Post by Pavane on Oct 1, 2012 18:17:59 GMT -5
---Ikuna, Miakoda, Ahiga, Tala - Near the Fallen Log---
Summer turned into fall, and the dogs attacked. That was the first reason for Ikuna's delay in moving Ute. The second reason was the injuries sustained in that attack. The third reason was that the pack was still missing members. Tala and Ahiga were still gone, and Ikuna waited for their return as the autumn grew colder, as the threat of winter loomed. Finally, he could wait no longer. Not if he wished to move before winter truly came - and on that matter, he remained adamant. Ute would leave Cerulean's lands, and not to return to the hilltop where they once lived. No; Ute would have a new home. With no report from his sister and... Ahiga... the direction of their travel came instead from his elder brother. Skahla, in one of his absences from the pack, brought news, and late in fall, Ute set out. A wise decision? Perhaps not. Wise or not, Ute travels - lame Wachiwa, half-grown pups, weakened adolescents, and all. They've only recently passed beyond the furthest edges of Cerulean's territory, striking out into new ground, and Ikuna leads them; sometimes close at hand, sometimes ranging out a little ways to scout as the other rests. He's doing that now, out ahead of the rest, and on his shoulder is the stylized sun that was once a mark of Ute - and that Ikuna, at least, now wears again.
Time passed. Lots of time. Lots of time and much traveling to places unknown. Some places good. Some desolate. They were on a mission of sorts anyway, weren't they? Scout some lands. At least...that was the excuse. The excuse to walk away and stay away and turn backs and be angry. An out, sort of. One that Ahiga took at first offer. Intentions of completing that mission? To turn around and go back to that which he has so soured his heart to? There were no intentions. At least, not for him. This was the start of something new. Something different. Something away from Ikuna. .... Or at least, it was. It was until the seasons started to change which caused changes in other things. Changes that eventually drew in dark and evil deeds that Ahiga horribly had no control over. Powerless. And now he walks with acid in his heart and a mind that can't seem to focus. With thoughts that just won't go away. On paws that's taking them back to the place he left, though he puts up no fight. Tala is close, and their pace is slow because of her. Because of the smell of blood and pain that comes from her. He says nothing to her as they go, though a scent in the air has him perking his ears and stopping in a jerkish way. A familiar scent he hasn't smelled in a long, long time.
As has always been her habit, she does her best to help... albeit from a distance, although the distance is not so great anymore. Having been traveling at the slower pace of the others, the she-wolf had seen Ikuna break away from the main group in order to investigate what lies ahead of them. The idea of venturing forward happens to be appealing to her at that moment in time, and so shortly after the Ute leader comes into view, Miakoda sweeps in not too far behind although she encroaches from a slightly different angle. A short, yodeling sort of bark is made... but it's for Ikuna's ears, not Ahiga or Tala's, as she doesn't have a clue that anyone else, nevermind that long-lost duo, is nearby.
Lands where found, a place that could have been home if certain things didn't happen. Days passed, turned to weeks, and plenty was talked about during the time Tala and Ahiga was away. One thing was certain Tala was not a pup anymore; she hadn't been for some time though the young adult she-wolf had plenty on her mind during a certain time of the season and with the wolf she chosen to be her mate all was fine. At least his was the thought the two had, perhaps they would have started over, their own pack and at some point would have sent word to Ikuna. This is what Tala thought would have been a grand thing, with time passes wounds heal and she was truly hoping that the problem Ahiga and Ikuna would have perhaps been fixed by then.
Though plans tend to fall apart, thoughts cast to the side in a moment all hopes and dreams are shot down and Tala is lucky to still be alive. Though the one that has harmed her wanted her to live after all, there was a reason behind what he did. Each bit of movement is hard for Tala, her left shoulder was ripped into, and her right back leg is unable to bare her full weight. There are more wounds then one can count hidden within her thick winter coat, and her breathing rattles. Her head is carried low, ears pinned back and even as Ahiga seems to catch the familiar scent it doesn't do a thing to lift her spirts, which at the moment seem utterly crushed.
As moon after moon passed by, Ikuna was left with the conclusion that Tala and Ahiga weren't going to return. Well. He'd always known it was a possibility. Hope faded. So did anger. So did sorrow. His emotions on that matter are calm, or so he believes. Instead, his thoughts are filled with those present - the ones he hasn't lost. Yet. Ikuna's senses are intent, but it's on finding easy paths and looking for danger, not searching for those he thinks gone. Besides, the wind favors them, not him. His ear flicks to Miakoda's call, and he returns the bark in kind. Wruff-wru, here I am, here you are, the calls of wolves tracking each other when out of sight.
Sounds. Ahiga pauses at them, ears swiveling in quick, jerkish motions. Nervous motions. Sounds. Why do they disturb him so? It's not the sound of whimpers and crying or wailing or growling. Snarling and meanness and hurting. The sounds that he did not hear because he was so far away...yet, somehow, sounds that plague him in sleep that can never find him for long. As if he had been there. But ... he wasn't. These instead are the sounds of wolves. His brethren. And, beyond that, familiar wolves that were packmates once upon a not so long time ago. So why is it that his nerves fray further and his twitchy ears fold back and something unseen inside of him clenches? Eyes dart to Tala, but they can't stay long. The sight of her is a dagger to his heart. A pain that causes lips to curl and fangs to bare. He looks away, instead peering ahead through narrowed eyes. It's Ikuna. It's ... Miakoda. Friends. Help. He howls an angry, anguished sound.
And they progress onward in that way, fanning out across the area, Ikuna on one fringe and she on the other. Her concentration is largely on the area close by, her nose and ears and eyes working over the immediate ground as she looks for any signs of threats or dangers or other potential problems. When the notable shape of the fallen log finally comes into view, Miakoda is given pause... and her mind drifts back to an earlier time of indecision, the last time she was here. She's in the middle of this reverie when Ahiga breaks his silence, and the sound is so unexpected and so sour-noted that it instantaneously causes her fur to ripple up in waves all along her spine. But was there something familiar in that awfully pitched howl? An unconscious response that can't exactly be called a whine or a yelp bubbles from her throat but it's quiet, and maybe the others won't be able to hear it. Maybe.
Sights and sounds still plague Tala's mind and the most likely will for a long time to come now. She leans against Ahiga, form quivering with a muffled whine escapes her. Her maw opens just slightly before it closes tightly, a hard lump is swallowed down. The bark is heard, and then another, a ear slowly perks forward and her eyes open to peer towards where she thinks others can be found. Her form quivers more and she shifts on her paws only to lose her rocky weak stance and she falls to the ground in a heap of wolf. Once down she doesn't try to get back up to her paws. She didn't want to return, not to the pack like this but it wasn't a decision she made and she was in no form to try and stop Ahiga. Many things went through her mind on the travel here, like how she wished Ahiga had left her, or perhaps not even found her then perhaps no one she loved would have to see her like this. Her eyes close tightly and she just stays down, all fight completely gone.
That voice. Ikuna knows that voice... well. He knew that voice once. This voice? The one that howls now, drenched with so much pain and anger... he doesn't know that one. It isn't the voice he once knew, the one... that was gone. The one that left him. No, this isn't the Ahiga that left, that much he knows. It certainly isn't the Ahiga from before, from... the happy times. Ikuna bays, a single note of call - then saves his breath, launching into a lope toward Ahiga. Ikuna's legs are strong; it's only moments before they come into view. The other male gets only a glance, though; for it's Tala that draws his attention and keeps it. He sees her, oh, he sees her like that. Now Ikuna is the one who gives a soft whine, and Ahiga continues to be ignored as Ikuna approaches his sister. A step, then another one, and Ikuna lowers himself to his belly as he creeps closer, being as unthreatening as possible as he seeks to come close enough to softly touch her cheek with his nose.
Maybe. Maybe they won't hear it. Ahiga surely makes no sign of having picked up that gurgled response from Miakoda. In truth, after the last tones of his howl die, he makes no sign of doing much of anything else for a while. He stands while Tala falls, the sound of her collapse louder than anything else to his ears. His reaction is almost belated. His wince. The lowering of his head to her while eyes strangely are kept focused on one unimportant spot straight ahead. All done almost like an afterthought. His mind suffering from jetlag. And then a wolf comes into view. Ikuna. Not the maker of the sound he heard before, which means the're someone else nearby too. As Ikuna steps forth, he moves back, matching step for step as if an allotted amount of space must be kept between them at all times. Ikuna may be ignoring him, but that's all good and fine. Attention is not what he seeks. "I didn't keep her safe."
Motionless and silent except for that one half-stifled sound, the she-wolf awaits the action of the Alpha before doing anything... although that in itself proves to be quite a feat for her as her instinctive, driving reaction is to break into a sprint in the direction that the cry came from. She'll get to do that soon enough, though. Miakoda hears Ikuna's call and then hears his movements crashing through the winter-dry undergrowth before he slides briefly across her line of sight, and she hesitates no longer. She darts off after him, tearing down more low-lying branches and trampling small shrubs in her hurry... but her hurry does a quick about-face when she finds Ahiga and Tala, with Tala tattered and torn and crumpled up on the snow. Mia skids to a halt, almost sitting down in her hurry to stop. And her golden eyes fly wide and she's struck dumb, unable to do anything other than stand there and stare, ears laying back and her tail drooping down to the ground despite Ahiga's blunt statement.
Tala makes no move to try and touch Ahiga back, in the back of her mind she can see him just wanting to run, and not look back, not come back, not now. Tears slowly roll down her cheeks, it is a very rare moment for anyone to ever catch Tala crying and now is one of those times. Fear grips her mind, as much as she wanted to be alone there is the fear of her being truely alone and back where she was. Soft whimpers escape her, as if she is unable to hold them back, little cries that soon disappear at the movement of others are picked up in the area. She doesn't move, her eyes refuse to open and she just lays there as Ikuna slowly comes near. At the touch her head pulls back, a quiver runs down her spine and she sucks in a shakey breath as if expecting something to strike her.
His gaze goes briefly to Ahiga as the other wolf speaks, but only for a moment, and then Ikuna's attention is back on Tala. His ears are perked. His eyes are intent. He's... he doesn't even know. His emotions haven't caught up with this scene yet. Neither have his thoughts. Those ears catch the sound of Miakoda crashing after him, but he pays it little enough heed. That's not important right now. He doesn't pursue Tala as she recoils, simply remaining where he is, crouched on his belly before her. He's silent for a long moment, until finally something manages to come through to sense and speech. He looks up, out over Tala's back, but his words are for Ahiga, pitched for the other wolf to hear. "I'm no better." His gaze lowers again, regarding Tala... though he still doesn't approach. Not yet, not when... His thoughts still aren't caught up to some things.
What a sordid little reunion. The gang's all here. Ahiga, Ikuna, Tala, and now, even Miakoda. More witnessess to the bloody act, though the unseen worst of it not even Ahiga can articulate. Nor does he want to. But ... they're here for a reason. They came back because he can't do this. He can't nurse her and tend to her and assure her when he himself is not sure. She needs more than he is able to give, and thus here they are. His eyes turn to Miakoda, and the expression on her face keeps him staring. What's going through her mind? What thoughts? Who does she blame?" Then, Ikuna's spoken words steak his attention away, though he has no immediate reply to them. Expression remains grim with no intentions of changing anytime soon. Tala is right in her thoughts. If he could run, he would. Badness keeps catching up with him. "I didn't know what else to do but bring her back."
Tala hears them, the voices are like echoes in her mind at the moment and her eyes close. She isn't sure what she needs, days ago she wished for death, now she is just numb all over. Her thoughts go back an forth over ideas that are poping up. What if Ahiga leaves? What if the pack doesn't want her back? Wachiwa is one thing but her?... Her eyes close tightly, head pulling closer to her and and a shakey whimper escapes her.
Ikuna nods fractionally to Ahiga's words, his gaze remaining on Tala. "Ute's... on the move. We're going someplace new." Now? With winter's chill in the air, now is the time that they're moving? There's some justice behind the questions of Ikuna's wisdom, his ability as alpha. He's heard the protests, listened patiently to each one, but he hasn't changed his mind for them. Ute must move, on that he's certain. To one of the questions in Tala's mind, his answer is just as certain, his acceptance of her unquestioning. The other, though... "Are you staying?"
They're moving? There's a fractional lift of Ahiga's ears at that. Why now? "Sounds just as brilliant as Wachiwa's idea to..." He trails off, unable to finish the train of thought. Wachiwa. It's all hitting too close to home. But maybe...maybe nothing will come of it. Maybe the wost of it all are Tala's injuries. That's bad enough. The physical attack of teeth and claws. Maybe the other thing...maybe...there was no other thing. Denial. Pretend it didn't happen and maybe, in the end, it didn't. His thought are shaken by the question of the hour. Is he staying? Are .... they staying? "That's not important. Don' matter what my answer is. Either way, you're still gonna help her. She's what's important."
Tala swallows slightly, there moving... Moving to where? Her breathing catches as Ahiga says Wachiwa. Perhaps it is just the wounds, she can hope and wsh for that but no one will know until spring what happened it seems. Her eyes close tighter as she hears Ahiga go on, it does matter though, it matter to her. Because if he leaves when she is better it is going to be worse on her then. She doesn't want to move though, the thought of having to move again is nothing but agnoy it seems. So many things are running through her mind right now. Leaving, staying, fear, pain, and more things that seem to scamper off to the edges of her thoughts.
Ikuna's ears splay slightly at Ahiga's first words, but he's heard it before. Not in those words, exactly, but he knows where Ahiga's going, and he's heard it. He doesn't move to defend himself. As for the other, his answer to Ahiga's lack thereof is prompt. "Of course I am." That was never in any doubt, not to anyone - except perhaps the broken thing that Tala - no, not that she is. That covers over her like a dark cloud, hiding the beloved sister that surely, surely is still there... somewhere. "She's not why I asked." And how long is he going to keep talking about her like she isn't there? In a way, she isn't. He watches her for another moment, then speaks again, his voice carefully stripped of emotion. Just the facts. "Grim is dead. So is the red dog, and the big white one. Brutal is gone."
How can he stay here with them? Without them, and even without Tala, there would be no one to worry over. No one to occupy himself with. No one whose feelings, when hurt, feels as if yours too have been crushed. The only person to care about would be himself, and how tempting that does sound. A pack of one where things like this...don't happen. He chances another glance at her, as if making sure she stll breathes, before averting his gaze again. Snapping his eyes back to Ikuna. Grim, dead? Brutal, disappeared? Questions explode n his mind, though none quite reach past that. The red dog and...most importantly...the white. His ears prick and eyes widen. But .. no. Couldn't be. This was just days prior. A growl rises at the memory. A sound that soon morphs to a snarl. "The white one lives!" Because, you know, there's only one white dog in the universe. His words are clipped and snarled. "He's the one that did this!
Tala ears twitch forward and then back listening to the pair as the conversation as best she possible can. Her eyes slowly open and she peers up at them, first Ahiga and then Ikuna. Yes, when are you going to stop talking like she isn't there? Cause she can hear you! There is a blink and then another as she hears the bit where Grim is dead, Brutal gone an so forth. What happened to them... How... An then there is the snarl from Ahiga and she is cringing backwards a few inches. A sharp whimper escapes her at the comment of the 'white one'.
Ikuna looks up again at Ahiga's growl, and this time, his eyes actually remain on the other male. They linger there, and his hackles rise slightly - in response to the snarl, or else to the words so spoken. Despite those raised hackles, he keeps his crouched position. The unspoken message of body language is clear: either Ikuna's stupid, or he, somehow, still trusts Ahiga. "Then he /will/ die." His tone is even. Just the facts. He gazes steadily at Ahiga another moment before turning back to his sister. "Tala," he says softly. Now, apparently, is the time. "I'm sorry. I'm here now."
He will die. That's for damn sure. If Ahiga is certain of nothing else, of this he is. If he had the opportunity, he would've tracked Ghast down the moment he became aware of what happened. But Tala's well-being was, and is, too fragile. But now... now that they're back and the pack can watch after her in ways he's utterly failed, perhaps now he can seek vengeance. His eyes show many things, though above them all is anger, though at last it's not directed at Ikuna even though his eyes remain on his until his look away. "She needs rest," he says, his snarl no longer heard in his voice. "We've walked a long way."
Tala hears the two as they talk, her eyes close tightly as thoughts enter her mind once more. She's been many things in her life but fragile was never one of them, and now here she is looking beyond broken if that is at all possible. A ear twitchs forward as she hears Ikuna but her eyes never open to look at him.
"Yes," says Ikuna, and now Ahiga is the one he's not looking at, his attention instead staying on Tala. He doesn't look back - hasn't looked that way, since he arrived - but his next words aren't meant for either of the newly returned wolves. "Mia," he says instead. "Bring the others. We'll rest here tonight." He doesn't even look her way, but then... he is the alpha, and she'll likely be grateful for the excuse to leave this behind for now. Grateful or not, she departs quietly, leaving just the three of them here. Privacy, for whatever more they have to say; though Ikuna, at least, is silent for the moment.
What is there left to say? Other than the grim details of what hapepend, and even Ahiga himself doesn't know all of what happened. The only one who has the full extent of it would be Tala. Obviously, she's not talking, but he can't blame her. He doesn't very well feel like reliving the every detail of this either. Especially the details that he was not present to witness himself.So, what now? She's here. She'll be protrected and taken care of. He's here ... and he's not quite sure if that is what he wants or not. "I have to go. Go lookin' for him."
Tala swallows a moment, a ear slowly twitching towards Ahiga as he talks about leaving, a soft whine escapes her and her eyes open. Her stormy steel blue gaze looks pained filled and fearful while she turns her attention to Ahiga and just watches him. He’s leaving...now?
That got a reaction from Tala, and Ikuna lifts his head to look over to Ahiga again. "You can rest first." It's not a question, and it's not an order either. It's not the tone he used for Mia; it's a different one, though the changes are hard to place. "If he's near enough, better you stay." His eyes flick meaningfully to Tala. "If not... a few days won't make a difference." Ikuna frowns, and then he adds something else. "It's up to you."
Summer turned into fall, and the dogs attacked. That was the first reason for Ikuna's delay in moving Ute. The second reason was the injuries sustained in that attack. The third reason was that the pack was still missing members. Tala and Ahiga were still gone, and Ikuna waited for their return as the autumn grew colder, as the threat of winter loomed. Finally, he could wait no longer. Not if he wished to move before winter truly came - and on that matter, he remained adamant. Ute would leave Cerulean's lands, and not to return to the hilltop where they once lived. No; Ute would have a new home. With no report from his sister and... Ahiga... the direction of their travel came instead from his elder brother. Skahla, in one of his absences from the pack, brought news, and late in fall, Ute set out. A wise decision? Perhaps not. Wise or not, Ute travels - lame Wachiwa, half-grown pups, weakened adolescents, and all. They've only recently passed beyond the furthest edges of Cerulean's territory, striking out into new ground, and Ikuna leads them; sometimes close at hand, sometimes ranging out a little ways to scout as the other rests. He's doing that now, out ahead of the rest, and on his shoulder is the stylized sun that was once a mark of Ute - and that Ikuna, at least, now wears again.
Time passed. Lots of time. Lots of time and much traveling to places unknown. Some places good. Some desolate. They were on a mission of sorts anyway, weren't they? Scout some lands. At least...that was the excuse. The excuse to walk away and stay away and turn backs and be angry. An out, sort of. One that Ahiga took at first offer. Intentions of completing that mission? To turn around and go back to that which he has so soured his heart to? There were no intentions. At least, not for him. This was the start of something new. Something different. Something away from Ikuna. .... Or at least, it was. It was until the seasons started to change which caused changes in other things. Changes that eventually drew in dark and evil deeds that Ahiga horribly had no control over. Powerless. And now he walks with acid in his heart and a mind that can't seem to focus. With thoughts that just won't go away. On paws that's taking them back to the place he left, though he puts up no fight. Tala is close, and their pace is slow because of her. Because of the smell of blood and pain that comes from her. He says nothing to her as they go, though a scent in the air has him perking his ears and stopping in a jerkish way. A familiar scent he hasn't smelled in a long, long time.
As has always been her habit, she does her best to help... albeit from a distance, although the distance is not so great anymore. Having been traveling at the slower pace of the others, the she-wolf had seen Ikuna break away from the main group in order to investigate what lies ahead of them. The idea of venturing forward happens to be appealing to her at that moment in time, and so shortly after the Ute leader comes into view, Miakoda sweeps in not too far behind although she encroaches from a slightly different angle. A short, yodeling sort of bark is made... but it's for Ikuna's ears, not Ahiga or Tala's, as she doesn't have a clue that anyone else, nevermind that long-lost duo, is nearby.
Lands where found, a place that could have been home if certain things didn't happen. Days passed, turned to weeks, and plenty was talked about during the time Tala and Ahiga was away. One thing was certain Tala was not a pup anymore; she hadn't been for some time though the young adult she-wolf had plenty on her mind during a certain time of the season and with the wolf she chosen to be her mate all was fine. At least his was the thought the two had, perhaps they would have started over, their own pack and at some point would have sent word to Ikuna. This is what Tala thought would have been a grand thing, with time passes wounds heal and she was truly hoping that the problem Ahiga and Ikuna would have perhaps been fixed by then.
Though plans tend to fall apart, thoughts cast to the side in a moment all hopes and dreams are shot down and Tala is lucky to still be alive. Though the one that has harmed her wanted her to live after all, there was a reason behind what he did. Each bit of movement is hard for Tala, her left shoulder was ripped into, and her right back leg is unable to bare her full weight. There are more wounds then one can count hidden within her thick winter coat, and her breathing rattles. Her head is carried low, ears pinned back and even as Ahiga seems to catch the familiar scent it doesn't do a thing to lift her spirts, which at the moment seem utterly crushed.
As moon after moon passed by, Ikuna was left with the conclusion that Tala and Ahiga weren't going to return. Well. He'd always known it was a possibility. Hope faded. So did anger. So did sorrow. His emotions on that matter are calm, or so he believes. Instead, his thoughts are filled with those present - the ones he hasn't lost. Yet. Ikuna's senses are intent, but it's on finding easy paths and looking for danger, not searching for those he thinks gone. Besides, the wind favors them, not him. His ear flicks to Miakoda's call, and he returns the bark in kind. Wruff-wru, here I am, here you are, the calls of wolves tracking each other when out of sight.
Sounds. Ahiga pauses at them, ears swiveling in quick, jerkish motions. Nervous motions. Sounds. Why do they disturb him so? It's not the sound of whimpers and crying or wailing or growling. Snarling and meanness and hurting. The sounds that he did not hear because he was so far away...yet, somehow, sounds that plague him in sleep that can never find him for long. As if he had been there. But ... he wasn't. These instead are the sounds of wolves. His brethren. And, beyond that, familiar wolves that were packmates once upon a not so long time ago. So why is it that his nerves fray further and his twitchy ears fold back and something unseen inside of him clenches? Eyes dart to Tala, but they can't stay long. The sight of her is a dagger to his heart. A pain that causes lips to curl and fangs to bare. He looks away, instead peering ahead through narrowed eyes. It's Ikuna. It's ... Miakoda. Friends. Help. He howls an angry, anguished sound.
And they progress onward in that way, fanning out across the area, Ikuna on one fringe and she on the other. Her concentration is largely on the area close by, her nose and ears and eyes working over the immediate ground as she looks for any signs of threats or dangers or other potential problems. When the notable shape of the fallen log finally comes into view, Miakoda is given pause... and her mind drifts back to an earlier time of indecision, the last time she was here. She's in the middle of this reverie when Ahiga breaks his silence, and the sound is so unexpected and so sour-noted that it instantaneously causes her fur to ripple up in waves all along her spine. But was there something familiar in that awfully pitched howl? An unconscious response that can't exactly be called a whine or a yelp bubbles from her throat but it's quiet, and maybe the others won't be able to hear it. Maybe.
Sights and sounds still plague Tala's mind and the most likely will for a long time to come now. She leans against Ahiga, form quivering with a muffled whine escapes her. Her maw opens just slightly before it closes tightly, a hard lump is swallowed down. The bark is heard, and then another, a ear slowly perks forward and her eyes open to peer towards where she thinks others can be found. Her form quivers more and she shifts on her paws only to lose her rocky weak stance and she falls to the ground in a heap of wolf. Once down she doesn't try to get back up to her paws. She didn't want to return, not to the pack like this but it wasn't a decision she made and she was in no form to try and stop Ahiga. Many things went through her mind on the travel here, like how she wished Ahiga had left her, or perhaps not even found her then perhaps no one she loved would have to see her like this. Her eyes close tightly and she just stays down, all fight completely gone.
That voice. Ikuna knows that voice... well. He knew that voice once. This voice? The one that howls now, drenched with so much pain and anger... he doesn't know that one. It isn't the voice he once knew, the one... that was gone. The one that left him. No, this isn't the Ahiga that left, that much he knows. It certainly isn't the Ahiga from before, from... the happy times. Ikuna bays, a single note of call - then saves his breath, launching into a lope toward Ahiga. Ikuna's legs are strong; it's only moments before they come into view. The other male gets only a glance, though; for it's Tala that draws his attention and keeps it. He sees her, oh, he sees her like that. Now Ikuna is the one who gives a soft whine, and Ahiga continues to be ignored as Ikuna approaches his sister. A step, then another one, and Ikuna lowers himself to his belly as he creeps closer, being as unthreatening as possible as he seeks to come close enough to softly touch her cheek with his nose.
Maybe. Maybe they won't hear it. Ahiga surely makes no sign of having picked up that gurgled response from Miakoda. In truth, after the last tones of his howl die, he makes no sign of doing much of anything else for a while. He stands while Tala falls, the sound of her collapse louder than anything else to his ears. His reaction is almost belated. His wince. The lowering of his head to her while eyes strangely are kept focused on one unimportant spot straight ahead. All done almost like an afterthought. His mind suffering from jetlag. And then a wolf comes into view. Ikuna. Not the maker of the sound he heard before, which means the're someone else nearby too. As Ikuna steps forth, he moves back, matching step for step as if an allotted amount of space must be kept between them at all times. Ikuna may be ignoring him, but that's all good and fine. Attention is not what he seeks. "I didn't keep her safe."
Motionless and silent except for that one half-stifled sound, the she-wolf awaits the action of the Alpha before doing anything... although that in itself proves to be quite a feat for her as her instinctive, driving reaction is to break into a sprint in the direction that the cry came from. She'll get to do that soon enough, though. Miakoda hears Ikuna's call and then hears his movements crashing through the winter-dry undergrowth before he slides briefly across her line of sight, and she hesitates no longer. She darts off after him, tearing down more low-lying branches and trampling small shrubs in her hurry... but her hurry does a quick about-face when she finds Ahiga and Tala, with Tala tattered and torn and crumpled up on the snow. Mia skids to a halt, almost sitting down in her hurry to stop. And her golden eyes fly wide and she's struck dumb, unable to do anything other than stand there and stare, ears laying back and her tail drooping down to the ground despite Ahiga's blunt statement.
Tala makes no move to try and touch Ahiga back, in the back of her mind she can see him just wanting to run, and not look back, not come back, not now. Tears slowly roll down her cheeks, it is a very rare moment for anyone to ever catch Tala crying and now is one of those times. Fear grips her mind, as much as she wanted to be alone there is the fear of her being truely alone and back where she was. Soft whimpers escape her, as if she is unable to hold them back, little cries that soon disappear at the movement of others are picked up in the area. She doesn't move, her eyes refuse to open and she just lays there as Ikuna slowly comes near. At the touch her head pulls back, a quiver runs down her spine and she sucks in a shakey breath as if expecting something to strike her.
His gaze goes briefly to Ahiga as the other wolf speaks, but only for a moment, and then Ikuna's attention is back on Tala. His ears are perked. His eyes are intent. He's... he doesn't even know. His emotions haven't caught up with this scene yet. Neither have his thoughts. Those ears catch the sound of Miakoda crashing after him, but he pays it little enough heed. That's not important right now. He doesn't pursue Tala as she recoils, simply remaining where he is, crouched on his belly before her. He's silent for a long moment, until finally something manages to come through to sense and speech. He looks up, out over Tala's back, but his words are for Ahiga, pitched for the other wolf to hear. "I'm no better." His gaze lowers again, regarding Tala... though he still doesn't approach. Not yet, not when... His thoughts still aren't caught up to some things.
What a sordid little reunion. The gang's all here. Ahiga, Ikuna, Tala, and now, even Miakoda. More witnessess to the bloody act, though the unseen worst of it not even Ahiga can articulate. Nor does he want to. But ... they're here for a reason. They came back because he can't do this. He can't nurse her and tend to her and assure her when he himself is not sure. She needs more than he is able to give, and thus here they are. His eyes turn to Miakoda, and the expression on her face keeps him staring. What's going through her mind? What thoughts? Who does she blame?" Then, Ikuna's spoken words steak his attention away, though he has no immediate reply to them. Expression remains grim with no intentions of changing anytime soon. Tala is right in her thoughts. If he could run, he would. Badness keeps catching up with him. "I didn't know what else to do but bring her back."
Tala hears them, the voices are like echoes in her mind at the moment and her eyes close. She isn't sure what she needs, days ago she wished for death, now she is just numb all over. Her thoughts go back an forth over ideas that are poping up. What if Ahiga leaves? What if the pack doesn't want her back? Wachiwa is one thing but her?... Her eyes close tightly, head pulling closer to her and and a shakey whimper escapes her.
Ikuna nods fractionally to Ahiga's words, his gaze remaining on Tala. "Ute's... on the move. We're going someplace new." Now? With winter's chill in the air, now is the time that they're moving? There's some justice behind the questions of Ikuna's wisdom, his ability as alpha. He's heard the protests, listened patiently to each one, but he hasn't changed his mind for them. Ute must move, on that he's certain. To one of the questions in Tala's mind, his answer is just as certain, his acceptance of her unquestioning. The other, though... "Are you staying?"
They're moving? There's a fractional lift of Ahiga's ears at that. Why now? "Sounds just as brilliant as Wachiwa's idea to..." He trails off, unable to finish the train of thought. Wachiwa. It's all hitting too close to home. But maybe...maybe nothing will come of it. Maybe the wost of it all are Tala's injuries. That's bad enough. The physical attack of teeth and claws. Maybe the other thing...maybe...there was no other thing. Denial. Pretend it didn't happen and maybe, in the end, it didn't. His thought are shaken by the question of the hour. Is he staying? Are .... they staying? "That's not important. Don' matter what my answer is. Either way, you're still gonna help her. She's what's important."
Tala swallows slightly, there moving... Moving to where? Her breathing catches as Ahiga says Wachiwa. Perhaps it is just the wounds, she can hope and wsh for that but no one will know until spring what happened it seems. Her eyes close tighter as she hears Ahiga go on, it does matter though, it matter to her. Because if he leaves when she is better it is going to be worse on her then. She doesn't want to move though, the thought of having to move again is nothing but agnoy it seems. So many things are running through her mind right now. Leaving, staying, fear, pain, and more things that seem to scamper off to the edges of her thoughts.
Ikuna's ears splay slightly at Ahiga's first words, but he's heard it before. Not in those words, exactly, but he knows where Ahiga's going, and he's heard it. He doesn't move to defend himself. As for the other, his answer to Ahiga's lack thereof is prompt. "Of course I am." That was never in any doubt, not to anyone - except perhaps the broken thing that Tala - no, not that she is. That covers over her like a dark cloud, hiding the beloved sister that surely, surely is still there... somewhere. "She's not why I asked." And how long is he going to keep talking about her like she isn't there? In a way, she isn't. He watches her for another moment, then speaks again, his voice carefully stripped of emotion. Just the facts. "Grim is dead. So is the red dog, and the big white one. Brutal is gone."
How can he stay here with them? Without them, and even without Tala, there would be no one to worry over. No one to occupy himself with. No one whose feelings, when hurt, feels as if yours too have been crushed. The only person to care about would be himself, and how tempting that does sound. A pack of one where things like this...don't happen. He chances another glance at her, as if making sure she stll breathes, before averting his gaze again. Snapping his eyes back to Ikuna. Grim, dead? Brutal, disappeared? Questions explode n his mind, though none quite reach past that. The red dog and...most importantly...the white. His ears prick and eyes widen. But .. no. Couldn't be. This was just days prior. A growl rises at the memory. A sound that soon morphs to a snarl. "The white one lives!" Because, you know, there's only one white dog in the universe. His words are clipped and snarled. "He's the one that did this!
Tala ears twitch forward and then back listening to the pair as the conversation as best she possible can. Her eyes slowly open and she peers up at them, first Ahiga and then Ikuna. Yes, when are you going to stop talking like she isn't there? Cause she can hear you! There is a blink and then another as she hears the bit where Grim is dead, Brutal gone an so forth. What happened to them... How... An then there is the snarl from Ahiga and she is cringing backwards a few inches. A sharp whimper escapes her at the comment of the 'white one'.
Ikuna looks up again at Ahiga's growl, and this time, his eyes actually remain on the other male. They linger there, and his hackles rise slightly - in response to the snarl, or else to the words so spoken. Despite those raised hackles, he keeps his crouched position. The unspoken message of body language is clear: either Ikuna's stupid, or he, somehow, still trusts Ahiga. "Then he /will/ die." His tone is even. Just the facts. He gazes steadily at Ahiga another moment before turning back to his sister. "Tala," he says softly. Now, apparently, is the time. "I'm sorry. I'm here now."
He will die. That's for damn sure. If Ahiga is certain of nothing else, of this he is. If he had the opportunity, he would've tracked Ghast down the moment he became aware of what happened. But Tala's well-being was, and is, too fragile. But now... now that they're back and the pack can watch after her in ways he's utterly failed, perhaps now he can seek vengeance. His eyes show many things, though above them all is anger, though at last it's not directed at Ikuna even though his eyes remain on his until his look away. "She needs rest," he says, his snarl no longer heard in his voice. "We've walked a long way."
Tala hears the two as they talk, her eyes close tightly as thoughts enter her mind once more. She's been many things in her life but fragile was never one of them, and now here she is looking beyond broken if that is at all possible. A ear twitchs forward as she hears Ikuna but her eyes never open to look at him.
"Yes," says Ikuna, and now Ahiga is the one he's not looking at, his attention instead staying on Tala. He doesn't look back - hasn't looked that way, since he arrived - but his next words aren't meant for either of the newly returned wolves. "Mia," he says instead. "Bring the others. We'll rest here tonight." He doesn't even look her way, but then... he is the alpha, and she'll likely be grateful for the excuse to leave this behind for now. Grateful or not, she departs quietly, leaving just the three of them here. Privacy, for whatever more they have to say; though Ikuna, at least, is silent for the moment.
What is there left to say? Other than the grim details of what hapepend, and even Ahiga himself doesn't know all of what happened. The only one who has the full extent of it would be Tala. Obviously, she's not talking, but he can't blame her. He doesn't very well feel like reliving the every detail of this either. Especially the details that he was not present to witness himself.So, what now? She's here. She'll be protrected and taken care of. He's here ... and he's not quite sure if that is what he wants or not. "I have to go. Go lookin' for him."
Tala swallows a moment, a ear slowly twitching towards Ahiga as he talks about leaving, a soft whine escapes her and her eyes open. Her stormy steel blue gaze looks pained filled and fearful while she turns her attention to Ahiga and just watches him. He’s leaving...now?
That got a reaction from Tala, and Ikuna lifts his head to look over to Ahiga again. "You can rest first." It's not a question, and it's not an order either. It's not the tone he used for Mia; it's a different one, though the changes are hard to place. "If he's near enough, better you stay." His eyes flick meaningfully to Tala. "If not... a few days won't make a difference." Ikuna frowns, and then he adds something else. "It's up to you."