Gabriel

Gabriel had been gone for far too long. His journeys had taken him far away, in fact clear to Ludicael. He had made an ally, someone he considered a true friend, a true companion. But his thoughts were always wandering back home. He had vanished without a word, several weeks of absolute perfect behavior and then... he had vanished, He hadn't told a single soul where he was going and he had been gone for near half a season, perhaps a bit longer. He wasn't sure if they would even allow him to come home. The borders of Valhalla, proved to be difficult for him to cross but eventually, he sucked in a large breath and moved forward. The sun was sweltering against his ebony pelt, two toned oculars gazed around the seemingly abandoned forest. He allowed his limbs to carry him without pause in a route that was all too familiar. Cutting through Valhalla's lands, his paws led him to the den of his parents, his stomach sunk to the floor when he realized it was empty, there would be no reunion now, perhaps he had been wrong in finally coming home, perhaps this was fate telling him he should have stayed away. Mismatched oculars glanced around the empty terrain, where was everyone? Had they truly all up and left? He didn't think so, his mother loved this home, surely she would not have abandoned it? Fear clenched within his gut, what if something had happened to them? What if they were wounded or worse, dead? The not quite adult glanced plaintively about, debating what he should do, when a snap, a rustle in the forest had his ears careening forward. Was it someone from his family?

She was aging quickly, and rather beautifully though the young female would never think such a thought herself. Nine months old and growing ever faster, within the season she and her siblings would reach their first year on this earth. Since she had been born, she had stuck close to her family, but there was the little inkling that she had not forged the contact with them that was necessary to call it a true bond. The girl was quiet, she watched and waited, normally she very easily understood things no matter the point of view. Naturally open minded and readily accepting, she was something of a calming presence.

Ever since the flood had hit, the wolves of Valhalla had been staying just outside of the borders in nearby territory. They were still a pack, and this was still their lands which was often patrolled by the higher ups, but at the moment it wasn't exactly livable. Mud squelched beneath her paws as she idly traversed the waterlogged territory that she still called home. It wasn't as dangerous here as it was hard to live off of, the prey had scattered and the plant life was recovering from the flood. Many dens wouldn't be usable for some time, but at least they could depend on summer being on their very heels and drying up much of the water in due time. They only needed to remain patient.

She had expected for her walk to be silent, for her examination of the damage to go without her seeing anyone else. Yet as she neared the den that she and her family shared, she gazed at the male that was waiting there. Lyric nearly sighed - her brother, a boy that she would never understand it seemed, he was quickly becoming a man and seemed to want to do it in solitude. Yet through and through he was family, despite his knack for wandering off for weeks at a time and being angry and pitiful upon return. They had tried when they were younger to integrate him into their games, but he always seemed so victimized - it wasn't long before she stopped, Lyric wasn't sure about the others.

"Gabriel." She said simply, a small smile on her face. A greeting - because he had returned from his journey yet again. And yet again, Lyric wasn't sure how long he would stay. "There was a flood, we've moved until the water dries out a bit." How was she supposed to act around him? Like he had been gone as long as he was? Or would he prefer if she acted as if he never left at all? "Are you okay? Or did you come back because you wanted to?" She hoped it was the latter, but it was highly unlikely. She never felt like he really liked it here...

Surreal

Surreal was feeling better after her trip to the Battlefield. It had been a good thing to do. Creed had helped her get over her childhood fear of the Field. She was glad she?d met him. He made a good friend, always had a good game idea, and wasn?t afraid to get dirty or wet. That thought turned her young mind to her younger brother, and her smile fell into a frown as she scrambled up a path set into the side of a steep hill. He?d been gone forever. She was afraid for him. True, he?d been gone well before the floods had arrived, but she was still scared that he?d somehow been caught in the rushing water and drowned. Technically, the younger wolves weren?t exactly supposed to be going into the flood area, but Surreal had gotten this feeling. So she headed for the den. It wasn?t long before she caught a scent. A soft sob of joy broke from her and she charged along it?s trail. Her little brother was home! He was home! She scrambled up the path, took the sharp turn with all for paws flying, and pelted down the ravine. ?Gabriel!? Both squealed and sobbed came his name in a high pitched squeak of a whine. She slowed as she reached five feet from him, careful not to fling mud on him, and then stopped, staring at him, taking in everything she could through a blur that didn?t seem to want to go away. He was all there, and my he had grown! Her tail whirred in the air as she stared at her brother. Mother had been heartsick, blaming herself for the loss of her younger son. And he was here. Lyric was here, too. It seemed neither of them could resist looking to see if the water had gone away. ?I was so scared you?d died in the flood. I? I?d hug you, brother, but I?m all muddy.? Her head ducked, ears drooping. ?I was scared you left because of me, and when the flood came, I thought you had been swept away.? Her eyes lifted to glance at him. And she was still scared, because he might just truly have left because of her. ?I?ve missed you, Gabe.?

Gabriel

Gabriel had anticipated anger... he had fled... again, unable to quell his insatiable curiosity, unable to come to terms with why he was so different, it wasn't that he didn't love his family, or even that he didn't wish to romp and play with them... it was just... the very idea of such a thing made his skin crawl and shivers rack his spine. It was a mental disorder that left him crippled, unable to do much more than meticulously groom whenever the simple thought of being dirty entered his skull... but his time away had given the boy pause, and while not yet an adult, he was beginning to see where he had been in the wrong, and where his family had been in the wrong. It was no ones fault, and certainly he held no grudges over his siblings, he was simply....different, and he had come to accept that. Ear perked up, excitement entered his dual gaze and his plume darted happily between his thighs as Lyric stepped before him. She was his opposite, blinding white to his coal black. ?Lyric...? His voice soft and gentle as always, never loud and obnoxious, spoke her name with relief, if one were to look, it was clear he was happy to see his sister alive and well. ?How have you been, it has been a long time.? Gabriel drew closer, body arching to stand before her. Gently, and avoiding the mud that streaked her pelt, he brushed his snout against her cheek, a much friendlier greeting than the one she had given him. Her next question bade an answer and his jaws parted to give it, when his name was squealed and despite himself, he jumped a bit, his smile growing as Surreal bounded towards him. Her words made him flinch, they reminded him of his... disease. He shook it off though, replacing the mild pang of guilt with a grin. Gently, he padded forward, sucking in a deep breath and allowing his tongue to escape his maw to scrape away some of the dirt upon her snout. ?Its been a long time Surreal, I think I can afford a few specks of dirt.? Mentally he cringed, but wasn't this what love was all about? Meeting people halfway? ?To answer your question Lyric, I came back because I...I missed you. Mother, father, all of you. I was hoping to apologize, to make amends, I can't promise I'll stay forever, but it wasn't right of me to leave so suddenly and without saying goodbye.? His voice was loosing the pup like pitch and beginning to retain a lower baritone. His smile faltered at his words, guilt replacing previous excitement, the onyx lad meant what he said.

She hesitated before him. After seeing him lash out at Gael before, and then so suddenly become so sad before their mother, she wasn't sure how to approach him. The girl looked down as he spoke her name, yet her ears perked, hearing how gently he said it. He held no contempt toward her. Then why... had he left? Looking up at him, she was surprised to see him come a bit closer, despite how muddy that she and these pack lands were at the moment. He was a bit taller than her now, even though when he left she could have sworn that they were roughly the same size. "I'm fine." She countered, and although her words were few, they were warmer than those spoken previously.

Her sister was far more candid with her feelings. While Lyric was open minded, it seemed that Surreal was openhearted. It was something that warmed her, and she couldn't help but smile at her sibling's greeting toward their vagabond of a brother. Perhaps she should stop thinking so hard on Gabriel and just act instead. As if to clarify that and make it a statement opposed to a possibility, her dark sibling's words were spoken. He answered her question and he had missed them enough to return. Her quirked lips lifted into a smile, her eyes loosing some of their hesitance. "We missed you too - I'm glad you're alright." The answer came naturally, it was the truth. There was much worrying over his disappearances within their family - of course this time was no exception.

Once he was older though, an adult... he would feel less of a need to return though wouldn't he?

"Mother will be happy to see you." Not to mention relieved. Seeing her worry that much less would bring a good bit of joy to Lyric. "The flood was awful, even though you vanished before it hit, we were still worried." She had wondered whether it had swept him away, her chest tightening at the thought of her sibling never making his return, never seeing them or speaking to them or seeing or speaking again. The girl cared for Gabe, greatly, it was just hard for her to attach to him when she felt like he would never stick around for long. "Don't do that again." Her ears folded back and she sighed, her words not biting, but faintly pleading. "Please?"

Surreal

Surreal was delightedly amazed when Gabe stepped close and actually licked her muddy nose. She could sense that he wasn?t quite as easily as he was letting on, but she knew that it was a gigantic leap for him. So she leaned in and gave his cheek a delicate lick. ?Let me wash off real quick. I don?t mind dust, but mud cakes funny in a bad way.? She wagged, then padded toward the spring waterfall, which was still heavy with flood excess, but safe enough, and clear. She shivered as the chilly water rushed over her body, washing away the mud, and setting quite the shiver to her muscles. She stepped out, clean and dripping, shivering. Shaking herself hard, she sent most of the water slinging off, and her fur to standing in damp spikes. She pranced to her brother, tail wagging and still splattering about and settled onto her haunches to listen to his words to Lyric. He was beginning to sound like a? Well, almost adult. It was cute the way his voice kept breaking to a squeak, then dropping to the new tones. Why didn?t her voice do that? Or her sisters? She wondered if Cas? voice was doing it. ?So what was it like out there?? She didn?t want to think of him leaving. Any of them leaving. They were Valhallans. They couldn?t leave. She couldn?t imagine Valhalla without her siblings. She wanted to cuddle close and hold him. Her eyes seconded Lyric?s plea.

Gabriel

He knew he had hurt his family, he knew that they were worried about him, his mother, his father, his siblings... they were the reason he had returned. He had wronged them, he understood that, and his mind had a new peace, a new settlement and he realized his mistakes, he had returned home to right these errors. Tail fluttering back and forth behind him, he was amazed at how fluent they were in forgiving his abrupt absence. Lyric especially, he hadn't meant to lash out at anybody, and he was quite certain he had frightened her. He wasn't a violent person and he certainly wasn't hateful. That wasn't to say he regretted leaving, he hadn't, he never would have met Oberon if he hadn't left and that... well that would have been a tragedy, from the moment he had met the tiny male, something that had always felt unhinged within him, settled, straightened out. It was like peace for the first time in his young life, the two had become friends effortlessly, and Gabriel intended to visit him again soon. But he had apologies to give, and bonds to mend before he would leave again, his family needed to be patched up. He rested back on his haunches, watching as Surreal ducked beneath the water, cleansing herself of dirt and debris, before returning to him smoothly, smile painted upon her maw and a bounce to her step, Gabriel was forced to smile, he knew she had done that for him, it made his heart feel warm, his tail, lazily swung back and forth. ?I am happy to see the two of you again, I cannot wait to see mother and father, they are well I hope?? Gabriel cocked his head to the side, curious. Surreal's question caught him off guard, but he smiled gently all the same. ?Well worth it, I saw places so beautiful and so perfect, you cannot imagine them Surreal! Forests with murky waters that turn the mud into suctioning filth, deserts with no water, beaches, the ocean! I met a few new wolves, one I intend to see again, but first, I needed to come home, to make sure my family was alright. I never meant to make any of you worry for me. I won't be leaving again for awhile you both don't need to look so sad.? The guilt crept back into his voice.