing behind his brother like a hero-worshiping puppy - Sk?ll simply shifted himself to be still in Baldur's path. Half-lidded blue eyes studied his older brother, considering him. "Leaving so quickly, Baldur? Surely you could spare some time for family. One would think you didn't care to be near your own blood." A smile played over his white muzzle as he drawled that last - not quite a threat, because it would take much more than any some offence he may have taken from Baldur's abrupt leave-taking to make him actually draw blood on his family, but not fully joking either.

He had far more sympathy for Baldur and Thor leaving the pack, considering that circumstances had led to them actually being kicked out by Vili rather than simply abandoning the family like their other siblings, but not so much sympathy for either of them that he was going to be willing to tolerate them going their own way for long. Family was family, after all, and if they weren't willing to work with him... He wasn't quite willing to say something so cliched as they'd be against him, but, well... they really would be. Nothing would stand in his way on this.

"You know," he began again, as though it had just occurred to him, "I imagine if there were to be a better alternative... say, an improved version of our current family circumstances... perhaps a new family pack where we could all be together in a more peaceable accord... why, I imagine Hodr and our half-siblings could be persuaded to leave the home pack after all. Wouldn't that be a happy reunion, Baldur? You and your twin, together once again? And so much safer for poor old Hodr, who has been so very lonely since you left him behind."

OOC: I had a LOT more of Sk?ll chattering written but I wanted Baldur to have a chance to get a word in edgewise so I cut a lot of it. XD It'll probably make it into another post, lol.



"Speech"

My declaration embedded deep under my skin

A permanent reminder of how it began

No hesitation when I am commanded to strike

You need to know that you're in for the fight of your life

ooc: bring it on! There's so much uncovered angst in his backstory anyway. xD

What did you expect to find?


Was it something you left behind?

Hackles laced down his back as his ears pinned to his head, a snarl peeling from his lips as Sk?ll shifted to block his patch. His little brother might be bigger than him now but that didn't mean Baldur was going to back down from a fight if the pest kept pushing. Though he supposed he could always turn around and go the other way. He just didn't like showing his back to certain members of his family. Though he was almost willing to risk it.


His own icy eyes narrowed at Sk?ll. "I can tolerate some of my family. The rest can go to hell for all I care." He'd let the younger wolf figure out which category he was going to quickly be thrown in after this encounter. Even then, however, his hatred for any of his siblings was still not as great as his loathing of Vili and Ve who he'd occasionally pray to the gods they were named after would be swiftly taken from the world. Not that he believed in them which probably didn't help.


Baldur started to turn to head back down to the bottom when Sk?ll next string of words made him freeze. A solid lump caught in his throat. Hodr. Sk?ll's blabbering of the family back again in some sort of rainbow-butterfly-bullshit meant nothing to him. But Hodr. His relationship with his twin was complicated at best but he still cared about the other deeply, how could he not? He had hoped that Hodr would leave as well and he kept expecting the other to turn up in Alacritis somewhere.


"?safer for poor old Hodr, who has been so very lonely since you left him behind."

Baldur felt suddenly sick to his stomach and yet furious at the same time. It was not his fault. He'd never meant to leave Hodr behind, he was driven off. Guilt. He could have gone back, he could've gone back at any point and instead here he was frolicking about in Alacritis. Denail. But Hodr was a grown wolf! Surely he could have left at any point of his own accord. Baldur didn't need to babysit him. Cruelty. Vili and Ve were cruel, depraved in ways he didn't expect anyone outside the family could understand. Would they have done something to Hodr in retaliation for Baldur's outburst? He tried to stop the shiver that was kissing it's way down his back like a ghost. Hodr, the blind one. It would just be like his uncles to take his twins eyes. He had to go back.


Baldur's eyes squeezed shut. He would go back? but not with Sk?ll in tow. Lips peeled back revealing ivory fangs. "And you think you can lead them? I'd be more impressed if any of our siblings were actually following you but here you stand alone. Now be gone from me and leave the past alone." He didn't feel Sk?ll had any right to preach to him about it when he'd gone and left the others behind as well.


Body tense, hackles still raised, Baldur turned to head down the mountain, a plan forming in his heated mind.


"Speech"

Don't you remember anything I said when I said,


Don't fall away and leave me to myself

Another mission the powers have called me away

Another time to carry the colors again

My motivation an oath I've sworn to defend

To win the honor of coming back home again

Baldur, hackles raised in anger and a snarl at his mouth, returned his not-quite-threat with a not-quite-threat of his own. It wasn't a very good one, though, as it highlighted how little family must mean to him, saying that he could merely tolerate some and care nothing for the others - a rather serious character defect all told. Sk?ll should only shake his head pityingly, a grin creasing his muzzle. If Baldur was trying to get a rise out of him, he was doing a pretty poor job of it.

Baldur had turned to leave after that retort, apparently not thinking it worth the effort to push past him, but Sk?ll could see as his jabs about Hodr hit their mark when his brother froze in place. The rather queasy feeling on Baldur's face was both exquisitely gratifying, and kind of sad really. Sk?ll really did hate to do this to one of his own blood; if he had simply been polite and cooperative, none of this would have been necessary.

His black-marked brother spat some poison about his inability to lead them that actually had Sk?ll's hackles rising for a moment before the younger Hr??vitnisson could control it. "I never wanted to lead - I have simply taken up the duty that should have been my brothers' had you all not turned your back on us who needed you," he snapped, the angry words rushing from him before he could call them back. His white pelt rippled once in agitation before he managed to leash his temper and immerse himself in calm once more.

Baldur had already turned to go back down the mountain once more when Sk?ll chuckled, a childish, surprisingly sweet sound. "You know, if I were convinced that this place would be healthy for Hodr, I might be persuaded to return for him and the others. But to be always considered second-best by your own twin, why that's heartbreaking is what that is. No one thought of him before they ran off at the mouth and got kicked out of the family. No one thought about him when they left him all alone in such a cold world." His eyes widened in mock astonishment. "Come to think of it maybe he would be happier back with our darling dear uncles. I mean, it's not like you wanted him around, or you'd have gone back for him by now."

He bounded forward with his characteristic puppy-like abandon, intending to slither by Baldur and take the southern path as he had originally intended. He spoke again as he did so, his voice deliberately flippant. "Oh well, I guess you've already written him off! I'd hate to have to tell him that when I return home but I suppose that's that. I am absolutely famished, want anything?"



"Speech"

My declaration embedded deep under my skin

A permanent reminder of how it began

No hesitation when I am commanded to strike

You need to know that you're in for the fight of your life

Heavens above was there no end to Sk?ll's incessant banter? Already Baldur was repeating a mantra in his head. He'd always been impulsive and quick to anger and ready to vent his feelings and frustrations physically but things were different now. He was growing and he was learning. And he needed to get back to Hodr. He knew it was a huge risk. Baldur was certain Hodr would have fled as soon as he'd seen Baldur's outburst at Anglea's engagement to Vili. Why would he linger behind? The snowy brute was 80% sure that Hodr was not back home but if he was? Damn Sk?ll and his words. "I never wanted to lead - I have simply taken up the duty that should have been my brothers' had you all not turned your back on us who needed you A bark of laughter erupted from Baldur's lungs as he turned on his younger brother with a grin that did not match his normally contented personality. "Congratulations! You've discovered why I find your suggestion so ridiculous. You don't want to lead, huh? Guess what, neither do I! Neither does Thor? or Loki? or even Hati. No one does! Sorry but your shit out of luck Sk?ll no one is interested in ruling that hot mess of a pack." He paused then grinned. "Except, as I said, Eyfura or even N?tt. So why don't you go bug them?" He knew his younger brother held disdain at the mere thought of female rulers. The irony was indeed hilarious that it seemed only the Hroovy females were interesting in a possible leadership role in the family. The moment passed though replaced by a frown and narrowed eyes. "You seem to forget dear brother. I battled Ve and Vili. I lost. I could have done nothing for you." It had been a bitter defeat. Even though he'd been young he felt so sure he could kill at least one of them only to be merciless shredded and near killed if Thor hadn't saved him. Baldur continued marching down the mountain but alas Sk?ll was intent on following him. Mantra, Mantra, Mantra. He was not going to attack his little brother. He had more important things. Baldur kept working it out through his head. He needed to be in peak physical condition to sneak Hodr out. There's no way he could fight Vili and Ve by himself. He could go with Sk?ll? but that didn't seem like a good option either. While less likely to lie and cheat Baldur still did not trust the youth and he half wondered if this whole thing wasn't a trap. Though Sk?ll would've had Baldur bounding right after him to the heart of their homeland if he'd simply said Hodr was in trouble. So was there an angle or wasn't there? At the moment it seemed Sk?ll was more interested in pissing him off. Hodr was a fucking adult. He could have left at any time and if he was smart he would have. Baldur was not their mother! Or? what a mother should have been anyway. Baldur lost control of himself, though for once not in a physical way, as he turned on his brother, speaking through clenched jaws in a voice that was suddenly quiet and dark, a voice that hissed between his teeth like a stalking viper. "Listen here you little shit. I'm not stupid and I tire of your games. I will go back for my twin if he is even there, which I very much doubt. Be considerate and I may even help in slaying an uncle or two, if you really think we stand a chance, but I will not rule. We'll get my brother then he and I are coming straight back here. Got it?" "Speech"

Another mission the powers have called me away

Another time to carry the colors again

My motivation an oath I've sworn to defend

To win the honor of coming back home again

Things were moving in a darker direction than even Skoll had intended for them to go. The mention of Hati, the Betrayer, creased his face in a snarl he was quick to suppress. "I never wanted to lead," he said repeated, his voice quieter, calmer, than before, "but I will see this family get the honor and the glory, and the empire they deserve, even if I have to do it all myself rather than leave it in the hands of someone who would waste what they were given." His mind turned disdainfully to Eyfura, to Nott. Though Eyfura was a daughter of Hroovitnir, she was not of the stronger bloodline. Weaker, never meant to lead on a grand scale. And Nott... well, there were so many things wrong with that idea.

His brother continued to dwell on his loss to their uncles, and Skoll resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Barely. Well, maybe he did roll his eyes. Just a little. And maybe sigh in a rather put-upon manner. "Of course you lost. Vili and Ve had been fighting their whole lives beside Hroovitnir. You would have been outmatched even if they had fought fair. And you know they don't fight fair. I don't even know what you were thinking." He fixed his brother with a pitying look. "You're lucky Thor was there to save you. And then you got Thor banished too. No, Baldur, we needed you there to take take care of us. To lead as our brother, not to pick fights with your uncles over something stupid."

Baldur's snapped insult earned him a full-on eye roll, but the next words drew Skoll up short in surprise. "What, really? Just like that, you'd go back to get Hodr with me?" And Baldur got him considering, too, the merits of just... not dealing with Vili and Ve at all. Let them have their own little mini-empire while the Hroovitnissons take those who were willing to leave and come down here. Make their own pack - or packs! Who said they all had to be ruled by one wolf? The gears were turning in Skoll's mind now. "Hey, yeah, I would do that. Get Hodr and come back here, sounds like a plan. Just us or did you want to find your buddy Thor? I'm sure Hodr would be ecstatic to see the two of you together again." His mind was only half on his words as plans and plots raced through his thoughts.



"Speech"

My declaration embedded deep under my skin

A permanent reminder of how it began

No hesitation when I am commanded to strike

You need to know that you're in for the fight of your life

What did you expect to find?


Was it something you left behind?

Baldur snorted at the mention of the word "glory". What the hell was glory really anyway and what made it work anything if it could barely even be defined? He was sick of such talk. Glory and honor might well have been translated to blood and death in his family because that was all the words every really seemed to sum up to. Greed, blood, death, senseless massacre? for GLORY. Glory was useless to the wolf, he had no need of it. But if Sk?ll so desired to chase after then Baldur would let him as long as the older male was left well out of way. Sk?ll could go about making his own kingdom if he wanted, Baldur would not stop him but neither would he participate.


His face and mind were already turned home as he half-listened to his little brother. No, Vili and Ve did not fight fair. Baldur might have actually stood a chance against Vili if Ve had not intervened and maybe even he and Thor could've taken them if he hadn't been shredded to bits by two opponents first. But that was in the past. He honestly did not care what his uncles were up to anymore. Baldur growled again at the mention of the word "lead". How many times did he have to explain he was not going to "lead" anyone. It was Baldur's turn to eyeroll as an exasperated sigh left his maw. He was too tired to even argue the point any more. Sk?ll could convince himself Baldur would lead them into some stupid golden age of screaming women and dying babies but Baldur would not be participating. End of story.


Baldur almost laughed at the look of stunned surprise on Sk?ll's face. It felt good to wipe the smugness from the youth if just for a second, to win the word game even if it was only a fraction. "Yes, just like that. Now how about next time you skip your stupid little games and you just ask, hm?" Truly, the whole debate couldn't been saved if he'd say something like, hey, Hodr's still back there wanna go get him? But then Sk?ll always had ulterior motives. A Hroovitnison empire apparently but they could worry about that later.


Baldur shrugged. "I'll ask him. I think we'll want to at least have Vili and Ve outnumbered if we can. Chances are they won't get much aid from the standard pack members if their rule is as horrid as you say. I'd prefer not to run into them at all if we can help it so dragging the whole family along might attract to much attention?" Baldur's thoughts were twisting and turning to develop a strategy. "I'll see if I can track down a few of our siblings and see who will come. The easiest way back home is to swim across east of Kennocha lake? it is also on pack territory. Have you another route? I say we meet there the first full moon of autumn."


"Speech"

Don't you remember anything I said when I said,


Don't fall away and leave me to myself

Baldur's mind was already working, picking over the details. Skoll could see it, and it delighted him. He had missed this, watching his brothers plan raids that he'd been too young back then to participate in. Yes granted, many of his elder siblings had been forced into it and hadn't the heart for the life they led, but they had been magnificent at it nonetheless. Skoll very nearly skipped just thinking about it. And if they got Thor, maybe Loki, why they'd almost be a complete set. Throw in a handful of cousins to command and it was just like the old days - though they hadn't any cousins to command, and without Hroovitnir to control him Loki was far too unpredictable to take the risk of having him around, and Weth was much the same. Who else then? As far as he knew Fenrir was still back in the home pack. Akemi would be an asset if they could find her. Not Nott, she'd always been far too crazy for a mission like this. Ooo, now his own gears were turning, how exciting. "Yeah, sounds good to me," he replied in a distracted manner. "We can meet up just off their border and ghost through it if we need to. Wouldn't be the first time you'd gone through another pack's territory on a raid, now, would it?" His voice lilted in humor. His tail flicked behind him. Well, if he were really going to do this, meet up with his brothers in autumn, he may as well get to it and explore some of this land his siblings had run to. "Well, brother, I shall see you there. Don't do anything stupid until then, all right?" With that he sped up, bouncing past his brother with in a trot, his tail held at a jaunty angle. Hopefully Baldur wouldn't really be stupid enough to try getting Hodr out on his own if Skoll weren't there to watch him - sometimes those morals of his could make him act like a real idiot. -exit Skoll unless stopped- "Speech"