[[Edit 2/6/14:: Due to the length of time this thread has taken to get off the ground, as well as the current challenge on Valhalla, this will no longer be a joining thread. I will be waiting to see the outcome of the challenge and whatnot, as well as checking with Shelby, what will be going on with Arwel before making a decision if he'll still be joining Valhalla.]]

Water dripped off of the handsome brute as he walked onto the shore of one of the islands of Alacritia. He looked over his shoulder, back the way he came, before turning to view the island with curious eyes. Boulders littered the beach, but he could see the promise of a livable area up ahead. Not only that but, upon getting out of the water, the brute was aware of a great many scents on the breeze. So this great island was home to a pack.

Arwel would shake water from his coat before setting across the warm sand. The water had been a bit cold for his liking but, well, it was still only spring. The brute would start walking up the beach, the sand becoming more loose as he picked his way along.

It was certainly an interesting place for a pack. It was secluded, but seemed big enough to support a large pack. The brute slowed to a halt again. Just wandering into pack territory was hardly proper. Especially if he was hoping to join. It had come as a surprise to find a pack lived here, yes, but he had been looking for a place to call home.

A howl would be let loose, asking for the presence of one who could grant him admittance into whatever pack this was.

It seemed like any other normal day in their new island home. Though it wasn't exactly 'new' any more, she felt like she was still getting settled in. Having her own den with her love made the transition much easier though. She was out on her own today, stalking around the island on the search for some prey. She was still learning about the prey that lived on the island so, as a hunter, she had plenty to do to keep her busy. Her hunting was cut short though when a howl suddenly rang out, bringing her to a halt. She knew she didn't know every wolf that lived in Valhalla, but she knew that was not a voice she had heard before. She glanced over her shoulder at the gap in the cliff that opened into the ramp that led to the beach, basically the doorway to Valhalla. Meili knew she wasn't exactly a high rank and she couldn't even accept new wolves, but... she was close by and it wouldn't hurt to go greet them, right? As she turned to pad in the direction of the new wolf, thinking about the howl that was still ringing in her ears. She felt a strange tickle in the back of her mind, a slight head ache following it as she thought about it she shook the thought away, wondering why this voice in particular would bother her so much. She hurried down to the shore line, her teal gaze peering around her till they finally landed on a large multi-hued brute with blue eyes. Definitely a stranger, even though that strange headache came back again. Pushing that away she gave him a slight smile and dipped her head in greeting. "Hello there. What brings you to Valhalla today?" Speech Others Thought Thank you Yumpy!

The one who would come to approach him would not be of a noticeably high rank. Her scent would reach him before he saw her, and that scent would give him a strong pause. It was so familiar... faded... but it lingered, like something long forgotten and dying to be remembered. Arwel would shift on his paws in uncertainty at these feeling. Whose scent could it be? The only wolf he could remember being around long enough to still remember was Sindri... and the old wolfess was dead and gone now.

Blue eyes would fall upon the form of a wolfess approaching him. For a moment Arwel would stare, memories, unbidden, stirring in his mind. Snarls... fighting... blood... could... could it really be...? She looked just like his baby sister. All grown up now. Still alive. Safe. Arwel would take a step back, confusion mixing with a bit of relief on his face.

"You're... alive." The wolf would flick his ears towards the female. She didn't remember him it seemed. But she had been younger when things had happened... and likely had barely survived. Just as he had. Arwel looked upon his sister with such a soft gaze.

"I thought you were dead... all of the others were... I thought I was the only one to survive..."

The stranger's words were not at all what she was expecting. She had expected maybe something along the lines of an introduction or maybe him saying that he was hoping to join, but this is far from the case. Instead, he would stare at her like he had seen a ghost, even taking a step back like he was in shock. Her brows pulled together with confusion at his first words, not having any idea what he was talking about, but it was his next words that really confused her... but struck a chord somewhere deep down at the same time. Confusion clouded her gaze and she looked at him closely, trying so hard to remember something, anything, but just like so many times before whenever she had tried to pull her lost memories to the surface she wasn't able to remember. But what he said about thinking she was dead and surviving, that brought up those memories that she had tried so hard to forget. Those memories of bloody ground, dead wolves around her... those were her first memories as far as she knew. "Who... Who are you?" Speech Others Thought

How was this possible? It was a miracle... beyond a miracle. Arwel looked upon his little sister with a warmed heart, but confused as well. She didn't remember him... and truthfully it had been so long he didn't remember much of her either. But he knew her scent... and had vaguely remembered her pelt in his memories. But now she was here... standing right in front of him. Blue eyes would soften at her question. To think... to think after all this time he actually still had family left int this world.

"I'm Arwel... I'm you're brother." Tears of joy had come into the multi-toned brute's eyes. After such harsh, cold memories... after traveling alone for so long... he could be blessed with such a miracle. The brute was smiling. For the first time in years he was truly smiling. He wanted to rush forward... to hug his little sister and reassure himself that he wasn't dreaming. But for now he held back, wanting to make sure that she remembered him as well.

For a moment the whole world seemed to stand still and she stared at the stranger with shock when he spoke, introducing himself. Her jaw dropped and she gaped at him, speechless and silent for several moments. Doubt and anger creeped over her and she took an uncertain step back from the brute. It suddenly felt hard to breathe as she stumbled over her words. "B-Brother?! Who.. Who do you think you are? Saying something like that... that to me? Y-you can't just, just say you're someone's brother. I don't know you!" She wanted to lash out at him, curse him for saying something that she had longed to hear for so long, to call for Gael and have her love drive this brute away... but she couldn't keep her teal gaze off of him. Her head ached terribly, making her eyes water till she finally had to close her eyes against the pain, shaking her head as she tried to shake it away. Suddenly it felt like that wall in her mind cracked and his name was the tool that did it. "Arwel... Fuzzy, difficult to see memories surfaced, just small glimpses from the past she hadn't been able to remember before. A wolf that looked so similar to the brute standing in front of her appeared in a foggy picture, only younger. Could it really be...? Could he be telling the truth? Meili blinked open her eyes, true tears streaming from her eyes as she looked at him again, seeing that face from her brief memory in his. "Arwel..." His name felt familiar on her tongue and it shocked her all over again. She made herself step toward him again, taking in his scent, hoping it would trigger more of those buried memories. "You really are my brother, aren't you?" she whispered, her eyes meeting his and searching them for answers she couldn't find herself. She sank to her haunches, still unable to look away from him. Her brother. She didn't know what to think. She wanted to remember. "W-What happened that day? I... I don't have any memories from my past. The earliest thing I remember is waking up and there was blood every where and some wolves that had been murdered and my head was busted open." She looked at him hopefully, wondering if he would be able to shed some light on her past... if he was truly her brother that is. ooc: feel free to ask me about their past or just improv, don't matter to me xD Speech Others Thought

[[Ooc:: XD I kept meaning to pm you and ask but I forgot. Since you have limited time at the moment and I want to get get this thread moving again I'm just going to improvise. If anything seems too off though don't be afraid to ask me to edit!]]

The doubt and anger that came with the female's initial reaction stung. No... it didn't just sting, it hurt, and it hurt worse than any wound he had ever received. Not even the day he had almost lost his life with his parents and their sister, the day he had been covered in so many wounds, did he feel this level of hurt. It was deeper, more raw... and Arwel couldn't help but give a short whine. It was the truth. Oh God it was the truth and he so desperately wanted her to see it, for her to remember. Amnesia... she must have had amnesia. But... how could he get through to her? His only living family member... and she didn't believe him.

Aqua orbs would stare at her with such hurt and longing, expecting her to lash out at him and drive him from her pack's lands. But instead a miracle would happen. Something must have stirred within his sister's mind, bringing back the breath of a memory, something that would call out to her heart and tell her he was speaking the truth. She would remember him. The tears that streamed from her eyes told him something indeed had stirred, and he would nod his head, relief washing over his face as his own tears, happy tears started to slide down his cheeks.

"Yes, I really am. I really, honestly am." He wanted to howl to the heavens, to thank those above that his sister believed him, that she remembered him. But as his sister would sink to her haunches she would ask about the day that their world as a family had been taken from them. Arwel would settle down as well, letting out a deep sigh. As he suspected before the poor young wolfess had amnesia. She couldn't recall her past before waking injured. By the sounds of her injury there left little doubt as to why that was. With a small sigh Arwel would begin to explain a past he had tried to forget.

"It was a rather typical day for our family. You see... we weren't part of a pack. There were the five of us; mom, dad, you, me, and Kaye. We were hunting together, but unfortunately it had crossed into the borders of a pack. We didn't notice we strayed across the borders until it was too late and a patrol from the pack found us. They acted without mercy -- attacking us without giving us any chance to explain ourselves. We would fight, but we were simply no match for them." Arwel would let out a sigh.

"One of the times I was knocked to the ground, somehow, I had sense enough to stay there. We were all getting hurt pretty badly, and I knew if I was going to have any chance at making it out alive I had to pretend that I was dead. It took some time... but eventually they finished with us and left. I got to my paws and checked you all... you were all so still... I thought you were all gone... so I left in search of help. I was lucky enough to run into an elderly female gathering herbs outside of the borders of that pack, and with her help I was able to recover." The male would shake his head slowly.

"I should have checked you all more closely... I'm so sorry... Meili..." He felt horrible that he hadn't been there for her... for any trials she had undergone since that horrible day. Arwel would rise, moving forward, and brought hooked one paw around her body in a hug. "I'm so glad that you're alive... It is truly a miracle, and a wonderful gift of those above that I was able to meet with you again."