into the dark -- open!

[Paint]

Love of mine
Someday you will die
But I'll be close behind
I'll follow you into the dark

Shuddering paws led Rose forth into the Deadlands. She didn't know what she was seeking, in fact she doubted she would ever find anything again to put her at ease. Her heart beat slowly, painfully, as if it didn't quite believe in the need to keep going but did so because it had nothing else to do. Rose had lost Raiden. This time there was no shadow of a doubt. She had found the body.

Her coat had thinned out for summer but she welcomed the pain of the heat, thrumming through her fur and singeing her. Unable to even cry, Rose walked like a ghost, a mirage in the heat. She looked up into the sun, her dark eyes searching, but still felt cold to the bone. Despite the summer haze she felt her body turn to ice and refuse to melt. She continued to plod on, almost forgetting to breathe occasionally, in the deadly silence.

It seemed that fate had dealt the family a harsh card this year. Rose's lumbering father appeared, a smash of black and white across the way. She stopped. He simply looked at her, the same look of distance and cold in his dark eyes reflecting in hers. He too had lost a mate recently. Myu was gone.

Rose noticed how old her father now looked. Although still huge, his fur was not so glossy and his face looked tired. He made his way across the lands towards her, too exhausted to even be hateful. Rose knew that her father did not love easily, and would probably never love again. He'd given up Anevay for Myu and now both had disappeared. They met halfway and for a moment it was two years ago, in the aftermath of the earthquake, when their worlds had been shattered both physically and metaphorically. Without a word, Duke moved foward and embraced his eldest surviving daughter, and held her there. In the summer heat, two icebergs crashed into each other and began the slow process of thawing out.

No blinding light
Or tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight
Waiting for a hint of a spark

[lovelysnails]

- Taking shelter in the small and weak shade of a stray boulder was the petite body of Tammer. She wriggled there, desperately trying to force the heat out of her slate pelted back by rolling over and over in the shade’s dirt. Unfortunately, even that was warm. But it was better than the sun or the cooked ground. She may have been over exaggerating, but she loved cold and hated heat.
- Deciding it high time to get a move on, she rolled back onto her black paw pads and whined with discomfort when they touched Deadlands’ ground. Forcing herself to endure it, she bit her lip to try and be quiet, and walked forward. Tammer was trying to find her mother, father, granddad, and all other possible family members that lived in the Falling Moons pack. She knew at least her granddad, Duke, was here in his pack. After the earthquake struck, she had been so driven that every cell in her body shouted at her if she wanted to give up searching. And she never did.
- Awhile back she had met a Stars wolf named Oberon. He’d helped her find her brother, Bion, in the Stars territory and after seeing him, her want to find family decreased a bit. This was because she had found Bion, but she still wanted to find the others and was very positive that she would find another in the Moon’s land.
- Hesitation caught her when she first came to the Moon Stream, knowing it would be a bad idea to enter there unprotected. Being a daredevil though and quite … um, optimistic, led her to swim across and come into the Deadlands. For not even a day she’s been traveling over the terrain, and is so far loathing it.
- Tammer wished to run, bolt, zip over this space but knew she couldn’t. If she did she would lose energy that would be needed if someone decided to pick a fight with her. Plus, a strange wolf running through someone else’s home is bound to gather trouble. Letting out a long, annoyed sigh, as she walked Tammer looked forward. To her luck the sun was behind her, and even though it caused her body to warm up it did not burden her by shining in her eyes. An advantage at least.
- She knew she must be some way through this section of Moon territory, but couldn’t estimate or know exactly how much. What she did know was that her stomach was rumbling as it did when she first came into No Man’s Land on a place quite like this. At least then she could freely hunt, even though she only caught a lizard, while here it would also cause her trouble.
- Growling softly at her growling stomach to stop growling, her head instantly snapped up when a new smell, a smell of wolves, registered into her nostrils. Her amber eyes were wide with surprise as she examined the two from her sixty or so or less yards away. The male was huge with power and size while the female he was embracing was intimidatingly beautiful, however they both looked worn and tired; like they’ve had enough. Though with those small tweaks, instinct knew who they were by smell and memory.
- It was her granddad. And mother.

[Paint]

The Deadlands were so still, the hot, dry air would not relent to a soft breeze or rain drop. So there was no other sound, save for the two wolves who embraced, until the faraway sound of hunger pangs and irritable growls. The sounds were not so rare in the Moons lands, as it was well known that the prey preferred the Stars lands, but Duke and Rose glanced over. More out of obligation than geniune curiosity.

For a moment, Rose's heart stuttered as she saw a dark figure in the distance. She knew it could not be Raiden- she'd found him herself. But something about this figure resembled him. With the sun glinting in her eyes, she could only just make out that it was a female, and that she was rather petite. Duke also was blinded a little. With the lack of wind it was hard to pick up her scent, he guessed that they were upwind to her. Still, he knew who he was, and that was enough to call her out.

"Who is that? The sun conceals you," Duke called out, the usual aggression in his voice sunk to its bare minimum. The father and daughter stood and waited, but slowly Rose's keen eyes began to pick out other features. Her icy heart would not accept what her brain was slowly piecing together, though. She simply watched and waited for the wolf to come forwards.

[lovelysnails]

- Tammer’s heart beat rapidly inside her body; excitement and joy and fear of rejection was bursting in every single one of her cells because she heard the aggressive voice that she thought to be Duke’s. The unbearable emotions swelled against her and leaked through her features. Her amber eyes held excitement and fear, her body emanated her sensations, her small body was shaking slightly, and her face had an eager yet conflicted look on it. Overwhelmed, the young female could not speak for a too long seven seconds.
- “I-I’m T-Tammer,” her voice stammered feebly. It was barely audible to even her. She started again, this time louder and clear, “I’m Tammer.” Without being able to stop herself, she squeaked uncontrollably and unfortunately audibly, “Mom? Granddad?”
- She blushed deeply under her dark fur for a moment, and during that time a thought occurred to her. Where these even her relatives? Where they just some strange wolves who wouldn’t know who in the great wide world Tammer was? And if they were her granddad and mother would they even believe that she was really here?
- Her shaking continued; she was so incapable to control it. She also was suddenly very grateful for the fact that the sun shone in their eyes so they wouldn’t see, but it was a blessing and a curse.
- Tammer continued to stand under the burning sun on the hot ground which only left very numb feelings. The physical discomforts seemed far, far away as the emotions seemed highly intensified and were the only things relevant as of now.

[Paint]

For a moment the two wolves stood frozen, just as cold as the icebergs they were, unable to react. Rose thought she may be hallucinating, but the truly rational part of her thought through it- they'd never found Tammer's body. There was every chance that her daughter was still alive. She had never been forgotten, Rose had never really given up hope, but getting over the loss of her pups had been a tremendously hard thing to do. And now here was her daughter again. Standing strong, on strong legs. Rose remembered her defect when she was born.

"Tammer," she found the words fell from her maw in a whisper. Even with the flashing sunlight nearly silhouetting the figure in front of them, she believed. Duke remained very still for a moment, inhaling shallowly and straining to see. Was it possible that more of his descendants were alive? That his family would find their way here?

Before he could react, Rose had moved like a bolt of lightning across the grey sand towards the figure. She kept her eyes religiously trained on her, begging, wishing that this was not some sort of trick. That her pup had returned to her. As the sun shifted, she saw her in full view. Older, more beautiful, stronger- but this was her daughter. She could not speak but simply ran to her and instantly embraced her, stepping back and inhaling her scent. It was unmistakable.

"My pup! Oh my beautiful Tammer, you're here, you're alive," she felt as if she could cry, and indeed her dark eyes welled up, but she remained strong enough. She wanted nothing to blur her vision. She wanted to make sure that this was real. Duke made his way towards them, at a slower pace to say the least, but did eventually reach them too. Despite his losses, he found his smile, shaking his head in disbelief as he joined the reunion.

[lovelysnails]

- Tammer’s whole body stiffened and tensed as the stunning female wolf suddenly raced towards her. For a split second she thought, This is not my mom; run but she couldn’t run. She could barely breathe from the suddenness of the other female’s movements and her heart seemed to make her feet glued to the ground. The fact was, the other female’s running reminded Tammer of her own speed and agility and her mother’s. And as the wolf was halfway to her, she saw the familiar face of Rose. Her mom’s pit-less dark brown eyes that memorized her, the beautiful and mysterious white face with a gray muzzle, and the black nose that once nuzzled her to hope all came back to her in reality, not a dream.
- Then Rose was there, embracing her and smelling her and still loving her. Tammer had continued to be frozen when her mom embraced her, and unwillingly let Rose step away to examine her. Her amber eyes threatened to give way to tears then, when she saw the whole of Rose, but she held them in, wanting to look strong and unbreakable for her.
- She struggled to talk for a moment, though, after her mother spoke. All she could manage was, “Mom,” in a quiet voice, and she then walked up to her and laid her head on Rose’s neck and inhaled her sent too, remembering the wolf who wouldn’t give up on her, and nuzzled her nose into her shoulder. She continued quietly and shortly, afraid of whaling, “I missed you…”
- And then Duke was there and she stood up strait, still forcing back the tears and replacing them with a large smile. Her tail wagged rapidly and her heart felt like it was going to explode. Her voice got louder when she next spoke, “Mom! Granddad!” But, she couldn’t think of anything else to say but that. They were the most beautiful words she could say as of now. To ever be able to say them to the real wolves who were actually her mom and granddad again was the most relieving and miraculous thing.

[Paint]

Rose didn't care that Tammer wasn't saying much- what she was saying was enough. It made her real. She sounded so much more grown up, but stronger, braver. Rose could hardly believe the surge of life within her. She'd just lost Raiden, she knew. But maybe, just maybe, this was his way of asking forgiveness. He'd left her but he'd sent her Tammer. Tears began to stream down her pale face as she embraced her daughter again.

"Tammer," Duke spoke, voice deep, not nearly as emotional but then... he rarely was. "Granddaughter. Yet another survivor."

He shook his head, almost in disbelief, feeling the thaw of his iced up heart in the summer heat. He glanced briefly to the sun and then back at Tammer. Perhaps she was a sign of some sort. She looked very different, keeping in mind that she hadn't even been fully grown when the earthquake hit. And her legs. Rose seemed incapable of speaking so Duke took it upon himself.

"What took you so long, Tammer? Where have you been?" Duke asked, still shaking his head in disbelief. But the smile was still present on his face.

[lovelysnails]

- Tammer felt salty water run down her face as her mother embraced her again. Tammer was crying, actually and finally crying, not being able to hold for another moment, and she hated that her strong and fierce granddad was right there to see. Although, it was a comfort to her that her mother was crying, too.
- Trying to hold in the rest, she nuzzled into Rose's fur, inhaling her sweet scent again, and then again resentfully pulled away. Quickly she shook her face to rid herself of a few more falling tears and blushed under slate colored fur. “Sorry…” she mumbled before sitting up straight and beginning to explain.
- Duke’s question was an odd one for Tammer, at least for the current moment. It was formal and some-what critical, but she kept these thoughts only inside her mind and not on her face. She figured it shouldn’t be so much of a shock, as Granddad was never a wolf of many emotions. “Well, I was searching… I was searching for you, Bion, Blake, Grandma,” her eyes flicked to Rose, “Mom… and Dad.” Her amber eyes then flicked to the surroundings, expecting to see Raiden suddenly jump out of them and rush towards her to embrace her. That’s silly, though, Tammer. That type of thing only happens in tales… You’ll see him soon enough.
- “I started searching after the earthquake, figuring that if I survived, you and everyone else must’ve too. Unfortunately it took me until now to find you and I think that’s because it’s hard for a pup to travel very fast. Especially when she had a defect,” she looked down at her legs then and smiled wide. “By the way, I can run very quickly now.”

[Paint]

The emotional confusion caused by such good news and her state of mourning ripped Rose's normally highly controlled expression apart. The trauma upon her features was clear as Tammer spoke of her father, and Rose had to close her eyes for a moment to breathe and take it in. She wasn't prepared to tell her daughter that Raiden had recently died. That Tammer was a moment too late to see him one last time.

"Not everyone survived, unfortunately," Duke's voice was very low as he broached this serious topic. "Well, as far as we know. Some more may have survived and will return as you have done, but..."

He sighed.

"All of your aunts and uncles are dead," he spoke unflinchingly as Rose remained with her eyes closed, concentrating on simply breathing as the knowledge of her five siblings dying was re-lived. "Apart from Tallulah. And Onisim. Anevay, your grandmother, was lost and returned too late. I had already chosen Myu as my new mate."

It was oddly easy for Duke to fill Tammer in with all of this information. As he relayed everything she would need to know, business-like and in list format, he found his shell building up again.

"Unfortunately Myu recently died too."

The pain in his voice was the first real sign of emotion he had shown, and his black eyes dared Tammer to call him out on it. He stared at her, wondering how she would react. Had he been of softer character he may have spared her all of this news of death but that was not what Duke was made for. She had to know, and now was as good a time as any. He kept Raiden's death to himself, though, deciding that Rose would want to tell her that herself.

Rose opened her eyes and looked across at her daughter, smiling through her pain. She knew she would need reassurance after that wave of information.

"It has been a tough few years. I'm so proud of you for surviving, especially because the odds were against you," she nodded at Tammer's legs. Her smile spread wider at the thought that she could now run. Even walking had been a problem when she was much younger. Rose refrained from telling Tammer about Bion being in the Stars pack, or that Blake was still missing- or even that she now had two new siblings. There was so much that would shock her.

[lovelysnails]

- Tammer's face clouded with confusion as she watched her mother's pained face. She hadn't been around wolves for so long that she was easily forgetting to maintain a stony face, like she'd tried to maintain in her growing puppy age and had held until coming here. It was so easy to keep her face cold and hard, because that is what happened when death was pondered, when sadness prevailed until her hope burst forth.
- But, the way her face looked was an idiotic thing to think about now. It was stuffed away in the shabbiest of boxes in the farthest back of her mind. This was because she was here, with two members of her family, and suddenly Duke was ruling off all those who'd died, while her confused expression turned hard and cold. So, her face wasn't really a problem. The circumstance allowed it to solidify into stone...
- Her heart pounded inside her chest, though. It was very loud to Tammer's ears, but very slow, and very heavy. So all her mother's siblings were dead but the youngest. It made her heart a very, very tiny bit lighter at the thought of that, but she really didn't remember a lot of Tallulah.
- Anevay was dead, too. This made her heart more heavy. The grief built inside her cage of a body, trying to force it's way out, but she would not cry. Not now, as she saw the pain in her mother's beautiful face, and heard it in Duke's voice as he mentioned his new mate's name.
- His pain shocked her, made her glance to his eyes and see something. His dare made her continue to sit like a stone, and made the surprise vanish, replaced by a small fear in the grief, but also something new. A flicker of sympathy lit up inside the darkness grief was, and it was for Duke. He so rarely felt, and it made her more sad for him, even though Tammer had no clue who Myu ever was.
- Her head snapped from Duke's stare when Rose began to speak. Her mom's smiling face lifted the weight of her heart a little bit more, and reminded her how happy she was to see her.
- The corners of her mouth danced a little upwards as Rose commented on her legs. "Thank you," she responded, her voice quiet but sincere.
- Her amber eyes lifted back up to the eye levels of Rose's and Duke's then, as she continued, "I'm so sorry about the losses here. I wish I had come sooner, I would bet anything that Myu was wonderful." As she said the last part, she flashed a slightly apologetic look to her grandfather. She hoped it didn't offend him to hear her name.

[Paint]

Rose felt her black lips lift at the side when Tammer thanked her. She couldn't believe that her little pup, thought dead, was here. Walking and running strong. She felt hot tears spill down her cheeks, but she was silent. She simply couldn't contain the love in her heart.

Duke nodded a little, slightly vacant, at her comment. He could recognise her desire not to hurt or pity him. She was a smart wolf, he could tell. Then again, she was her mother's daughter.
"She was one of a kind," he nodded. Rose glanced sideways at him and felt her tears refrain a little. She used the gap to wipe her eyes with her bent leg and she looked at her daughter again.

"So does this mean that you would like to return to your pack?" Rose asked, but something in her tone indicated that she knew this was a big step. She wanted to give Tammer the choice. She gave a watery smile but the kindness in her black eyes made it clear that Tammer did not have to commit. Duke seemed a little confused by this, as if there was no other place for a wolf of his bloodline than the Falling Moons, but his face remained largely expressionless.

[sully]

His chest tightened the closer he came to the land he once loved, the one he wants so badly to be his. Flashbacks of the dreaded day he left his pack began to race through his thick skull, as his large paws hit the ground methodically as he began to return home.

Months back he made the mistake of challenging his father when things were not going so well in his life, and this he regrets deeply. Although, he's having a hard time biting the bullet and coming back with his tail literally between his creme tinted legs. Onism's onyx eyes glared forward, with the same determined stare he always has on. But behind that glare is a wounded soldier needing to come home.

The breeze carried the familiar scent of his family, his father most importantly. Quickening his pace now, his muscular legs carried his large body toward camp where there was an obvious gathering. There stood his father. Onism slowed his momentum down just a bit, but still came into full view. He's never been one for thinking before he does things, hence fighting his father for the Alpha title.

Onism knew that eyes could have fallen on him by now, making his stomach churn. Lowering his head in a submissive manner, the young son of Duke spoke.
"Father, may I have a word?" he asked. His words dripping from his muzzle effortlessly like velvety chocolate, keeping calm as he watched his father. Onism could almost not move, his muscles tightened but he knew that this could not be avoided any longer.

[lovelysnails]

- Tammer nodded politely to Duke, agreeing with what he said, even though she never even saw Myu. She'd just take his word for it, and be glad that he wasn't showing anger currently. It was unfortunate that he was acting a bit vacant, though. Myu must really have been wonderful.
- Why did so many have to be dead? At the least Mom, Bion, Dad and Granddad were alive, and maybe even Blake... They didn't know for sure if he was dead.
- Rose's voice snapped her out of her reverie at once. It startled her a bit, hearing the question and the option in Rose's tone. Her rock-like expression was made alive with surprise because of it.
- Tammer really should have known that she would be asked if she wanted to return. Foolish, foolish her to not have it even cross her mind!
- It was an easy decision to make, though. Oberon's words of wisdom, of being able to choose, flashed in her mind. She didn't have to choose right away, she could be a loner for a while, but she knew what she wanted. She wanted family, and a home, and not to be alone anymore. She wanted her mom and her dad, her granddad, and yes, her brothers... But more family was here for her, especially her parents. Having them in the Falling Moons made the decision so obvious. Rose's joy at seeing her also made it so, and same with the fact of Duke's loss. He probably would never admit it, but she had a feeling he would want more family close, and Tammer wanted to be as close as possible to her family. She was not going to get lost from them again.
- Tammer's face smoothed, becoming slightly hard again, as sadness was still there from the news of death, but her face was lit with a small smile. Her own tears of joy were about to break loose as she opened her maw to answer, but suddenly a scent made her whip her head around.
- Not noticing who it was at first, her eyes became harsh. The male's scent had interrupted the conversation of the three, and it stopped her from answering with "yes".

[Paint]

Rose waited with bated breath, but she thought that she could probably read Tammer's answer in her expression. She smiled. Upon Onisim's approach, Rose felt her attention shift with utter surprise to her brother. She hadn't seen him for months. Rose glanced at their father, dark eyes trying to read his lack of expression. She knew what had happened between her father and brother. A natural progression, Duke had said, but she knew that the cuts ran deeper than simply fur and skin.

Duke looked at his son. Although he had looked the same the last time he had seen him, Duke thought Onisim looked different. He wondered where he'd been. Realising what Onisim had missed, Duke felt anger well up inside him like a tidal wave. But he held it back. He knew how to use his anger these days.

He nodded to Onisim's question, glancing back at his daughter and newly arrived granddaughter and walking away. Rose turned back to Tammer, knowing that Duke and Onisim would want some privacy. Luckily a wind was picking up, whistling fairly loudly.

"You can take your time if you haven't quite decided yet. I know this is a big shock," Rose spoke softly to Tammer, reaching out a snowy paw and placing it upon her daughter's.

Duke turned to face his son, but said nothing. Duke wanted to know where he had been but he assumed that he was about to be told. Either way, perhaps it wasn't so important as what Onisim was about to say.

[sully]

Onism's stare grew dark, for this was the last thing he'd ever wanted to do. It was like a knife through the heart, seeing his father in utter disgust with him. But, he has every reason to be and also every reason to not let him stay or accept the apology Onism was about to offer.

The male looked at his father square in the eyes, "Dad." he said with a sigh. "I ask not for your forgiveness, but for your understanding of my obvious mistake. It was more than foolish of me to challenge you, and for that I am deeply sorry." his tone crackled, for he was feeling quite emotional. Seeing as Onism is a family man, being away from his own has hurt him greatly. He's never felt so alone, and could not live another day without being with the ones he knows and loves.

Onism's onyx eyes swelled up with tears, moments went by as his walls were being torn down in front of his father. He'd never shown emotion to anyone really, but this was too much for even his large burly body to handle. His gaze migrated from his fathers, to the ground in front of him before continuing. "I would understand if you no longer wished to see me, dad. But I ask that you see me as your boy, not as the monster I was months back. Something took a hold of me... and I made a huge mistake." he said, looking back up at him. "I hate to say this, but I kind of need you." he said, a little embarrassed. He'd never been really good with words, and nothing had clearly changed.

He sighed, knowing that his battle was lost months ago... but he never felt like his life would be lost as much as it did now. Waiting, in the silence... after all this time he hadn't spoken to him, rattling his brain about what his father would say to him. His chest tightened, anxiety filling his chest. He'd never felt like this... and never hoped to again.