It had felt like ages since the boy had seen Eirik, probably the closest to him in his entire family. He had even  seen Rune and Alamea before seeing Eirik again. But he wasn't only coming back to Secruta for his close cousin, but for the whole family. He didn't expect a mob of them, but at least a few could settle fine for his heart. There was only one problem: stepping inside. The spotted boy halted at the borders, the strong scent radiating off the grounds as he looked straight down at the thawing grasses. It was coming close to a year since Maia had passed, another season and a half until. Amarant had no problem passing the borders as an Arcanian, hopefully Rune wouldn't. Amarant knew he wouldn't. The problem was the memories that had started to haunt him here. He tried to push his feelings towards his mother away, he felt he let enough out the day she died. But coming to this place again, everything in his body ached. He took a deep breath, his eyes remaining closed for a moment staying that way as he picked up on of his paws and started to step over the border. When it was over, he exhaled and continued to stride without hesitation, his minty eyes finally on the look out for one of his family. He only let out a side kind  of whine-bark, not wanting to cause too much attention to the pack. He was back in his homeland. Walk "Talk" Think

Walk | Talk | Think Eirik was proud to say he was stepping up. Border runs - since that made the monotonous routine of examining the edge of the territory a little more exciting - were becoming a regular activity for him, and occasionally he slowed down for a walk not just because he was getting winded but because he chose to include others in his proactive ventures as well. It was kind of nice, really. He was feeling stronger, more capable, and considerably more optimistic because of the small amount of training he had gotten already from Akemi. She was a touch lady, for sure, but she seemed to know what she was doing, and his father's approval of her only seemed to solidify that thought in his mind. With her help, he hoped to one day actually feel like the big tough Guard that he was supposed to be, but for the right now simply playing the part as expected was going to have to do.  In his mind, however, it still seemed pertinent to take the time out for himself when needed, as he was doing now. With no designated hunter leading them with the disappearance of Colman - and refusing to ask their only current hunter Saga for assistance - Eirik was on his own fetching meals, which meant he was presently out roaming the Prairie in search of a quick meal. The snows had mostly gone by now though a few stubborn patches remained, and the pale grey wolf skirted around them as he moved along, though what eventually tripped him up was a familiar but alarming scent coming in off their borders. He remembered the scent well - recognized it as being part of what had made up his grandfather's - Kylar's - scent when the man had come in and stolen part of his family away and left his father wounded and unconscious in his own home. It was one he associated with bad and with anger.  A growl rose up in his throat as he forgot about his hunger, forgot about his hunt, and hurried forward to investigate and if necessary intercede. Untrained or not, he was going to let what happened last time happen again. As he drew closer and spotted the figure already creeping inside the pack's borders, he nearly bristled and charged forward, though it was the spots that stilled the notion instantly. He knew those spots. He had watched those spots grow, had teased about those spots being silly and unattractive. And he knew then who the wolf was.  Anger was doused as a flood of disbelief, relief, surprise, and elation swept through him, causing his dark, quickly moving paws to hurry with a different sort of urgency. His tail wagged behind him even though he sped along, and he was sure his grin was even more goofy than usual. "Amar!" he all but screamed in exuberant, unabashed joy, skidding to a stop just beside the spotted wolf and threatening to topple him right over as he lifted a black paw and tried to wrap his leg around his cousin's neck to pull him, possibly against his will, into an affectionate hug. "Oh man, it's so good to see you. I've missed your ugly face," Eirik teased, though there was no denying the heavy emotional undercurrent to his words that threatened to leave him tearing up right there.

It hadn't taken long, but it felt like ages until someone came and approached him. Though, he was not expecting the kind of approach that he received. He wasn't aware of who exactly was ontop of him, pulling him in close to which he was uneasy but not alarmed until the words after his shouted name.  Eirik had come to greet him rather excitedly, and Amarant would return it with a large grin and eventually a loud chuckle. He tried to forcefully jump upward to push him off, of course friendly only by his words that came from his mouth as he was doing so. "My ugly face?" If he came off or not, Amarant would still follow, "Look at who's talking." With a wider grin than before. He let out an almost nervous chuckle, and then spoke again. "It's nice to see you too. I suppose someone as boring as you hasn't changed much since the last I saw you?"  Walk "Talk" Think

Walk | Talk | Think He did not know whether Amarant would tolerate his affection, nor did he really care. He missed his cousin far too much to bother with tending to his need for personal space, especially since he felt so strongly that he needed to make up for all their time apart. Jeez, the kid had grown! Not nearly as tall as Eirik himself was, but he was taller now than the pale grey yearling remembered, and he had filled out a little more since then too. Had really so much time passed? It only made him nuzzle the kid more.  Amarant let his desire not to be smothered with affection be known as he reared beneath his larger cousin, and Eirik felt his body lift up from the shove. Man, and the kid was getting stronger too! How much else had changed without him being there to see it all? But at least Amar was taking his teasing well, chuckling and laughing and turning his otherwise rude comment back on the wolf who thought of him as a younger brother. Relenting, still grinning like a fool, Eirik drew his paw back and away from his young cousin and released the spotted youth, his rosy eyes squinted slightly with the intensity of his smile and just slightly misty over finally having his cousin back.  Seemed safe to say that at least the time apart had not diminished their bond, Amar quickly offering his own retort for the one Eirik had started them off on. "Hey!" he shot back defensively, though he still smiled brightly as he spoke, "I'll have you know I've started training as a Guard. And not just by myself either." He tried to puff out his chest, to make himself look more impressive than he really was. In truth, it had only been one training session, and he had only sparred against Warja. But dang if she was not a touch little opponent to face! "Might even be trying out for Sentinel," he added, though only to boast. He was nowhere near ready for the responsibilities of such a title, no matter the added boost it might give to his confidence.

As the boy let him go, Amarant would shake letting his hair loose from being pushed down, but making it stick out in some places. Talk about being ugly. But he didn't care, he was carefree as always. Eirik talked about how he continued his training, and Amarant lifted a brow as he puffed out his chest to look all manly and whatnot. Amarant had thought about Eirik a lot being in Arcanum. Which was kind of weird but he was probably closer to him than his own brother. He actually ran remembering how much Eirik wanted to be the best he could. The boy wanted to be the same, hoping that one day he wouldn't forget his cousin. There were plenty of bad things about living in Arcanum, secretly he didn't know why he wanted to stay. But truly, though blindly, he wanted to make a change there. Sure he wanted to be with his grandfather, but he wanted to make those wolves see good instead of all evil and violence. At least that's what it turned into when he realized how much he missed his family in Secruta. "Well you know me." He spoke moving his eyes lazily behind his cousin and then back to him with the same joking grin, "Laying around, letting others care to my every need." Of course, he didn't have waiters serving him, but he still was pretty lazy and laid around most of the time. He spoke with tone to show that he was obviously kidding, but he wasn't hiding that he was content. "I'm living a dream." Walk "Talk" Think

Walk | Talk | Think It was the scent that alerted him to someone new being on their border. It was not a scent that brought ease - in fact, Rune nearly had a similar reaction to it as his son had - but the underlying currents to it, the soft fragrance that reminded him of family instead of foe, drew Rune toward it with more curiosity than worry. Was this one of his nephews returned? Visiting or perhaps back for good? It seemed too much to hope for that they might return in full, but knowing the sort that they lived with the grey Guardian anticipated it somewhat. Arcanum - Kylar - were not the type to care for growing young wolves like his nephews. Rune continued toward the border alertly, and was not altogether surprised to see Eirik had already greeted their visitor. The spotted boy seemed to be in good spirits, and as he neared the burly grey wolf heard just how well Amarant was doing. Laying around? Others catering to him? Rune's brow furrowed and his blue eyes narrowed skeptically, his tone mirroring his expression as he stopped beside his son and nephew and spoke. "Sounds like the life." It sounded entirely unbelievable, but he would let the kid have his moment of gloating, no matter how far from the mark it was or was not. And because he was happy to see him he let his disbelief melt away with a warm look, welcome within his eyes and in his voice. "It's good to see you, Amarant. We're glad to have you here again."