"Yes! Yes!"

It had been a few weeks since Reese had run into Akutan. The silver socked boy hadn't been great at divulging much of anything and Reese wanted to stop by home anyway.

And so on his way home, he came across this giant ass bird. And she was some character! She offered to help him look for his home and family! And so here they were circling over the lake, getting lower and lower.

"By the cliffs! I think I see someone!" Reese shouted then let out a howl while they were still high above.

When they landed Reese would wrestle himself from her claws just before she touched down, his tail wagging and the widest smile he could muster.
"Mom!! Dad!! I'm home!!" He called out, not knowing his mom and one of his sisters was absent.

It was a wonder that the Dark Queen's coat wasn't going gray.  Between visions and bears and monsters ... it was enough to make her head spin. It seemed that her reign was not to be a quiet one.  This morning seemed to be no exception.  The raptor screech that echoed through the the morning air had her up and out of her den in an instant.  With the feathered monstrosity all too recent in her mind, she reared up on her hind legs as she reached the edge of the Patio, her aqua eyes catching sight of a bird larger than any she had ever seen before.  But a bird it was, and she watched it swoop low and... drop... something.  Then the creature was away, skimming over the lake water before it banked and turned back towards the Castle.

"Guards!" Mercury howled, calling for her enforcers.

It was lucky that the pups were not usually out this early in the day.  An eagle of normal size was a threat to a pup, but a bird this size could even be trouble for an adult.  So focused on the bird, Mercury had taken her eyes off of the object that it had dropped.  The voice that called from below, strange and unknown to her, diverted her attention away from the airborne threat.

"Mom!! Dad!! I'm home!!"

A wolf... and more than that, one that was uninjured by those massive talons. The Queen's steely eyes locked onto the new stranger, but one ear was trained to hear the bird, should it swoop back.  He was looking for his family?  She did not recognize the coat, and was sure she had never seen him before.  But a wolf who dropped in via a giant predatory bird was certainly a wolf who had her attention.

"For the love-!" Kyra spat as she rounded a corner, on her toes to protect her pack and queen at the sound of her call. She was also getting tired of the contant strain, what with the monster incident, and her own feelings of getting used to her new state of being.

She came to Mercury's side as quickly as she could, regrettably not as quickly as she had been before, and when she took in thew scene her jaw dropped as she watched the giant bird come in and drop off someone remarkably familiar.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!??" She shouted across the courtyard at him. Her voice could easily carry all the way across the lake, as clear as day. It was a wonder Mercury and the rest of the pack hadn't gone deaf by her shouting by now, "BURDOCK, YOU CANT JUST DO THAT, YOU IDIOT!!!"

"SIS! OH MY MOON! GUESS WHAT!?" He shouted back at her, a similar tone and carry to it. His body frame was probably starting to look familiar to his fathers. Who was starting to poke his head out of his den to see the commotion and to test out what he thought he heard.

With a huff she stomped away from Mercury and headed toward her brother, continuing to shout him down.
"I CANT BELIEVE YOU!!! BURDO, YOU GAVE US ALL FREAKING HEART ATTACKS COMING IN WITH YOUR GIANT BIRD!!? YOU CANT JUST WALTZ IN HERE THINKING YOU OWN THE PLACE." Despite her demeanor and scowl on her face her tail was betraying her joy at seeing him, not quite wagging as hard as his but certainly up and swaying.

"OH MY STARS, KYRA! WHAT HAPPENED YOU LOOK LIKE A HIPPO!!!" He teased and skipped away from her as she closed the distance at a trot. She had tried to reach out and nip him. He danced circles around her as she pawed at him to stop.

"WILL YOU HOLD STILL YOU DUMB PIECE OF POOP." She yelled trying to trip him, "YOUR BEING MEAN I'M PREGNANT YOU SHITHEAD, I CANT CATCH YOU." She sat down down and stuck her tongue out at him and pouted. He was laughing the entire time. Still laughing he calmed down and they gave each other a hug, wrapping their heads over their necks, tails wagging in sync, both bringing a paw up for a full embrace.

"Queen Mercury is gonna tan your hide." She said shaking her head at him and looking back. Whoops, maybe she should have said something before she just started yelling at him...

Hakan had brought himself out and watched the scene with a gentle and mild smile. He had no idea how he had begot such rambunctious kids, it must have been Fire's side of the family. He had been hit particularly hard by Akutan's desertion. Wondering where he himself had gone wrong, where he had failed the boy. Akutan had been like a son to him and he had promised him when Byakko and Raka passed that he would do everything he could to help him and his family. He was a son to him as Akutan had been Kyra's mate. He was not only disappointed but he was filled with regret and carried Akutan's desertion as another personal failure. He carried this silently, though, as he carried many of his regrets, another grey hair added to his muzzle, another weight tied to his paws, but he was still easy going and didn't let it bleed into his work. He was immensely happy to see his only true born son Burdock though. He mumbled to Mercury as he came calmly up to her, shaking his head, "Some things never change."

Kyra turned back to her brother and up at the bird, knowing that since it brought Burdock with it, it was friendly. He had a way of making friends with anyone.
"Thanks for bringing my brother! But who are you? Are you wanting to join the pack?" Her voice was still on a slightly louder volume than normal, wondering if she had to shout to make her voice heard. She would ask her brother in a minute if he was intending on staying, and tell him that it was up to Mercury what his fate would be for coming in like he did. Was the Queen approaching them herself?

ooc

It was her Ursa who answered, and while Mercury was pleased, (as always) with her tenacity, she really didn't want Kyra in the thick of this.  With each passing day it was becoming more an more dangerous for her to be out in the field.  But before Mercury could consider the implications of a giant raptor against a pregnant wolfess, the mood suddenly shifted.  As Kyra began berating the newcomer, Mercury leaned slightly away, mostly for the sake of her ears.  Kyra would do a banshee proud.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?? BURDOCK, YOU CANT JUST DO THAT, YOU IDIOT!!!"
"SIS! OH MY MOON! GUESS WHAT!?"

Sis. So, this Burdock was Kyra's brother... Mercury watched silently as the Red Bear stomped down the ramp berating her sibling with absolutely no fear of the raptor.  That was Kyra, though.  Fearless. Well, fearless in the face of danger, at the very least.

"I CANT BELIEVE YOU!!! BURDO, YOU GAVE US ALL FREAKING HEART ATTACKS COMING IN WITH YOUR GIANT BIRD!!? YOU CANT JUST WALTZ IN HERE THINKING YOU OWN THE PLACE."
"OH MY STARS, KYRA! WHAT HAPPENED YOU LOOK LIKE A HIPPO!!!"
"WILL YOU HOLD STILL YOU DUMB PIECE OF POOP. YOUR BEING MEAN I'M PREGNANT YOU SHITHEAD, I CANT CATCH YOU."

With their conversation being held at top volume, it easily carried through the castle.  Curious heads were now beginning to poke out of their dens, watching the impromptu spectacle from their balconies.The sibling's argument certainly brought them back into a more familiar, less threatening atmosphere.  It wasn't everyday that they got to see a giant bird.  Hopefully Buck and Sara had kept the kids inside for now.   Then Hakan wandered up to her, more amused than she was at the scene below.

"Some things never change."

"It is a wonder you survived their childhoods."

Mercury remarked dryly in an exasperated tone.  It was going to be a wonder if she survived them at this rate.

"I suppose we should see what this is all about." She sighed, and started down, expecting Hakan to follow.

Kyra ducked her head as the giant bird swooped over their heads and watched with her brother as it flew away. Burdock looked sad to see her go but seemed to understand.

"She was just dropping me off. She was really nice." Burdock explained, shrugging his shoulders. His tail began to wag as he saw someone who looked fairly queenly and his dad coming to join them, "Who's this coming with dad? I don't remember Alana being dark!" He asked.

Kyra shoved her shoulder into him, "Thats Queen Mercury ya numbskull and you better hope your antics with your bird friend don't get your hide tanned halfway to the sky and back." She half joked but gave him a warning look.

"What? Why? I'm family aint I?" Burdock interjected as they came closer. Kyra flicked her gaze to Mercury and stepped aside as she neared.

---
Hakan half laughed through his nose at Mercury's comment about surviving his kids childhoods. The answer was barely, they grew up during the exile. At one point he had lost himself from overworking from trying to keep everyone together while the queen next to him went to fight for new lands and recover from her battle with the White Demon, herself disappearing. But she didn't know that, and he would never remind her.

He followed Mercury and ducked his head as the giant bird left their packlands, shaking his head at how his son could always make friends wherever he went.

---

Kyra dipped her head as she sidestepped away from her brother at their approach.
"This is my brother, Burdock." She introduced him, "You staying for good bro?" She asked turning to him.

Burdock nodded his head curtly, more casually than royally respectful not aware of royal pleasantries, then shrugged his shoulders at his sister, "Dunno, honestly. I really wanted to come by and see ya'll. I missed you. And I ran into a mutual friend a few weeks ago, Akutan was being weird and not talking, so I wanted the full story... and see how you're doing." He added. He felt the mood shift perceptibly when he mentioned Akutans name.

Kyra turned to Mercury, the fur on the back of her neck bristling.

ooc