Katja paced to the center of their hunting territory, away from the gorge she'd claimed for the pack to den in, and raised her head to call out. The howl summoned to her Kapra, Orochi, and Laufey... her family. Dreaming of Auora had made her realize all over again something she'd been pushing to the side in the hectic confusion surrounding the creation of Yfir - she missed her family. She'd been away from them before, the profession of mercenary often taking her from the bosom of her marauding family, but it had been far longer than ever before since she was among the Finnvi. Auora was gone to Valhalla, and though she could touch Katja's dreams, she could not be there in physical form. Kapra could. They were finally together in the same home, members of the same pack she'd earned and paid in Finnvi blood for. But the two of them were alone, the only Finnvi wolves left. Or so she'd thought, until Laufey's brother had appeared on her threshold. A gift from the gods, she'd thought, though part of her feared it was another of Loki's tricks. Whichever it was, she would not hide it behind the veil of secrecy as did Laufey and Orochi's dam, who ever and where ever she was. She would end this - Laufey and Kapra deserved to know as much as anyone. "Speech."

Yfir was as close to home as he had gotten in some time. At least here, he was in the presence of a fellow Finnvi and a small pawful of other wolves that seemed to be of similar mindset, even if they were not of the same faith as the two cousins. Many seemed willing to train and to please Katja, and this pleased Kapras?us greatly.

It came as a surprise when she called him. She had named him her Jarl, her second-in-command -- something he knew he must do, even if he might not necessary be the best one for the role. Though time had calmed him significantly, still he was far different from his cousin; perhaps he could serve her while also satiating his own more selfish desires. His mind whirled as he quickly answered her call, lanky for carried quickly toward her. He offered a gentle dip of his striped muzzle, fierce curiosity shining in his bright emerald stare. "Vetter," he greeted her in their native tongue, a smile playing with the corners of his mouth.

A howl reached his ears. Confused, Laufey's head canted to the side. Why was Katja calling specifically for him? His brow furrowed. Oh no, Orochi hadn't done something stupid, had he? Ugh, that boy! It would be just their luck to get kicked out now after all the effort he'd put into belonging. Fuming, Laufey set out for Katja. "Katja." Propelled by a growing apprehension, Laufey reached the Drottning in record time. After some thought he'd come to the conclusion that Orochi wouldn't do something to jeopardize their position in the pack. He had to know that doing so would strain their relationship, especially if it got them both kicked out. Having ruled that out, the boy was at a loss at what to make of the call. Not that it really mattered; Katja was in charge, she could have any number of reasons for summoning him and as a subordinate, he was obligated to comply regardless. That did little to settle his nerves, but what more could he do about it? "You called?" "Speech"

Orochi felt like by not telling Laufey about their father, he was protecting him from a horrible mind-set like he was. The boy was just worried, worried about Laufey looking at Katja and wondering if she hated him. Orochi had to say he liked Katja, but he was afraid, and with fear came his never ending stubborn personality of not wanting to confess that he was afraid. Though it was ultimately her choice after all. He had convinced himself over and over that he was evil, he was the evils spawn and no matter what he couldn't change that. Yet as he approached, his worried eyes over looking Laufey turned to a stoic state once again like he was at the meeting. Turning to Katja and he made sure to stop, farther away from her than the other two had. He didn't speak, no, he didn't want to do anything wrong, that was the entire point of all this. He was soft on the inside. Orochi dipped his head towards Katja. Sitting down, he didn't feel like being touched by his brother. The emotional stress inside of him was none of their concern. After all, he was just worried about slipping into nothing and ending up being hated just like his mother was. Speech,

Kapra appeared with his usual less-than-sober mien and Katja dipped her head in greeting to her Jarl. "Gr??e, Vetter," she returned his greeting before turning her attention to the much larger youngling approaching. Laufey, who this meeting likely would affect the most. The boy appeared slightly nervous, understandable in a youth who has been singled out to appear before the alpha and the beta of the pack. "Hello, Laufey," she said calmly, her expression deliberately clear of any form of censure as she glanced over at him. Now to wait for Orochi. Not for long, however. The other tall boy appeared, but said nothing. He stopped further away than Kapra and Laufey, the divide between the two groups obvious and frankly concerning. "Hello, Orochi." She leveled a measuring stare at him before her gaze swept out to include the whole group. "My thanks for your prompt appearances," she began. "I call you three here apart from the rest of Yfir because there something that must be made known. Secrets among a pack, among a family, can damage relationships beyond repair. These bonds must be nurtured in honesty, not secrecy, to flourish and grow strong and unbreakable." Her focus once more bored into Orochi alone, though cool and calm rather than accusing. "Do you wish to speak now, Orochi, or shall I continue?" It was only fair that she give him the opportunity to be honest before she laid bare the truth. "

His tail wiggled slightly when Katja looked over him. He honestly felt like crying, breaking down into tears. Yet he had been raised upon surviving in the most harsh of conditions. With a murderous aura over his neck, the same male who he had ended because he had wanted to reach revenge for his mother and tearing the family apart. Orochi was reassured by her glance if only a little. He sighed and stood to his feet looking at Laufey. "I'm sorry Laufey, for being an idiot. Before mother died, she spoke the words of our father a man by the name of Jaeger. Katja, is our cousin from our fathers side of the family." he said in soft tones. As he looked at Katja, he sat closer to Laufey this time, saddened eyes locked on her. "I'm sorry Katja." that was really all he could say. To gather from her outburst from before, he didn't want this to just lock and him be scooped away. Speech,

Kapra's stance was nonchalant, perhaps a bit intimidating in how blatantly casual he seemed next to Katja's more rigid demeanor. A grin was offered to his cousin before a curious eye would be cast upon the strangers she had called here as well. They had both been present in the meeting, males who seemed quiet and polite, albeit a bit distant upon brief examination. He would memorize their names silently as she addressed them both evenly, betraying no hints as to why she had called them here. Perhaps this might be his first lesson in leadership? The aura, however, seemed much more personal to him -- he found himself frowning slightly as Katja began to speak.

Her words were strange to him. He felt a strange fluttering in his chest. She spoke of secrets and honesty; what could she possibly be speaking of? Surely not of the relationship he had shared with Jaeger? But no. These two had nothing to do with that, and he hadn't seen his brother for so many seasons now. After speaking for a moment she asked Orochi to share whatever he had to offer. A brow would quirk dramatically, surprising overtaking him as the boy spoke, his words hesitant and shameful.


Their father was Jaeger. These two boys were his nephews. The nervous pit in his stomach morphed, turning into giddy excitement -- it was beyond unsurprising that Jaeger had fathered a litter of sons. In fact, he'd be more surprised if he hadn't done so. Eyes widened, a comically surprised expression crossing his features. "Meine Neffen?" he spoke quickly, laughter audible in his tones, his question directed toward Katja. Quickly he fell silent though, unsure if Katja would be quite so thrilled at the news; wondering what her own reaction might be. Behind him he felt his tail twitching, flicking idly from side to side as he assessed the situation. "You are certain they are of Finnvi blood, Katja?"

Katja succeeded in soothing the boy for a moment, but the calm didn't last long. The alpha went on to speak to her brother cryptically and Laufey, who desperately wished to know what was going on, let his gaze dart from face to face in an attempt to find understanding. The adults offered nothing, but Orochi sighed, the gesture causing Laufey's gaze to lock onto his brother's face. The other boy began with an apology and the young titan chilled. He feared the worst, his imagination coming up with all kinds of horrible things, but his brother's explanation was far worse than he could have imagined. He had a father. Of course he did, everyone did, but having a name made it real, having living, breathing relatives made it real. The blood between him and his alpha was startling, but what really got the boy was not his parentage, but that it had been hidden from him. Laufey stared at Orochi uncomprehendingly, his mind working overtime to put the pieces together. He had known and kept it from him. His breathing quickened, air whistling through dry nostrils as his jaws stayed clamped shut. He did not know how to feel. When at last he found his voice, it was soft. "You knew?" His mouth snapped shut, teeth grinding as his jaw worked. His lips quivered, the action a battle between a rising sneer and containing words he would regret. "'I'm sorry..Katja'?" he repeated, voice growing hard. "For what? It sounds like she was going to tell me when you weren't." "Speech"

Orochi's jaw tightened, why didn't he tell Laufey. Why didn't he? He only found out at the moment of his mothers death, and Katja's reaction had made him afraid. His father had hurt this woman, it was obvious to see, and now when she looked at them she was forced to see a man who had done her family wrong. He hated it, he didn't want Katja to look at him like that, he was afraid he would only cause harm to everyone. Laufey had finally been happy, finally had security in a pack, he didn't want that to go to ruin. His lip quivered and tears started to fall from his eyes, weak, he was weak from these obvious emotions the whole reason he had been so stoic was to hide them. "When I asked Katja about Jaeger at the borders, she snapped at me, Jaeger was not a kind man from what I took from that. She looked infuriated and all I wanted to do was to make her feel better. I felt like every time she saw us she would see his face, and we would never be able to erase any pain he had done. You were finally happy Laufey, I was happy that you had found a home, a place to call home. I didn't want you thinking like I did, and...I....I didn't want Katja to look at me like I was Jaeger." he said clenching his paws into the dirt. He was just worried, inexperienced and worried. "I didn't want to break apart the little bit of family we had left, when what we had before, wasn't much of a family at all. Katja was providing us with all this, I just wanted to shut up and be useful." he locked his jaw after that trying to stop his tears. She said a family was build upon honesty, well he just poured his heart out. Hopefully he wouldn't be punished. In the past if he showed any concern for Laufey and Esti when he was with his mother, she would break his legs. By experience he shut his eyes like he was about to be struck as such. Speech,

The boy did the right thing and spoke up, laying out his lie of omission to his brother and to Kapra, and Katja inclined her head approvingly. The words hung between the four of them for a long moment like dust motes in the sun before Kapra responded to it with a spurt of his usual half-manic enthusiasm. She nodded solemnly at his question. "It seems likely - they certainly share similar features." That wasn't to say that it was an absolute certainty; Katja was ever wary and would acknowledge that there was always the possibility that it was false, but she was inclined to believe it the truth given what she knew of Jaeger. Laufey's soft voice drew her attention and she watched him passively, though not without empathy, as he appeared to struggle with his control. She did not speak, for though they were now known to be family nothing was so close as the bond between siblings and this must be between them alone. It was when Orochi began to cry that she went rigid, her expression going cool and distant. She was intensely uncomfortable - unmoved by tears, but uncomfortable by the very fact that he, Orochi, a Finnvi, had tears rolling down his face, completely incredulous that a wolf of his age and one who professed to be a warrior was crying like a pup. Claws of anger ground into her chest once more at Jaeger - this was what came of flinging your seed heedlessly about the land to let it grow where and how it would instead of raising them properly. "Jaeger's crime was that of incest, Orochi," she finally inserted dryly at the end of his words. "I was sent to bring him home to face the accusations that he fathered a litter of pups on his own mother. I'm hardly going to throw you from the pack for your blood relation to him, or would I have given Kapras?us such an honored position? Family is family, boy. No matter which Finnvi's loins spawned you, you are still Finnvi." Her gaze shifted sharply to Kapra and she raised a brow. She longed to ask Auora's advice in this, but it was Kapra who was here now. "Sie sind Ihre Neffen, vetter, und er war dein Bruder. Vielleicht haben Sie k?mmern w?rde etwas hinzuf?gen?" "

A slight frown began to grace his lips, a sudden change from the gleeful demeanor he had worn only moments before. How old were these boys? Quietly he assessed them, judgment gleaming his vivid green stare. They seemed to be yearlings -- he hadn't Jaeger in well over a year, if not longer. They did resemble him, but what if it was merely by chance? Were these truly of the Finnvi blood? Or was this one of Loki's tricks? His brows would raise as he examined them quietly as Laufey spoke. He seemed angry, implying his brother had held their parentage from them. A soft chuckle left his lips at the silliness of it all. There was no need to keep such things a secret; and if there was a reason at all, he could not think of it.


The one named Orochi began to speak next, his voice already rattled by emotion even before the tears began to fall. He scoffed, eying Katja gingerly to await her own response. 'Jaeger was not a kind man,' he began, and he found another low laugh bubbling up from within his chest. Oh, if only Orochi knew! The boy seemed little more than a child as he stood here now, spilling his heart out and weeping like a fool. "Sie war es, die diese zwei bis Yfir eingeladen?" he inquired under his breath, his tone both playful and incredulous. "Er ist etwas mehr als einem ?bergro?en Welpen, Katja." His eyes did not leave Orochi as he muttered his comments to Katja. He did not remember the last time he cried -- only the gods could move him to tears, certainly not this childish sort of drama.

His cousin's own words were far more intriguing to the man, whose ears perked in acute attention. 'Jaeger's crime was that of incest, Orochi,' she told him sternly, unmoved by the tears that still fell. Silence would fall upon him, no laughter visible in his features as he waited for her short speech to conclude. Incest, a practice common among the gods -- but condemned by their own family? It was not the time to argue and the man would simply bite his tongue, finding no suitable comment to add. His relationship with Jaeger had only flourished when they had left their family, but they had always been close as children -- perhaps it might always be the elephant in the room, a subject neither of them wished to face in the presence of the other.

Katja would quietly ask him, in their mother tongue, if he had more to add. A sigh left his lips as a smirk threatened to pull both corners of his mouth upwards. "I have nothing to say of Jaeger's character. I would ask you speak to me in private if you have questions that Katja cannot answer." If only they knew the lust that the mere mention of him brought to his chest; an insatiable need that spread like wildfire through his veins. But Kapras?us would artfully mask the feelings such talk brought to him, replacing it with a slightly amused expression as his tail flicked in dull irritation behind him. "But if this is true -- if you are his sons -- then you are my nephews. And if there is one thing you must know..." The man would pause, shifting to inch a bit closer to Orochi, eying the strange boy with curiosity in his gaze. "...it is that I simply love my family." And with that he would lean to place a slow lick to the crying youngster's face, a slightly dramatic gesture that was accompanied by a low snicker. Perhaps Katja would shy away from his touch, but he could not help himself. These boys were his own flesh and blood, and despite whoever their mother might be, he was convinced now they were true Finnvi's and they would be treated as such.

His heart hard, Laufey was immune to Orochi's tears. Of course now he cried. Crocodile tears, perhaps? He wouldn't put it past his brother to wring out a few tears to get what he wanted. What happened to all his talk of needing to protect his brother? It seemed the need was the other way around, that it was Orochi who needed the coddling. Coldly, he replied to his brother's blubbering. "How about you stop trying to protect me, Orochi, and let me decide things for myself. I'm not an infant and you're not mom; so stop trying to nurse me." Perhaps a little dramatic, but it got his point across. The young brute was tired of his brother treating him like he was fragile. Katja would speak next, her words causing Laufey's browspots to rise. Incest? Ewwww. That'd be like him doing it with Esti. Had his father really fathered his own siblings? Ugh. How disgusting. Truly, the knowledge was disappointing. Since learning that it wasn't possible to have two moms, the boy had been curious about who exactly his father was. He'd come up with all kinds of ideas about the brute, how brave he was, how big and strong, so learning that his father was a slimy character wounded him. However, while it was disappointing, it would do little to effect the boy's everyday life. His worth wasn't found in the character of his parents; if it was he'd be irreversibly screwed since one was a confirmed whackadoodle and the other was a strongly suspected one. His father's supposed transgressions aside, there was good to be found in Katja's words. Turning grateful eyes on his cousin, the boy said, "It's comforting to know that we have family outside of our siblings, family that accepts us." He refused to look at his brother at this point. Laufey would deal with him later. Right now the mere sight of him made the boy angry. "And thank you, Katja, for believing this knowledge shouldn't be a secret." A subtle jab at his brother. He believed it to be deserved. After speaking to Katja in an unfamiliar language, their uncle, Kaprasius, addressed them. He inched towards Orochi and Laufey's browspots lifted in a question. What was he- Laufey froze, his face screwing up in an assortment of mixed emotions as their uncle slowly licked his brother's face. Ew. He couldn't help it; the young brute snickered in wicked amusement. He was beyond glad it wasn't him being licked and wildly amused that his brother was. "Speech"

He was probably raised wrong that was the problem. His habits had been built upon an insane woman who seemed to care nothing about them besides her black bitch. As his brother spoke, his heart would close in on itself. Yes it hurt, and now, he probably wouldn't feel anything at all. As his uncle approached, he would step back not welcoming the affection and would not glance at his brother if he did not wish it. It didn't matter how Laufey felt, Orochi cared about him. That was the only reason he had done these things, and he only wished he could have realized this. ".tnaw uoy fi sgniht dab eht neve rehtom tuoba lla uoy llet dna ,niaga rehtorb eb ot tnaw I ,em evigrof lliw uoy fI .niaga rehtorb ruoy llac ot ,fo duorp eb lliw uoy enoemos eb ot tnaw I ,kaew eb ot tnaw t'nod I ,ssenkaew fo ngis citehtaP .niaga yrc reven lliw I ,won ereht tuo era sdog revetahw ot wov I ,esimorp I .itsE fo dna ,uoy fo thguoht ylno I .dellik nrut ni neht I ohw elam a yb trapa nrot saw ehS .devol ehs gniht ylno eht saw nevar woh dna reh ot nedrub a erew ew woh tuoba detuops ylno dna senob ym ekorb ehs ,eid ot sdoow eht ni em tfel rehtoM .uoy rof erac I ,uoy evol I esuaceb siht did ylno I ,tub em evigrof ot uoy teg ot ekat lliw ti tahw wonk t'nod I dna ,yrros m'I .dnatsrednu lliw uoy ylno gnihtemos ni ,rehtorb won thgir uoy fo tnorf ni wov a ekam I" he said quickly, eyes moving over to his brother. He begged and hoped to whatever was out there that he would forgive him. Orochi was done being beaten, weak, sniveling, ignorant. He wanted to learn, to be a respectable warrior and about the culture that his cousin belonged to. "And Katja, Finnivi's I vow to you, that I will listen and learn the best I can. Whatever culture it is you follow, I want to learn of it and become a part of it. I will no longer cry, I want to be a warrior my family will be proud of." He eyed the male for a moment who had approached him. Maybe he'd be prosecuted when he thought about it, after all, he was attracted to the same sex. Most of the time, so who knew what would happen along those lines, but he stood carefully watching them. 1. I make a vow in front of you right now brother, in something only you will understand. I'm sorry, and I don't know what it will take to get you to forgive me but, I only did this because I love you, I care for you. Mother left me in the woods to die, she broke my bones and only spouted about how we were a burden to her and how raven was the only thing she loved. She was torn apart by a male who I then in turn killed. I only thought of you, and of Esti. I promise, I vow to whatever gods are out there now, I will never cry again. Pathetic sign of weakness, I don't want to be weak, I want to be someone you will be proud of, to call your brother again. If you will forgive me, I want to be brother again, and tell you all about mother even the bad things if you want. Speech,