They had put it off for too long now... And finally Ritsuka had managed to bring himself to a level he thought he would be calm enough at. Where he would be able to handle any news that Blizzard might throw at him. So he would have left that morning, visiting his sister?s den and telling her to meet him at noon at the lake. Time had marched on far too slowly during that morning, though his duties for the pack still needed to be carried out. He wouldn?t slack no matter what... He had to better himself. For Tortuga, for Blizzard, and for himself.

The male had reached adulthood... Two years of his life having gone by. It seemed just a short time ago that he was just a whelp at his mother?s side, stuck in the den with siblings he didn?t care for all that much, well, other than Blizzard. Even if she didn?t look similar to him that didn?t matter... They were brother and sister and nothing would ever change that fact. He would always be there for her if she needed his help... She only needed to say the word.

He would come to a stop before the cool waters of the lake, green orbs looking down at his own reflection. He had changed since he was a pup... Becoming stronger... Trying to become what his sister had dubbed him. A legend. Their middle names, names given to each other full of hope, dreams, and love, were a symbol of their bond. Even if he didn?t necessarily become a legend he was going to become a wolf that others would remember for years to come.

?It was my promise to you.? He whispered softly, referring to Blizzard. He knew he had a long way to go... And part of him was wondering if he shouldn?t set some time at some point to wander to the battlefield and practice his skills more... Of course he still had his offer from Gossamir... And they didn?t necessarily have to have their spar in that foreign territory. He might even be able to ask Qanik too if she might be interested in a spar... He was sure the older female had things she would be able to teach him.

Suka would sit down, feeling a sure feeling settle upon him. He knew the path he was taking... And he would not stray from it. There was so much for him to learn and work towards. He was going to make it. He was going to become what his sister saw him as, even if it took his whole life to achieve. He wouldn?t let her down. A short howl would leave his lips, calling to see if Blizzard was near. It was still a little early but... If Blizzard was nearby they could speak now. He wanted to see her... Wanted to spend time with the first wolf he had ever truly cared about.

""

Blizzard had been asleep when she was woke up by her brother, asking her to meet him at the lake by noon, and a question instantly dug at the brown and white wolf. She yawned and stretched her white legs out, her green eyes glowing in happiness that her brother was alright, after the earthquake. She would have to carry out her duties for the pack, and she hoped to catch a rabbit or something related to that,for Roman. The young female felt bad, and then realized that her brother, and her, had grown two years old not too long ago, and she felt even worse. So, was that why he had wanted to talk to her? Well, knowing that she could hide nothing from her brother, Blizzard would just have to tell him.

The thought of what her brother had kind of named her, rung in her head, reminding her what he wanted her to be. Epic. Like her brother, she remembered her adventures with him, and she wagged her tail and wondered about what happened to her two siblings after they left, what happened to her parents, to her friends. And, she thought of the wolves who had always said that Ritsuka was just her adopted brother, was not her blood brother, and a low growl escaped her jaws. Just because they didn't look alike didn't mean that they weren't blood siblings; after all, her siblings didn't look like her or her brother, either, and that must mean something.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Blizzard noticed that she could see Ritsuka's outline, and decided to wait a few moments. She wasn't as good at talking as she had been, but seeing her brother had made her like herself again, except for the tiny scars that her fur hid. A reminder of what happened. She decided to tell Ritsuka about that aggressive black wolf, how he almost killed her, and she would see what he had to say about him. Maybe they could go hunting for him together, and Blizzard could finally find out what happened to her siblings, and rescue them if she needed to. Even if they weren't as close to her as Suka.

The brown wolf shook herself out of her thoughts again at the sound of a short howl. Raising her head, she opened her jaws and let out a low howl in response to her brother. She rose to her paws, let out a short howl, and began to run to the distant figure of her brother, going closer the faster she ran. And, maybe she could ask him to spar with him later on, so she could learn some things, and he could learn some things. Maybe they could spar right here, and make it a challenge, a friendly competition. She was already thinking about it, and the thought of it made her tail wag. The two could be paired up, and the one who pushed the other in the lake could be the winner.

Finally, she was close to her brother. Sitting down, she tilted her head at him and stared. Finally, she spoke, wagging her tail wildly. I've been waiting for this moment forever! She panted, catching her breath from the run. How have you been?

talk, think

As Ritsuka waited, having heard the confirmation call from his dear sister, he thought back to their puphood. He and Blizzard had been the odd two out of the litter. Their siblings had bore gray, white, silver, and black in their coats. In fact their mother had only had a touch of brown coloration within her own fur, and it was lighter than his sister's coat color. They were the odd children out, and he remembered as a child sometimes they would tease him and say he was adopted. No... he knew better than to believe that. He might look different from the rest of his family, as did Blizzard, but there was no denying that the two were siblings. One just had to look into their eyes to see it... the same kind of eyes.

Blizzard would appear and that feeling he always felt around her, both love and a friendly sibling rivalry would rise. Until the darker subjects were brushed upon. But for now Ritsuka would press into her sister, though gently. His body still ached from the chaos of the earthquake... and he still wasn't hearing quite right in his right ear. But other than Ritsuka had managed to bring himself to carry his routines, for the most part, a normally as possible. He wasn't going to let even that keep him down for long.

"Forever... it has been quite a long time." Ritsuka would speak with a soft, gentle tone. The smile on his face would brighten as he spoke again. "I have been alright. Tortuga has really become a home for me, filling that part of me that I felt was missing. Even more so now that you're with us." Ritsuka looked out across the lake for a moment. "The earth getting so angry was a bit of a setback, but I've managed to push through most of that as well. I can keep learning... keep getting stronger. It is all going on the right path." He would frown then, looking back to Blizzard.

"Though I am admittedly troubled that you followed me... considering you did not originally wish to leave at that time. Something... something happened... didn't it?"

""

Possible plot?

For a few moments, Blizzard was happy. Then, at her brother asking if something happened, her smile faded. She dipped her head once, in response, and closed her eyes. Yes. A wolf, one who was smart and handsome, tricked me. I-I thought he was harmless. He wasn't. Far from it. He attacked me, left me to die. But I lived. I thought if getting revenge, and.....And that kept me alive. She said, and dipped her head like she was ashamed. And she was. She had lrft hrr family to whatever fate it was. I'm pretty sure that he killed father, and I think mother was pregnant with his pups. She said, dipping her head again.






talk, think

The news would come from Blizzard... News that set his mind and heart ablaze with raw anger. As she finished speaking a snarl would rip from Ritsuka?s lips, the brute on his feet with ears pinned and eyes narrowed. Some male wrecked his family after he left. He had always seen them as unbreakable, unshakable, a group that caused no grief to others or invited in trouble. But some male, some outsider, would dare come upon them. Attacking Blizzard... And... If their father no longer stood by their mother?s side he knew the man that raised him well enough to know that meant he was dead. As for those pups... They could either be full blooded siblings or worse, that bastard?s children.

Emerald orbs blazed, body shaking as images flashed through his mind. ?He?ll pay... Even if I have to go and hunt him down myself!? His tail would lash back and forth like that of an angry cat. There was a mixture of grief in his heart as well. What was his mother dealing with right now...? His father being dead too... And... What of their littermates? He couldn?t bear news of them right now. Another snarl would pass his lips, full of frustration. No matter what happened... He was going to avenge his father. He was going to free his mother from his grasp.

After a moment Ritsuka would calm enough to turn back to his sister, pressing against her and bringing her into an embrace. ?I... I?m sorry Blizzard. I should have been there... To protect you. To protect all of you.? Guilt plagued him now. ?I swear to you... Things will be set right. I?m going to step up my training... And I?ll put that damn bastard in the ground. He?ll rue the day he dared come across the Sotakiu family.? He was shaking. Even if the thought wasn?t at the surface it still lingered in his subconscious. He could have lost Blizzard too. Ritsuka would tighten the embrace for a moment. ?I?m so sorry...?

""

And then, the minute Blizzard told him, something in Ritsuka changed. He snarled, and got up on his paws with his ears back and his eyes narrowed in anger, an anger Blizzard rarely seen. She was just as angry, or so she though, but it scared her a little to see her brother like this, and she stared at him, trying to hide her fear. For a minute, she worried about her other siblings, even if they weren't as close. Like Ritsuka, she was confused that her family had been torn apart to violently, and, for the first time, she wondered if any wolves had something against her father. She shook the thought away, a low growl rumbling in her throat. She blinked her emerald eyes, and looked at her brother again. What would he think, or say, if she asked him that? She shook her head again, wondering why any wolf would have anything against her father, a sweet, caring wolf that wouldn't hurt a fly unless it tried to hurt his family. She closed her eyes, and a soft sigh escaped from her maw as she listened to her brother.

Suddenly, flasbacks washed over her like a wave, only stopping when Ritsuka spoke again. Blizzard opened her eyes again, and looked up at her brother ith a determined glint in her eyes. "If you hunted him down, I'd have to go with you. I'd love to rip his head off his shoulders." She said, before her brother turned to her and pressed into her fur, whispering about revenge and being sorry. Blizzard licked her brother, and wagged her tail once. "It'll be okay. I'll be okay. And we can both hunt him down together."






talk, think

Blizzard... His poor sister. He hadn?t even thought he might have possibly scared her with such an outburst. He very rarely got angry when he was around her. He was usually in good control of his temper... But this... It burned him up inside. He would listen to her, feeling guilt and, an even fiercer sense of protectiveness, worry, and even a twinge of happiness. Blizzard wanted to take this brute down with him... To end this nightmare together. But not yet. There were still young... And as much as he wanted to leave now there were still things that had to do here first.

The reassuring lick from Blizzard made Ritsuka smile. The tan male would lift his head, giving a small nod. No matter what... He was going to be with her next time at the very least... And that bastard wouldn?t get away with this. ?We will... But... We can?t go yet. I know that every day that passes by leaves more time for danger to come to mother and our siblings but we can not go if we are not fully prepared. We?re going to have to train harder, Epic.? This time he spoke his given name for her, seriousness shining in his emerald orbs.

?...and then once we?re strong enough... We?re going back to save our family and avenge our father. Together... we?ll accomplish this. I know it.? He would gently place his paw on Blizzard?s paw, facial expression softening as he looked upon her. ?...and maybe we?ll be able to bring some of them back with us. I?m sure Tortuga would welcome them.? He wasn?t sure what the state of their family would be... But he knew that things couldn?t be good.

""