Into the woods, It's time to go, I hate to leave, I have to, though. Into the woods- It's time, and so I must begin my journey. The white half of his face was dingy, dusted with, well.. dust. His tongue was dry and stuck to the roof of his mouth, his fur was a mess - sticking in every direction possible except for the correct one. His tail hung slack between his hind legs, and there was an obvious crick located about four inches from the tip where he'd injured it only a few weeks ago. He imagined its would always remain kinked like it was. It didn't matter much anyway - not to him at least. His pace was ragged, steps uneven and uncertain. His ears lay flat against his skull, not out of fear necessarily but because it was their natural position. Fear was his natural state of mind. He moved toward the orchard instinctively, as if his feet knew where to take him better than his mind. Perhaps they did. Bottom jaw hung slack, allowing an inch gap between canine teeth to draw breath through. He sucked in air greedily, as if it somehow might give him strength or courage. Eyes of leaf green gazed dully ahead as he noted the trees were full of fruit. It wasn't meat, but it would do for some source of sustenance. Head hung low as his nose struggled to locate a fallen morsel. It took only moments to find one, an apple. It gave instantly under the weight of his jaws. It was softer than he would have liked, but it did offer valuable moisture for his dry mouth. He slumped to a lying position and chewed lazily on the core of the apple, ignorant of anyone who might be lurking nearby. “speak,”

Setting this before the pack meeting, I think~

There was so much for her to do, and so much for her to consider -- and yet all she found herself thinking of was the past. Of Maverick, and of her children, the few she had not seen in some time. Where had Quintus and Cassius gone? And where had Arian wandered off to? A sigh left her parted lips as she dared to venture from the territory that she now controlled. Restless paws would carry her away from the sea, toward lands that barraged her with a nostalgia that was overwhelming. There was a rare sadness in her step as she went, allowing herself to relax as she grew assured that she was alone. Minutes turned into hours as she trekked back to a place she had grown familiar to so long ago, and she found herself wandering aimlessly through the orchard, temporarily mesmerized by the pungent aroma of fruit and flowers. Her attention was broken as the scent of another wolf reached her nose. Nostrils flared as she tasted the scent. The familiarity was stunning and it took her a long moment to bring back the memory as she paused mid-step. Slowly she would redirect her steps, her mind growing cloudy as she remembered. It had been so long, and though she knew exactly what he had been like as a child, so much time had passed.. she didn't know what she ought to expect. Eyes grew wide when she saw him. Her son... the shape he was in was appalling, and yet she was not totally surprised. Cassius had always been a meek boy, so timid and fearful, that it was only expected that he would not thrive on his own. Her heart clenched at the sight, a whimper unconsciously falling from her lips. "Cassius Leif!" came her gentle exclamation, her sweet lyrics dripping with emotion that was reserved only for her children. With little hesitation she would rush forward, aiming to embrace the skinny thing, wanting to nuzzle into his neck and take in the familiar scent that she had not known for so many seasons now. "My son, I have missed you..."

Into the woods, It's time to go, I hate to leave, I have to, though. Into the woods- It's time, and so I must begin my journey. The sweetness of the apple was foreign, and he could honestly say it wasn't his favorite taste in the world - but it was better than nothing. And nothing was what he'd been eating for the last few days. He was pitiful, and he knew he was pitiful - which was even worse. Cassius Leif, the once born prince, lay limp upon the earth, lackluster - without a single purpose other than merely surviving. It would be his full name spoken, by perhaps the only being who remembered it besides himself. His mother. A split second later she was upon him, lovingly embracing him - her lost son. He shriveled under her touch, involuntarily recoiling - though there wasn't anywhere to go given his laying position. Ears lay back further along the contours of his skull as she voiced how much she had missed him. He had missed her, though the words didn't come. A whimper slipped out instead, one of uncertainty - of woe. This was not the life she would have imagined for him, beaten down and without any semblance of a spine. He was the perfect blend of two fine lines of wolves, and he had managed to sustain not one ounce of talent. He was a failure from the start, and he knew it. “I'm sorry,” he choked out, perhaps out of habit (for he was always apologizing) or perhaps because he truly meant it. “speak,”

Epiphron wished to hold him still, even as he winced at her touch, figuring his movements were involuntary and not unwanted. She had searched for him, she had searched for all her children -- though this one, and Quintus, had not been found. Where he had gone, she didn't know, but a soft whine fell from her lips as she held him. Though he was fully grown, he was small and frail, like a child. 'Do not apologize," she uttered softly, her voice -- typically solid and strong -- full of sadness and longing. Oh, how she had missed him. The pain of knowing how he had been living, in his sorry state, suddenly filled her chest and left a hollow ache there.  "I am just glad to see you again, my child..." He was nothing that she had expected, and certainly nothing that she had hoped for, and yet a mother's love could not be broken by this; she had never stopped loving him and seeing him now only made her yearn for the time she had not spent with him... made her yearn to help rebuild what was left of him. Slowly she would shift, grooming the fur on his head rhythmically like a mother would to their young child, not caring that he was no longer a boy, knowing her care would only soothe him -- or so she hoped. Words were lost on her, and instead she would become consumed with the task of cleaning her eldest child.

He was glad that winter had gone, though he liked the snow he had not liked being so cold all the time. Not to mention the prey had all but vanished, and that which remained was far too crafty for him to catch. The most he ever caught in abundant times was a hare or two, or perhaps a bird. He had dreamed of the moment he might reunite with his family, particularly his mother who had always loved him despite his shortcomings. His father, he imagined, might look down upon him for what he had become. However, this was not the reunion he had had in mind. He hadn't wanted to look so pitiful, so skinny and scraggly. He had wanted to be different - better somehow. Perhaps that was why he hadn't yet succeeded in finding his family, because he hadn't succeeded in making himself worthy of returning to them. But it seemed his family had found him, his mother at least, and he wasn't yet sure how he felt about it. Her touch seemed familiar, and yet foreign at the same time. She told him not to apologize, and he would file her command away for future reference. He would not apologize to her if she didn't want him to. She seemed genuinely happy to see him, but how could that be the case? He was certainly nothing special to look at, and it wasn't as if he could ever be of any real use to her. He would only ever be a burden. A sigh slipped past his lips, as a moment of contentment washed over him. She lavishly groomed his head, and he would not object to her display of affection - how could he? “I'm h-happy to see you t-too,” he breathed, broken and choppy as it was. He was happy to see her, even if he wasn't happy that she was seeing him. “I look h-horrible, I'm s-” He had nearly done what she had told him not to, and immediately he would retract the beginning of his apology. He tightened his ears against his skull and lay still, wondering what would come of this encounter. Whatever it was, he could take it - he had done it before. “speak,”

It was strange to be in his presence, and yet she couldn't help but love him all the same. He seemed broken, hollow somehow; nothing like her sweet Amalia, who had grown to be such a proud young lady. So much had changed since she had seen him last and there was so much to tell him -- and so much to ask him in return. She had certainly never expected to find him like this, hardly more than skin and bones, sitting gnawing on fruit instead of filling his belly with meat. And though seeing him in such a state broke her heart, she felt more complete than she had before the reunion; her children were all she had left and to find one was a success, no matter their condition. Another whimper left her lips as he spoke, his voice quiet and shaky. It was little different than she remembered from his childhood, only slightly lower in tone, no longer the voice of a child despite its gentleness.  "I am so sorry," she was the one to apologize now. Why had she let her children go? They had been adults, free to do as they pleased, and yet she had not urged them to stay. Would she ever forgive herself for that?  "I shouldn't have let you go..." Though, perhaps it was better they hadn't witnessed what had happened between her and Maverick. The infidelity, the bastard children... how might the news affect Cassius, if at all? Her grooming had only been interrupted by her sudden apology before she returned, wanting to make him look somewhat presentable, though she knew he needed a solid meal before he'd look anything but starved.

His greatest fear was not what she thought of him, because in all honesty it couldn't be any worse than what he already thought of himself. No, his greatest fear was her (or anyone else, for that matter) finding out about what he'd gone through - what he'd just barely survived. He knew all too well what drama could come from divulging his deepest traumas, and so he would keep them safely tucked away in his chest. The dreams often reminded him of the horrors he'd come to know, but so long as he didn't utter them to anyone else he could almost pretend they weren't real at all. He would try to calm himself under her touch, hoping desperately the prying questions he expected from her would not come just yet. He wasn't sure he could fend them off. She apologized to him, and he would crane his green eye up at her in confusion. Why on earth would she apologize to him? She continued caressing him, assuring him she should not have let him go. He breathed a sigh. “N-none of this is y-your fault, Mother.” Wishing to change the subject, he would attempt to crane his head out of her tongue's reach, twisting his neck around to gaze at her. “Where do you live now?” he queried of her, genuinely interested. “speak,”

When it came to her blood, her family, she knew little could break the loyalty she had in her heart for them. Epiphron had even loved Syrinx when he had been hated by the world, despite some of the abhorrent things he had done. There was no doubt she would love her children regardless of what they turned out to be, and she knew this with finality as she groomed the matted fur on her son's head. No matter how broken and battered he might be, she would take him in, would love him until he was whole again -- if such a thing was even remotely within the realm of possibility. The questions of where he had been certainly lingered on her mind, but she knew the time to pry was not now. All that mattered was that he was here with her now, and the thought of him leaving again was tremendously painful to her. Still he assured her it was not her fault, and slowly she would shake her head, though she would not argue. Her blue gaze followed his head as it twisted, craning to focus on her, asking where she lived. A smile slowly drew itself across her lips, her tail batting gently behind her at the news she had for him. "I have a pack again," she told him softly, her words quiet and full of happiness that she hoped he might reciprocate at the news. "We live farther east, toward the ocean. Amalia is already there." She hoped the rest of her children might join her, or at least a few of them; though she didn't want to instill false hope in her fragile son's heart.

He was smart enough to notice that his father's scent and the majority of their family's scent was not thick on her skin. He was also smart enough not to mention it. He wouldn't dare question her on what had happened, or where anyone was. It wasn't his place, and if she wanted him to know she would tell him. When he inquired carefully where she lived, he got a better answer than he could have imagined. She had a pack again. A pack meant wolves, a permanent home, safety. They lived further east, she would elaborate, near the ocean. He gulped. Amalia was there. That was certainly better news. At least a portion of their family remained. “Can I c-come there... with you?” Had he not been the paranoid, frightened thing that he was he would not have had to ask her in such a tentative way, but that was something he couldn't change. “I don't know h-how much help I w-will be but I promise I'll s-stay out of the way and I won't b-bother anybody I just - just don't want to be alone and..” It was the best argument he could muster, and he hoped desperately it was good enough. A pack meant participation, it meant having talent and using it to help others. He had no talent, and he was not good at participating. Cassius craned his vision from hers, unwilling to see her reaction. If she denied him he didn't know what he would do. Already he could feel his heart pounding deep in his chest as worry began to cloud his features. What would he do if she denied him? “speak,”

There was so much to tell him. Some of the news was less-than-pleasant, though she wondered if he had been gone too long to be affected by any of it. He'd hardly even known his uncle Syrinx; would his death even bother him? Certainly his father's betrayal and the children he'd fathered with another woman would be a surprise to Cassius, and she was certain he wouldn't be impressed by the news. Even still, that was a story best saved for another day. "Yes," she answered quickly, a bit astonished he had even thought to ask her. It was a given that he would be welcome in her pack, alongside Amalia and any other siblings that might wish to join them. In no possible world would she turn away her son, no matter his state. The words that left his mouth were a bit nervous and unsure, and she felt her heart pain for whatever her son had been through. "You don't have to be alone anymore, Cassius," Epiphron would promise him softly, her voice full of tenderness. Even if he had no purpose in her pack, if he was but a mouth to feed, she would be happy to keep him there so long as he was with her again. Surely he could find something to be good at, some way to contribute -- and that was truly the least of her worries. "Shall we go there now?" She would ask him gently, pulling away slowly to gaze at his timid features. "I'll find you somewhere to sleep and a warm meal. How does that sound?" With a gentle smile she leaned to nuzzle him again, feeling her heart clench with happiness and sadness -- for she had missed so much time with him, and hadn't been there for him when he needed her. She could only hope that she might undo some of the pain she had caused him, that she might somehow help make him whole again.

SOMETIMES IN MY TEARS I DROWN, but i never let it get me down She barely let a second pass before confirming that he could come with her. He had a home again. He had found shelter in his wanderings, even other wolves to spend time with, but none of it had been remotely close to a home. He was grateful that she approved of him tagging along, that she didn't think him a nuisance not worth the effort. She would have every right to think that way. He knew that a pack needed helpful wolves, and he wasn't sure how 'helpful' he could be. She assured him he did not have to be alone anymore, and he would offer forth the smallest of smiles. His emotions had nearly been beaten out of him, save for extreme ones that no amount of beating could erase. He felt her move away, asking if they should go there now. He nodded slowly, lifting his features until he was standing. He was truly a dwarf, and stood nearly in her shadow. She promised to find him somewhere to sleep and food to eat, and he would nod again - words escaping him. He would not move without her lead, and so instead he stood awkwardly at her side and allowed his tail to flicker behind him gently. A glimmer of hope radiated in his chest, but he dared not let it out for fear of losing it altogether. Finally, as a moment of boldness flooded over him, he would speak a single line. "Let's go home."

There was nothing Cassius could do to be deprived of the title of her son, expect for harming or betraying his own family; she had always loved her brother, despite his misdoings and no son of hers would be cast aside simply for not being who she had wanted him to be. His movements seemed slow and hesitant even as she invited him to join, though he rose without being asked and there seemed to be some kind of relief in his solemn expression. 'Let's go home,' he said, and a wide smile would overtake her expression. Gently she leaned to kiss him again, lapping at the fur on the side of his face. He looked like he needed a good meal -- or twelve -- but he looked considerably better now that she had taken care to groom him properly. She knew Amalia would be eager to tend to him, for her daughter was quite the motherly type, and Cassius would not be short of care even if he felt he didn't deserve it. Perhaps when he was doing better physically she could reconnect with him, and figure out where he had been for so much of his life thus far. Still she felt a pang of guilty at not keeping him close to her, for he'd always been such a timid, sensitive boy, certainly not fit for the life of a rogue... "I think you'll like your new home," she'd tell him softly as they began to walk together. The trees of the mangrove would provide him with comfort and shelter and she knew he would appreciate the safety of the massive trees. "Before we get there though, I should tell you that Amalia... she lost her tail, long ago, in accident." she wasn't sure how Cassius would react to seeing his littermate again, and Epiphron figured giving him a warning about the small difference in her appearance might be good for him. "She is fine, but her tail's just a bit smaller now." With that she would nudge him gently again as they went, heading toward the lands of her new home. - exit Epiphron -