You Feel Like Home
Regulus. Was it bad that just thinking of him made her stomach turn? But not in a bad way. In the way that made her knees feel a little wobbly, and her mouth a little too dry. She didn't really know what to make of it, and she certainly didn't want to think too far into it. All she wanted to think about was the way his words made her feel that day, after he won the fight and kept Celestial safe. When he said he'd be happy to have her come home. Home. That was the word that always made her feel warm and fuzzy. And when she thought of home, she thought of Regulus. She thought of this place, where she first felt like she truly belonged. And that was all thanks to him. She didn't care if he made her feel all funny and giddy and nervous, she still wanted to be around him. She'd missed him. He felt like home to her, and she wanted that feeling back.
Solveiga let out a short howl, calling for the man she had in mind. Then she sat near the border and waited, tail slowly wagging as she waited for her huge, crimson friend to come into view.
| Regulus Anatolii Adravendi |
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It was the day after his father had joined his mother in death, and he was bearing it as well as he could. He needed to be as much of a pillar as he could be for his family and his pack. But in private, he allowed himself to grieve. His parents would never see their grandchildren. Gods, had Faite birthed her litter safely? He knew one thing, however, even if it was hard to act on that knowledge, just yet; his mother and father would not want him to hide away forever.
He was stepping from the cave when the howl reached his ears, turning his head as his eyes stared into the wall of the ravine. He was already moving before his mind caught up. He was tired, heartsore, but he suddenly felt oddly light and warm. So, by the time he reached the end of the ravine, he was running flat out, his limp hardly noticeable. He’d pay for it later, when he woke up stiff the next day.
He pushed himself hard until he was nearly in sight of the little healer before he slowed to a quick trot, wanting to maintain some dignity at least until he reached her. The limp was more pronounced in the trot, but it hardly mattered to him as he closed the last few feet, tail wagging for the first time in ages.
“Solveiga!” It was so uplifting to see her. He didn’t hesitate to wrap the much smaller wolf in a fluffy crimson hug, his right front leg lifting to drape a paw lightly over her back to draw her into the embrace before he released her and stepped away, haunches dropping to the ground.
“You have no idea how good it is to see you.” It was doing wonders for his outlook. He wondered at that ability. Perhaps he was just in deep need of a friend. But it felt like more than a friendship. There would be time to examine these thoughts. For now, he smiled, though the weariness was clear in his slight drooping of the shoulders, and studied the sky blue eyes. “Are you ready to come home?”
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![[Image: T8yHvja.png]](http://i.imgur.com/T8yHvja.png)
As usual, the little woman pushed all intrusive thoughts aside and focused back in on the present. It was a good practice, and one she had tried to make a habit of lately. The old Solveiga always worried too much, and overthought every tiny thing. She lived too much in her head back then. But not anymore. This new Solveiga tried to live in the moment, take life a day at a time and just go with the flow. It was unnatural, at first. But she was getting used to it. She trusted herself a lot more than she used to.
So when at last Regulus came trotting into view, the petite young woman had successfully taken a deep breath to compose herself. But that didn't mean she was able to avoid the mini heart attack the crimson brute gave her when he swallowed her up in his embrace. Being close to him, wrapped up in his warmth and his comforting scent... what was happening here? Maybe she really would have to address these disturbing thoughts sooner or later.
Her friend looked a little worse for wear, but she could still see that admirable strength and determination shining in his eyes. It made her smile. Whatever he had gone through, he was always strong enough to survive it, to press onward despite everything. Solveiga hadn't done that. She had been weak, and had temporarily given up on the world. But in that time spent away, she discovered strength that she never knew she had. And she still chose to believe that she was all the better for it. So, though she had missed Celestial and her big red friend, she knew that she had made the right choice.
And now, she was ready to come home. "It's good to see you too, Regulus," she said, drawing in a deep breath and letting it out as a sigh of relief. "I missed you... and... and everyone else, of course."
Did Solveiga seriously just giggle like a pup when she said that? She looked down at her own paws, as if that would hide her embarrassment. "Yes, I'm... I'm ready to come home."
With that, she lifted her eyes to his once more, giving her alpha the most confident smile she could manage.
| Regulus Anatolii Adravendi |
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It thrilled him more than expected to hear she was glad to see him, too. And she’d missed him! His haunches wiggled slightly at the slight giggle, even though he wondered why missing them all would warrant a giggle, but he grinned, the expression helped onto his features by the sound of it. She almost seemed embarrassed by her own words… or maybe the giggle, and he watched the sky-blue gaze drop as she spoke words that he’d been hoping to hear.
Thank the gods for small blessings. When her eyes lifted, it was to find a gentle smile on the crimson features, the new scars under the right fathomless sapphire eye the only change apart from the underlying weariness of the last few seasons. “Then welcome home, Solveiga.” By the gods, he hoped she never saw fit to leave again, though she was more than free to go where she wished.
He rose, stepping aside to turn back inward toward the heart of the territory, offering for her to walk beside him. “It’s been… very quiet since the challenge. My fault, really. I haven’t been… Well, I haven’t really made any attempt to nip tails into action.” His head drooped slightly at this admission.
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Solveiga stepped further into the territory as her alpha rose, and she began to walk beside him. He dwarfed her so much; she had almost forgotten how childlike she felt beside him. But it was safe, too. She had seen what he could do. He could protect her, if she ever needed it. The grasses swished softly underfoot as the pair continued to walk side by side, and Solveiga strayed closer, so that the distance between them could not have exceeded a few inches. Occasionally that distance closed and the crimson fur of his side brushed and mingled with her own. She couldn't deny that all sorts of butterflies got stirred up whenever that happened. Surely she was just shy around him, as she had always been. Solveiga, after all, didn't have many male friends. And certainly none that seemed larger than life, as Regulus did.
She shook her head gently at his words. "Don't be so hard on yourself, you've had more than enough to deal with lately," she said. She had heard about his mother. But the passing of his father was too recent for the young woman to have heard of it yet. "I'm so sorry," Solveiga whispered, wishing to offer her friend her condolences, even though she knew it could be a painful thing to even bring up. "Regulus, you... you were there for me, when my mother passed. I want to do the same for you... if you'll let me."
And then, after she had given the alpha enough time to respond, it was on to brighter topics of conversation. No need to dwell on sad things right now. This was a happy reunion. "I'll help to make up for how quiet it's been. I've learned a lot about healing, in my absence. I'm excited to get back to doing what I love." And that, of course, meant being a healer for Celestial. If that was alright with Regulus.
| Regulus Anatolii Adravendi |
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The giggle gave him another little thrill of pleasure, a small grin parting his jaws just slightly. As they walked into the Plains, leaving the borders, he couldn’t help but glance down at her every now and then. The brushes of their coats lit a warmth in his chest, and that ember burned a little brighter as she gently chided him for being hard on himself. A wry smile pulled at his jaws as she gave her condolences. “It wasn’t your fault. Wasn’t anyone’s fault. ”
As she spoke next, he tipped his head to look down at her, smiling softly at the offer. “Thank you, Solveiga. It means a great deal.” There was a tightness in his throat, and he swallowed to drive it off as she went on, changing the subject just slightly. He listened, smiling as she finished.
“Of course. Kavdaya… isn’t handling my mother’s death well. She blames herself.” The snowy healer had asked to step down from the rank of Master Healer, and he’d given her that leave. Now he wondered if he should have kept her in the rank that demanded more work. Work that she could have buried herself in to not think about the deaths.
He paused and glanced down at her. “Currently, beyond myself, we have no high-ranking wolves. Hopefully, we can change this.”
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Solveiga felt her cheeks get warm whenever Regulus looked down at her. And here she was, thinking she had changed and turned into this brave and confident woman. But maybe not. Maybe around Regulus she would always be a little shy and nervous. She just wished she could understand why. Then maybe she could fix it. Then maybe she could impress him by being all bold and witty and adventurous, like she'd always wanted to be.
She sighed a bit. For now, she was just going to have to be herself. After all, Regulus seemed to like Solveiga the way she was. But she was in no way his equal, and she never would be. Regulus was practically a god among mortals, with his stature and his easy but commanding demeanor. Not to mention that crazy, amazing red fur. But she was getting distracted again. Oh my. What did he just say?
Solveiga blinked a bit and thought back to the words she had just missed while lost in the thoughts of her silly little head. The loss of his mother. It wasn't her fault. She frowned a bit and nudged the side of his neck with her nose, a friendly and comforting gesture. "I know it isn't. But I'm still sorry." Her voice was soft and empathetic. They both knew the pain of losing a mother. But then he told her how Kavdaya wasn't taking the death well. She had stepped down, leaving Regulus as the only member of Celestial with a high rank. Right, Faite was gone too. Solveiga had run into her on her way back to Celestial.
Her brow creased with concern as she looked up at her friend. He had so much weight on his shoulders. She wanted to help, she just wasn't sure how. "Wow," she whispered, looking away, to the grasses underfoot. "You have a lot going on right now, don't you?"
She slowed her steps, hoping to get his attention so he would slow down too. She wanted to say something, while they were still alone. She was nervous. Why on earth was she nervous? "I know you're really busy right now, Regulus, with everything. The pack is your priority, I know that. But..." Deep breath. Keep going. There was no turning back now, she just needed to spit it out, even if she embarrassed herself. "You're the closest thing I have to family. When we first met, I was lost, and you gave me a home. When I lost my mother, I was lost again, and you reminded me that I wasn't alone," she said, her voice growing more and more confident as she spoke. If she was going to show Regulus the confidence and strength she had gained, now was the time. She had a lot to say. "What I'm saying is, it was good for me to get away for a while. To have some time to think, but... I missed you. And everyone else, but mostly you. So... I know you're busy, but I'd really like if we could spend more time together, now that I'm back. Maybe go exploring sometime, or I could help with your patrols..."
She ended her little spiel with a bashful shrug, and a smile to match. Her heart felt like it was going to break through her ribs. But she was glad the words were out. She felt close to Regulus, and wanted to spend time with him. He deserved to know that, didn't he? |
| Regulus Anatolii Adravendi |
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Her comforting gesture helped, though he couldn’t fathom why he felt so giddy about the touch. He smiled sadly down at her as she spoke. He’d only known a little of what she’d been going through when she’d found her mother’s grave. He had seen his grandmother peacefully pass on, falling into a deep, never ending sleep. It had left him with a sense of awe, and somehow, he knew his grandmother was up there somewhere. But it had been Erani’s time to go. She’d lived a long, full life. His mother had been a different case altogether.
She had died from an unstoppable cancer. If they had caught and diagnosed it at an early stage, they could have swerved it, killed it off and made Surreal well again, but by the time they had realized that it was serious, and set off to find help, it had already been too late. Now both his parents were gone. Thus far, he’d been consoling himself that they were no longer in pain, no longer had to worry. He’d been bearing the heartache alone, his siblings having seemingly distanced themselves to grieve in their own ways, and Kavdaya, perhaps, bore the deepest agony of them all. A healer invested a great deal of themselves into the care of their patients, and losing a patient was as good as an antler tine to the heart. They felt it just as strongly as the family, and they also felt the overwhelming guilt of ‘What If?’.
His mind drifted slightly until her voice and her sudden slowing caught him back and he slowed to a stop to look down at her, nodding as he recalled what she’d said. “I’d say so.” He answered, before he silenced himself and listened to her earnest words. As she spoke, a soft smile replaced the pensive look he’d been carrying on his features, and unbeknownst to him, those fathomless sapphires had warmed into pools of rich blue. “I missed you, too.” There was complete honesty in those words, and a warmth that went just a little deeper than friendship.
He smiled a little more widely as he cocked his head, thinking. “I definitely could use the help with patrols, and I’d truly enjoy spending time together, Solveiga. Whether it’s patrolling, or helping you gather herbs, or just walking… Or sitting. I’d truly love it.” His deep baritone voice rumbled with a soft chuckle as his head dropped to nudge his nose against her cheek. “And I think I owe you a few lessons in fighting, and a spar or two.” That trademark grin flashed across his face as his tail gave a hearty wag, before his haunches dropped with a pleasant thump to the ground, that tail flopping cheerily to the earth a second later.
“Why don’t you tell me of your travels?” He suggested, ears perked with interest as his head cocked.
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Well, he wasn't laughing at her. That was a good sign. But deep down, Solveiga knew he never would have laughed at her. All she was saying was that she had missed him and wanted to spend some more time with him. That wasn't so bad, was it?
Apparently not. As it turned out, Regulus felt the same way. The little healer watched with a rapidly thumping heart as those sapphire eyes turned unexpectedly warm. It was enough to make her insides twist in a not unpleasant way. She hadn't the slightest clue where these strange feelings were coming from. But she knew that it made her incredibly happy to hear Regulus so enthusiastic about the two of them spending time together. He suggested gathering herbs together, or even just walking. Or sitting. That made her giggle again, and her tail swung wildly behind her as he pressed his nose to her cheek.
"Good," Solveiga said brightly. "I'm glad."
Of course, the alpha also suggested some fighting lessons, and a spar or two. Solveiga still didn't exactly love the idea of fighting, but she had worked on getting herself physically stronger in her time away. She might even manage to impress the alpha with her improvement. It was worth a shot, she supposed. "I'm free whenever you are. Name the time and place." Her voice was playfully challenging and she had a grin that matched his.
"It was amazing," she admitted. "It feels like I must have traveled everywhere, though I'm sure there's plenty I still haven't seen." The woman sank down onto her own haunches, to relax and tell the man her stories. "I went east as far as that great river that divides the land, and of course I stopped at the Fern Gulley to gather some herbs. No matter the season, that place always seems to be overflowing with life. But anyway, I crossed the river and made it all the way to Mount Volkan, and the beautiful caverns there. It was amazing, all of the mineral deposits, and some of the walls had the most gorgeous crystals embedded in them! I wished I had been able to remove one, and bring it home with me." Solveiga stopped for a moment to laugh, just enjoying the memory.
"Then, I decided I'd seen enough of the area and turned back in the direction I'd come, to see what else I could find. And that's when I was near the battlefield, and heard the call to challenge for Celestial. So, as you know, I took a detour and came to watch you fight." And she had not been disappointed. Seeing Regulus fight so skillfully was something she wouldn't soon forget. "And after that, I went south again. I took the land bridge to that newly discovered continent, stayed there and explored for a few days, but then I started really missing home."
"So, I came home. And here I am," she said, smiling softly up at Regulus. She was glad to be back. |
| Regulus Anatolii Adravendi |
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A grin continued to plaster his features at her pronouncement of being glad for his enthusiasm at spending time with her. “Any time, any place.” he chuckled, then settled in to listen with rapt attention to her detailing of her ventures, making note of her wish to have been able to bring home a gem. He’d have to venture out that way, he thought.
His head cocked, front end slowly lowering to the ground as she went on, talking about her trip to the southern continent. When she finished her story, he smiled. “I’ve been to the southern continent – Auster, I think it’s called – a few times. It’s interesting how different it seems to be there. I saw several creatures I’ve never encountered here on Boreas.”
His smile had dimmed slightly at the mention of the challenge, and now he remarked “I’m glad you came to the Challenge. It helped to break the killing edge when I spotted you there, after it was over..” The Killing edge… he hadn’t understood the term completely until that day. It was a frame of mind where killing Liar would have left no regret in his mind later on.
His eyes found her face, bringing a reflexive grin to his own features. The gentleness of her, the sweet smiles; they were an element he’d missed while he’d been gone, and while he’d been healing after the challenge, with that one glimmer of hope that she’d be home soon like she’d said. It may not have only been a few days, but it had been worth the wait.
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Solveiga smiled and listened with interest as Regulus told her the name of the southern continent she had visited. Auster. She nodded when he mentioned the different creatures he had seen there that he'd never encountered in Boreas. "Some different herbs, too," she added, her tail sweeping the grass behind her gently.
But then the mood seemed to darken just slightly, as Regulus lingered on the topic of the challenge. He said that he was glad Solveiga had come. Seeing her had helped to break the killing edge. She frowned a bit at the thought of Regulus ending a life, and she was glad that she hadn't had to witness that. She hoped she never had to see such a thing, but she also understood that sometimes such things were necessary. Such responsibilities came with the title he held. She took a deep breath and decided to cast all those thoughts away, focusing on the present again. She was home, and Regulus was here with her. She pushed herself up to her feet as a renewed smile came to her face.
"So, did you give away my spot in the caverns while I was gone?" she asked as she trotted up to him and brushed her side against his. Even with him on the ground, the difference in size was clear, and a little embarrassing. "I've done a lot of traveling the last few days to get here, I'd like to get settled and maybe take a quick nap," Solveiga said with a soft laugh. |
| Regulus Anatolii Adravendi |
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Her remark that there were different herbs caught his interest. “If you happen to go that way again, see if you can bring any home with you. They could prove very useful. Hard to find plants would be a good thing to have in the healers’ stores.” He remarked, smiling at the prospect. While he wasn’t a healer, he had an invested interest in his pack’s wellbeing, and any plants that they could find that would enhance the rate of recovery from an illness, or make birthing even safer was of deep import to him.
Her question about her spot in the den made him grin, as well as the brush of their fur, and he shook his head. “Nah. It’s still open. The den’s been a lot emptier since Faite left, and Zuriel went off on her own to explore the world. It’ll always be available.” He added with a smile, earnest and warm.
He chuckled at her words, nodding and rising to his full height. “Well! We’d best get you settled in, then, haven’t we? There’s fresh moss growing in it, too, and I can always bring in straw from the plains.” He chatted amiably as he started off, at a pace she could easily follow.
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Regulus made the suggestion of bringing some rare herbs home if Solveiga ever happened to travel to Auster again, and she nodded in agreement. It would indeed be helpful to have those herbs in their stores. Perhaps, if Kavdaya had stepped down, the position of master healer would be open. Solveiga aspired to fill that space, if she were needed. Now that she had returned, she wanted to prove her worth to the pack and help out as much as possible.
But, with those thoughts temporarily pushed aside, Solveiga returned her attention to the present. Her cream colored tail swished through the air behind her as her alpha ensured that her spot in the den would always be available. Hearing things like that just made her feel good. They made her feel wanted. Like she really belonged somewhere, and had a family. That feeling was priceless to her.
Solveiga bounced in place a bit as Regulus rose to his full height, just enjoying the happy and untroubled mood she was in. She leapt up enough to playfully nip at his neck, and when again she was back on all four paws, her tail was wagging enough to swing her hips from side to side. "We could race there," she said, a carefree giggle tumbling out as she looked at the alpha for an answer. "Up for the challenge, Archangel?" |