THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

GONA GIVE THEM HELL

This beach was their new home, a new, more spacious place to rest their heads. Some of the family were a bit upset about the location, but unfortunately not all could be accommodated. They were all so different, despite how close they all were. For Arcus, no matter where they ended up, he was happy. His eyes rose to the skies as he sat just a little ways from the waves coming in. Clouds lazily drifted across the expanse, his blue eyes following their slow movements. Storms could show anywhere, but unlike the more present elements, his was volatile. It could be months between one storm and the next, however unlikely that may be.

“Such is life. We can’t always be with what brings us most peace. Looks like tonight will be clear.” The stormy wolf let out a sigh, lowering his gaze to the water in front of him. He sat with his haunches in the sand, his front paws having dug in slightly. Sure, there may be places that would make him more at one with his personality, but his family was here. He had asked to have some time with Glacier. The young Arcus had always looked up to his huge eldest brother, and he wanted to have a walk with him. He wanted to help in getting everyone settled, keeping everyone happy, and he hoped that Glacier would have some ideas on how to do that. Plus, it might be fun to play around a bit in this new place.

His brother Arcus, a younger boy from the third litter of their family, had asked to meet him. He had pulled himself away from the family and stepped out side to find his stormy sibling, to find him sitting by the edge of the tide, where the waves gently rolled across the sand towards him, stopped before it could touch his elusive silvered fur, and pulling back once more. The older brother stood on the threshold of the cave and watched for a moment, mesmerized by the tranquil sight before him, and needing a little peace at that moment. But he didn't linger long, before a smile would touch his lips and he would step forward to meet his brother. “Arcus, looks like its going to be a wonderful night.. are you disappointed?” he teased as he shifted his bulk to be beside his brother and sat his rump against the sandy earth. “You asked for me?” he would then softly ask. ""

  

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

GONA GIVE THEM HELL

Arcus twisted his head as the calming voice of his older brother spoke to him, looking at Glacier with one eye. A gentle smile slid onto his face as the larger wolf sat next to him. His gaze fell once more to the skies, to watch the clouds roll slowly again. After Glacier finished speaking, the younger wolf took in a breath, holding it a moment and releasing it slowly. “It would be a better night if a storm rolled in, but I’m happy nonetheless. I did ask for you. While most of us seem to be settling alright, this is a big change. Not everyone is doing well, as Astrea and Serefina showed. I was wondering if perhaps you had any ideas.”

He did not turn to face his brother as he spoke, instead speaking calmly and clearly as he stared off. Arcus’s calm demeanor left him usually quiet and in the background of conversations. As shown in their arrival here, he had patiently waited for everyone else to speak their mind before he made any comment. It was a little difficult for him to come up with a way to make everyone at least a little happier here. Whereas it was easy for him to remain calm and at ease with his family, it seemed not everyone was that way.

His brother would respond to the teasing seriously, mentioning that a storm would be of use, but he could live without one and Glacier chuckled softly. “I wish the others could be as 'let live' as you are” he said, only half teasing this time, as his eyes trailed back out to the sea once more. Its endless expanse was so massive, and alien, and it helped make even the Titan seem small, and the worries of the day a tiny blimp on existence, and he found himself relaxing a little then, by the sea and by his stormy brother. Arcus was asking him also then about ideas for settling in the family, and Glacier was silent a moment, he did that a lot, he always reflected before he spoke and gave his words sparingly. “Me and Voltage are working on that, the tour on our first day helped a little I believe, and me and Voltage have found a cliff for you Third litters to explore. I guess.. the best thing to do is emphasize the good points as much as we can for a while well you all settle down” he said at last, following Arcus's gaze out into the sea. ""

  

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

GONA GIVE THEM HELL

Arcus chuckled slightly at the comment about his behavior. He was not easy to upset, least not in most situations. On top of that, he knew that he had to remain strong in this aspect, for his siblings if nothing else. Glacier and Voltage did not need another worry added to their growing list. Instead, he wanted to help ease their load. If he could help calm everyone down, help them find a way to feel at home here, then his older brothers would be able to relax as well.

”Well, sometimes this calm, ‘let live’, personality is but a calm before a storm. I hope I can keep from being a burden on you, and I would love to see the cliff.” With a warm smile, he turn to look at the giant Glacier. Arcus was a large wolf, but Glacier made him look like a pup when next to him. It brought a soft chuckle from the younger. ”Perhaps we could look into it. I’ll settle in time, I just need to find my place here, so you don’t need to worry about that. Instead, I would like to help you, or at least explore our new home with some company and a conversation.”

Glacier would chuckle at the truth he saw in Arcus's words, the calm before the storm. Through he hadn't yet known Arcus to be a problem, it was true that he was still learning about the Third litter siblings, that had been so young when he and Voltage had been turned out, and now they had grown into who they where so much more. In truth he needed to get to know all of the Third Litter siblings much better then he did, his current knowledge was a poor guide line for ensuring their happiness. He would see the younger boy comparing their sizes and chuckle again as he did the same, Arcus wasn't a small wolf, but all of the Elementas's became pups when put into comparison to Glacier.. and when you looked at the likes or Locha and Gale, well.. he could practically step on them and hardly notice. He was grinning at the thought of this and shaking his head at his own amusement, despite the serious topic still hanging at the edge of Arcus and himself's conversation. “Exploration and company sounds fantastic actually, there's still a lot of ground to cover” the brute would push off from the earth and get to all fours, his tail swinging lazily behind him. “You can pick a direction if you like” he offered easily. ""

  

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

GONA GIVE THEM HELL

As his brother rose, so too did he, stretching and shaking slightly to rid his fur of the sand. Looking in either direction, Arcus silently wondered which way to start. In truth, he had done little looking around thus far as he had wanted to remain where he could easily be found in case anyone needed anything. So both ways would be a good start.

Looking away from the water, he turned right and took a step before looking back at Glacier. ”Well, one direction’s as good as the other, so shall we start this way?” He asked politely, wanting to give his elder the final say in the choice, even if he had been given the task. Arcus noted the swinging of his brother’s tail, and stared for a moment, fighting back the urge to pounce it. Shaking his head slightly, he made eye contact.

His brother would pick a direction, but would take the leading part timidly, asking him if this was a good place to start. Glacier smiled softly at this, he wanted to give his siblings freedom, for them to make as many choices in life as possible, even if was such a simple thing was this. “Perfect” he agreed quietly, as he moved to stand beside his brother once more. As he had moved towards his brother he would notice the other boy eyeing the soft swing of his tail with a puppy-like curiosity, and grinned even wider. To him in many ways these wolves would always be pups to him. He gave his tail a quick swish behind him as he started to move in the chosen direction of his brother. The afternoon was beginning to cool down the beach life, and the black sand was nice beneath his feet, the sky was clear and he was sure that the star triplets would be out somewhere enjoying the view provided, and wondered where the rest of his family might be finding themselves.

  

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

GONA GIVE THEM HELL

Turning once more at the approval of his choice, he began walking beside Glacier. Nothing their size difference, he had to move his legs a little faster than his brother to keep by his side. It was then that the storm wolf became silent, his thoughts running while they took their little stroll on the sand. His eyes moved inland, to the caves and the area around. The one that seemed most hurt by this move was Serefina. While he felt she had exaggerated just how bad a move this was on her, he did not like seeing any of his siblings so unhappy.

”I think one we’ll need to seek a place for most is our sister of flame. I don’t agree with how she acted, but at the same time, she did seem the most negatively affected. Astrea as well, though you said you knew of cliffs. Has anyone else been struggling as much as those two..?” It was straight to business with Arcus right now. They had all the time in the world to talk of other things, for not the family was his focus. The thought made him chuckle. He was on the younger half of them all, and yet here he was walking with the eldest trying to find ways to make everyone happy, or at least content.

The two would walk a nice pace across the sand, with Glacier walking a little slower then he needed to and Arcus walking a little faster until they found a good speed that worked for them both. They where silent a little while as they strolled, enjoying the companionship and the cooling day, with its cloudless skies and soft sea wind. He could hear the occasional cry of a gull and the soft crashing of waves against the rocks a little further away. After a few moments Arcus would speak again, getting to the heart of the problem. “No, those two are the ones taking it the hardest, and well I hope the cliffs will soothe Astrea I am a little lost on how to help Sere. We are opposites, the two of us, and we equally find this beach far too different to what we are use to, but well I understand here I am at a loss on how to help her.” it was a long speech, and one said with a sigh as he explained the problem fully to Arcus. Normally he would unload such thoughts on Voltage, but his lightning brother already knew everything about this.

  

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

GONA GIVE THEM HELL

Nodding as his brother spoke, the younger sibling listened intently. It was the same for him, unsure of how to reach out to their sister and calm her. Voltage had given chase immediately to talk her down, but it would be easier if all of the family supported each other. The unfortunate thing was that neither of the two walking the beach now were close to her element. One was ice, the other storms, and while Arcus’s sat closer to Serefina’s, it was still very different. A sad sigh escaped him then.

”We’ll have to look deeper than the surface for her. There may be something more fitting for her hidden somewhere along this beach. I’ll also see if I can have some time with Astrea. I may not be as close to her as the other celestial siblings, but I do understand how she feels.” Arcus nodded slightly, still studying the areas. Nothing seemed to be catching his eye just yet, but he was prepared to keep searching into the night if need be. There was always time for sleep later, after all.

Arcus would immediately see the problem, in the differences between them all and especially to Sere. They continued to walk a few paces further, before Arcus began to speak once more. He offered to help with Astrea, the troubled sibling he was closest to, even if that 'closeness' wasn't much, at the Titanic brute nodded his head in agreement. “Sounds like a plan, perhaps take her on a few midnight walks” he added, partially teasing, but there really was a need to get her out at nights so she could see the stars she was closest to, and really, they needed to do anything that might help their siblings. Again they would walk a little way in silence, with Glacier taking in their surroundings and occasionally casting a gaze back to the ocean. The ocean was the closest he had to what he loved, through its waters could hardly be called cold and never be called solid, but at least stepping into the water was a momentary relief of the heat.

  

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

GONA GIVE THEM HELL

Arcus nodded as well at Glacier's suggestion. It would be easiest for the siblings most in tune with the sky to connect, after all. While a beach was hot during the spring and summer, it was still not quite a fiery atmosphere. They would have to do a lot of searching, and likely a good deal of talking, to reach out to Serefina, to show that this new home was not so bad. It was possible she just needed to be shown that no matter where they went, she would always be watched out for, always safe with the family.

"How much have you explored so far? I've not done much past sitting in wait since we got here." Arcus asked, wondering how much they had already to work with. Since the eldest had already mentioned a cliff, he wondered if there might be a hint of somewhere more flame aligned. He paused his examinations to look to his brother. They had not spent too much time together, but the storm wolf looked up to his frozen brother. That was why he sought him out. His faith in Glacier's ability to aid the younger siblings, as well as his determination, gave Arcus comfort.

They would both be lost in thoughts for a little while, with of course their family being the main concern in both their minds. He was still getting to know Arcus, but it was good to see in him the sibling love that ran so deep in them all, and that it was not just him and Voltage fretting and concerned with how the family was doing. “I've explored the caves and some of the surrounding lands, as well as the ridge along the bottom of the mountain that goes around the waters edge. I haven't gone much this way, and I haven't thought much of exploring the water front” he would explain, smiling at Arcus's admission to doing little but waiting, he could understand that, through he would have preferred it if they where all exploring their home and finding things to love. He would see Arcus looking at him and return the look with a smile. “Maybe we all need some time to relax, how about we explore the water front? “ he teased, knowing it wouldn't be so much an exploration as it would a relax cool off.

  

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

GONA GIVE THEM HELL

As his brother explained, a small smile fell upon Arcus's features. Blind luck had brought the two down a way that the eldest had not been, it seemed. Nodding absently to himself, he looked around again, light blue eyes scanning the place once more. Perhaps today was not a good one to do take on this search. There was still so much going on with the family, and despite wanting to find comfort for the others, the storm wolf's mind was running wild, a torrent of thoughts clouding his examinations.

[B]"That sounds like a great idea."[b] As he turned back to Glacier, Arcus tried to keep his excitement under control, though his tail wagged once against his will. Even if there was nothing to find at the shore, some fun could do wonders for him, if no one else. Occasionally, some time for oneself was needed, no matter how much he wanted to help. It could clear his mind that he may go back to the search refreshed.

Arcus would easily agree, and Glacier's relief would light up his face with a smile. He was easily feeling over heated a lot in their new beach home and taking a soak in the water was often the best way to cool himself down. Honestly, this summery environment was terrible to the heavy set, thick coated wolf who so loved the cold. He could see Arcus was happy with the idea as well, his tail swinging contently behind him, and Glacier started up a light jog towards the waters shoreline. He plunged headfirst into the tide, letting the water swell over the parts of his body it could reach as he headed deeper into the soothing water. Already he could feel the coolness of the liquid doing wonders as it soaked into his coat, even if the water wasn't chill, its subtle warmth was not too much for him – even if it wasn't perfect. He turned back to shore to see where his brother was, so he could attempt to dive bomb in front of Arcus and soak the other boy.

  

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

GONA GIVE THEM HELL

Arcus ran after his brother, tail wagging excitedly as they moved. Unlike Glacier, however, he did not just dive right in. Instead he moved in at a moderate speed, letting the water slowly wash over him. It was a relief, all the day's worries fading away as he moved deeper. While he much preferred the torrential rain of a heavy storm, a nice relaxing dip in the ocean was always welcome. A smile sat on his face as he kicked up some water playfully.

Then an idea came to mind. As he pushed away from the shore toward his brother, he kicked harder. Water splashed up toward Glacier from the chuckling Arcus. A bit of fun would be great, some time without any worrying or stress.

It seemed the two brothers had the same idea, and as glacier waited for his brother to enter the water more slowly, and swim our a little deeper so there was a higher chance of a good splash, arcus started to move towards him. Not thinking anything of it he wasn't expecting it when they both struck at the same time and he wasn't able to see if his 'attack hit' because he was blinded by water and then busy shaking it out of his head, laughing all the while.

He would surge up then, bringing himself as high out of the waves as he could before shaking out his mane and clearing his face and neck of as much water as he could before he touched down again. He would paddle more slowly then, simply enjoying the feel of the cool water against his over heated thick coat. Salt and ice didn't mix well together, but the titan did enjoy a good cooling off and he was glad that they had fresh water near by where he could soak on later to clear himself of the thick, clogging substance that crusted against his coat.

He started to head towards his brother again, moving slowly and lifting his paws part way out of the water to ensure the other wolf that he came in peace. He towered above the other boy and needed deeper water to paddle in before he was actualy swimming, bit he didn't mind any of that and was intent on simply enjoying the day with his brother.

As he splashed at Glacier, so too did the larger brother splash at him. Arcus was smaller, his wave significantly less impressive compared to the older brother. Sputtering and laughing, he shook his head to clear his eyes. When he finally cleared his vision, he saw Glacier lift out of the water. Watching in awe a moment, the storm wolf smiled in silence.

As Glacier came closer, the younger wolf eyed him suspiciously. It was not until his brother made a sign of peace that he laughed again and waded out further. Paddling his legs, he soaked happily in the water. What more fun could the two kick up, besides a full on water fight, out there?

It was a beautiful day for a swim, even a cold loving creature like glacier could appreciate that. The sun blunted brilliently off the water. Through he had to squint his eyes to take away from the sharp glare, and the water was crystal clear and flawless, with each swell he could see the brush of sea life shift closer to shore, and back again with the tide. A few adventurous fish had swum close to them, but darted away the moment he pushed a paw on the star towards them and he found himself wondering if he could learn to fish in the waters depth, and not just on the rocky shore. If there was any one to ask secrets of the sea about it would be locha and he wondered if perhaps she would have an idea on how to fish and swim at the same time

Essentially his thoughts where idle, carefree and flited about as quickly as voltages energy. Asus easy let the titan return to his side and once more thr two of them whete shifting easily through the water enjoying the day side by side "thanks for this arcus, its exactly what I needed" he sighed happily, all his worries washed away with the clensing water of the endless ocean.