[annowre]

It felt like ages since she'd seen anything that looked familiar. She'd traveled through unfamiliar mountains for days only to come down into desolate grassland. The pup had never seen terrain like this. Raised high up in the mountains, this wide open area was foreign to her. But she was so lost at this point, she didn't even know which way to turn. Sore paws carried her through the dry grasses, her tawny fur allowing her some camouflage. The poor thing was a rather pathetic sight. Fur hanging on a boney frame, it was obvious that she hadn't eaten in a while. Dull eyes were staring into nothingness in front of her as her mouth hung open in a half hearted pant. She was so tired.

Blue eyes turned up towards the sun, it's midday heat baking down on her. It was so hot. And she was so sleepy. Perhaps... perhaps she could just rest. For a moment. The young wolf stopped and laid in the grasses, flat out on her side. She just wanted to sleep. Perhaps her mama would find her as she slept. Yea... that would be nice.

"Mama...," the child whimpered weakly, tears beginning to run down her face and into the dry earth. She missed her. And papa. Where were they? Why hadn't they come home? Why couldn't she find them? Willow continued to cry and whimper. She should sleep. She so badly wanted to just sleep. But something was stopping her. Fear. It was fear. She was afraid. Not only to sleep, but of everything around her. She just wanted her mama.

[Angus]

He'd been on a mission. When wasn't Angus on a mission?

He'd been in the safe haven of Gemini for some time now, and the pup was well on his way coming in to his own. The slow, hesitant child that had once been too terrified to leave his friend's side had all but forgotten those days as he ventured out far beyond the dens he'd once kept himself in. Each day was a new day to explore the wondrous pack of Gemini, and today the pup found himself straddling the border in an attempt to become familiar with it. Why? Well, why not?

To be fair, he was looking for Gaven; the elven man that he'd met on his first day. The pup had some mighty questions to ask the bipedal wolf, err, elf, and there was probably no better place to find him than at the border.

What Angus found though, was not who he was looking for at all.

It came in the soft word catching hold of the breeze and whispering it in to his ear. Mama. His tiny head snapped to attention as bright green eyes cast out towards the entrance at the wall. Would he dare? Should he dare? He would. His heart caught in his chest as he bounded through the gate that separated Gemini from the rest of the world, his ears perked to attention as he looked from side to side. The pup caught sight of someone, or, something resting back a few feet from where he had been only moments ago but on the opposite side of the wall. The pup looked back to the gate ears lowering as he contemplated what he was supposed to do at this moment.

It wouldn't take long though for Angus to spring in to action; small paws carrying him forward as he bounded towards the other puppy with concern in his eyes.

"Hello?!" he called out as he came up on her, her whimpers and cries carrying through the air. Someone else would hear her soon- that much Angus was sure of, but, if nothing else maybe he could help her feel less scared.

"Hello? Hi! Hello!" he called out, smiling widely as he looked to her, tail wagging excitedly.

"My name's Angus! Hello!"

[Ivaylo]

"And I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you
I will show you fear in a handful of dust."

It was just beginning to feel like home again. Ivaylo started small with her daily strolls. First, it was to the stream by the Living Tree. The water was clear as crystal and had such clarity that it almost tasted sharp as a blade. She would pick her way along it, treading carefully with her now partly healed leg. The limping warrior, soon to be Acolyte apprentice, was beginning to memorize these short walks. She tried her hardest to learn more about these lands every day. Soon enough, her brief wanders became full-out adventures. Ivaylo had to sneak her way back to the Living Tree when she knew Harriette wouldn't be there, so it would look like she never left. She snickered as she thought of the one or two times her mentor had caught her trying to hunt on her own. She would admit, she was getting ahead of herself those times with her weak leg. But it was no longer as broken as it used to be.

Today, it seemed she had travelled a little too far this time. Her memories came flooding back as the pale girl gazed around and recognized the thinning trees, the grass, and finally, the wall that came into view like a bird's shadow against the sun. The stone curtain that protected Gemini. It was definitely a sight to see, especially after so long. The reminiscence was so vivid and real that she could smell it now. It grew stronger and stronger... Angus? Angus... Angus!

Green eyes widened and her jaw clenched as she took off with a staggering jump, an ache rising up her foreleg. Ivaylo hadn't seen him since they reunited, when she was conscious enough after the slaver war to recognize his face and his voice. The time and effort it took for her broken leg to heal distracted her from Angus' attention. She had to let him adapt to his new life here. She had to. It's what he deserved, and she was in no position to ensure his safety... And, despite not wanting to believe it, he was growing up. He really, really was.

The best part about it was, she was here to see it now. After a few minutes of searching, she caught a glimpse of the kid's auburn pelt and curly-haired head. She could spot that four-eyed face pup from 10 miles away. That was absolutely her best friend right there. And it looked as if he had company.

Her sprint quickly slowed to a trot, and she panted with a wide grin as she drew closer to the two. The pup who accompanied him looked frightened and terribly sad. Though her first instinct was to greet Angus and nip his ear playfully, she felt an unknown urge to go to the young girl and stand above her. She waited until she caught her breath, glancing at her friend and tossing a nonchalant wink his way, then licked her lips and sniffed the newcomer over her head. She wasn't Gemini's, she knew that for sure. Perhaps Angus saw where she came from.

She took a step toward him and first leaned down to rest her forehead on his. If he reciprocated, she would place a paw on his shoulder to deepen the hug but she wouldn't hesitate to recoil and smile at him still if he reacted anxiously. Then she sighed and took a moment to really look at him. "You got tall! What are you doing out here, Angus? Who's your friend here?" She motioned towards the little girl cowering by them, her tone ringing in good nature and warmth. She was here to see her old traveling companion again, but she was also here to help in any way she can.

@Angus @annowre

[annowre]

It was spring. Flowers were everywhere. A delicate breeze billowed through the tall grasses and buffeted the green tendril of the old, gnarled willow. A small group of wolves rested below it's protective branches. A warm giggle broke the silence as a small pup tumbled through the grass. Her mother chuckled at the child's antics and her father beamed with pride. It was an idyllic scene, a perfect pastoral setting within their small glen within the mountains. At least that's how Willow remembered it. She didn't see the snow packed into the valleys above, or the fact that her parents were growing frighteningly thin.

"Willow." The pup turned towards her mother and smiled. Her warm voice had always sounded like a song. The pup bounded over and fell into her mothers chest, looking up at her with wide blue eyes. Her father chuckled and her mother leaned down and gently licked her forehead. "Do you know why we named you, Willow?" The pup shook her head and sat, ready for a story. "This tree has been the heart of our territory for many generations. It represents our home, our family, and the safety of this valley. We know you'll be the new heart of our pack, so we named you for it." The girl beamed and knelt into her mother, snuggling into her chest. "No matter what happens, you can find safety under the willow."

Eyes snapped open as she was awoken from her half conscious state. She wildly looked around until her gaze found who had spoken to her. Another pup? She hadn't had any siblings, so she'd never seen another pup. Joint ached as Willow rolled onto her stomach, bleary vision looking up at the eccentric child. She hadn't felt safe since leaving home, but perhaps he wasn't so scary. A paw reached up to wipe her tear soaked face. She was going to reply to him, but then another approached. A wolf. A full grown adult wolf. Her parents had always said that strangers were dangerous. Fear washed over her.

The pup whimpered and used what little strength she had to creep backward into a thicker patch of grass, getting as much cover as she could. She was shaking. From fear, from cold, from hunger. There was really nothing to her, ridges of bone stuck out along her back and sides. Once warm and happy eyes were filled with terror as they remained locked on the adult wolf and fresh tears began running down her cheeks. Where was mama?

@Angus  @Ivaylo

[Angus]

His smile never left his face even as the sound of footsteps approached.

Then came the weight of someone he knew. Her scent filled his nose and the pup's heart fluttered with excitement, followed by immediate feelings he didn't recognize.

"You got tall! What are you doing out here, Angus? Who's your friend here?"

Something in his heart dropped and just for a second, the smile faltered and a look of dread filled his face, but it returned to a smile out of sheer genuine happiness as well as confusion. This wasn't at all how he'd expected today to go.

Angus looked to Ivaylo, then to the younger pup, and then down at his feet. He'd only hit...five months? Was he really growing that quickly? He didn't feel like it but, maybe he really was. The pups ears lowered a bit in embarrassment but he still returned the affection she had given him, even if internally the feeling was nothing more than fleeting.

"I, uh," he began, head snapping back to look at the pup who was now whimpering and crying once more. Green eyes grew wide as worry washed over him, and Angus sprang forth from Ivaylo's grasp towards the pup, offering a paw on her back in a comforting manner. Had the pup noticed what Ivaylo might not have? Was that moment of doubt in the pup's own head causing the younger one to feel sadness? Guilt would have been the next emotion to wash over him as he patted her back.

"Ahh! I'm, I'm sorry! Don't cry! We're friends! My, my, my name's Angus. This is, this is Ivaylo. We're friends. You can be our friend too!"

[Ivaylo]

"And I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you
I will show you fear in a handful of dust."

Something about the way Angus looked at her made Ivaylo hesitate to say much else. A quick glance down at her leg, and it would all make sense. A part of her wished she had long luscious hair or an article of clothing to distract from her scarred face. But there was no point in hiding it now. Angus knew what had happened. He was there, flesh and blood. She couldn't lie to him, not about this at least. Ivaylo wondered if they'd ever get the chance to talk about it, if she could ever explain and make him understand why things happened the way it did. She said a silent prayer, hoping to the stars that he wouldn't take it too hard.

She'd have time to think on that more later. For now, there was a lone pup in distress on the borders. Ivaylo was no Ranger, but she was old enough to make responsible decisions. Seeing Angus had distracted her, and she hadn't realized that the little girl had sunk backwards into a patch of thick grass, hiding from them. Or... Oh. Right. She'd forgotten that she had the opposite effect on children than she always intended. Except for Angus. Angus was the only child who wasn't afraid of her. Was that still the case? She looked down for a moment, holding back a sigh, and lightly touched her eye. Then, she turned as Angus did to go and comfort the child. For a minute, she watched him do his thing. A smirk creased on her lips as her friend comforted her. He never failed to impress her, even after so long of not seeing each other. She'd always remembered how kind he was, even in times of great stress. He was just as reckless as she was, but he was smarter. Just like her brother used to be. Ivaylo shook her head, bringing herself back to the present.

"Y-yes, don't worry. I'm a friend. Forever and always. Don't be scared. You're safe here. What's your name, little one?"

The pale woman approached slowly and crouched down a fair distance away from the girl, tilting her head to gaze into her ocean blue eyes. She was so frail and weak... Where did she come from? How long has she been alone? A pang of sadness pierced her heart. I know what you feel, child. I can't promise you it will be okay. But you will come out stronger. Ivaylo then straightened, turning to her dear friend and nodding towards him. "Angus. You're old enough to hunt now, yeah? Our new friend looks hungry... I'm going to bring her to the Living Tree and help her feel better. Can you help me find her food? I'd do it myself, but... Will you do that for me, old friend?" she asked him, eyes gleaming with sincerity but hiding a despondent look of guilt. She didn't want to send him away this soon, but they didn't have much time before night would fall and it would get even colder for the poor little thing. Plus, it would give her some time to think of what she would say to him once she had the girl settled in...

Green eyes looked back at blue again and she smiled genuinely, lowering her back and offering it for her to climb up on. "Come on. You don't have to walk anymore. I'll take you some place where you can sleep." She hoped her appearance didn't scare the young girl anymore. Ivaylo always tried not to appear intimidating, especially to children. She liked to believe she was good with them, but... maybe not as much as she hoped. She was going to be an Acolyte soon. She needed children to trust her. If they didn't, then what would be the point?