W O L F P U P

[Ruan]

Ruan

---

He'd gone to the mountain first, just in case. Scouring the masses of still-wandering creatures for the one he wanted.
_{the one he needed..}

But the boy wasn't there. Ignoring cries for help, he shot through the air like a humming bird, only halting long enough to scan their faces then move on. Eventually, he had to admit defeat. On the mountain, at least.

There was a belt of woodland that trailed its base, lipped the edge of Taiga, and melted into the common forest. It was the closest thing to home, where the wolves had run rampant and free, and his next best option. Too dense to see from above, he landed and made his way on foot. His wings were tired anyway.

He didn't call out, and he wasn't quite sure why. It wasn't the wolf way, perhaps. Or maybe he felt he'd just know when Kilter was near, however impossible it sounded. So he hunted in silence, his chest heaving until his heartbeat would return to its natural pace. He'd flown a lot more than he ever had yet, and he felt drained. Bone-tired.

He spent hours stalking through the forest, snuffling at foliage every so often for a hint of the colt. With every passing hour he grew more concerned, worry lining his face. Fearful he wouldn't find him. A light in his eye was slowly dying, but he refused to stop. Hunger clawed at his belly and his mouth was parched, and he was oblivious to it; only one thing on his mind.

And then he thought he might have lost his mind a little. He'd heard somewhere the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. That was what he was doing, wasn't it? Because now he was seeing a mirage of his pup. _{no not his} And he could swear it was him.

He approached carefully, quietly, watching intently for the image to disperse. Halting a good few feet away, he lowered his head and tried testing the scents in the dirt, eyes never leaving the colt.

"Kilter.." he called softly, afraid to feel the tide of relief that begged to drown him.

 

@[k i l t e r]

[k i l t e r]

There was no loss for Kilter here. While others felt the maddening loss of traits, he had never known of his. While his siblings flourished, he had floundered. He could not understand the silent way they spoke, the shared smiles and the gregarious giggles that fluttered between them. He had been lost. Born of a father who wielded his power like a sword, and a mother who relied on hers to speak - he had been a fluke. A faulty piece in a fickle game. And while others had awoken with rage or fury, with a confusion of unspeakable worth - Kilter simply fluttered his eyes, a blurry haze of horizon on the surface.

He had been unsure too - not because of the draining of magic, the steady dripdripdrip of loss - but because everything was different. His home of pines and the steady brawl of wolves had been gone. He had awoken on the cold harsh mountain, his small lungs straining to survive amid the thin air of the world. Everything was different- his sanctuary banished to unknown parts of the world. He was utterly alone.

And so he walked. His spindly legs stumbling down the mountain, bruises gracing his knees and splinters of blood opening upon his legs. His small body raked with the harsh brush growing on the land, the burn of the deserts sand, the itch of the foreign jungle flora, the biting cold of the Tundra leaving him shivering .
He was not made to descend.

And then, he had found it. On the horizon, a fleck of an umbrella of trees - a dark shade of refuge among the unforgiving unknown. Bleeding and begging, he followed - while no wolves called, he felt the whine in his heart, the beckoning of beyond. And he had made it.

The forest welcomed him. It soothed his chaotic senses, the harsh static of fear and the brash unknown. The snow settled to his knees, a soothing sensation after his long trek down. But his body was tired, his mind numb with the stark settling of everything new. He had made it to something that was all he had known - but he had nothing futher to go on.

And then - a shuffling of sounds before him. The labored breathing that consisted of hours of work, the heave of feathers on tired wings, the hushed noise of someone laying in wait.

His heavy legs took two steps forward before succumbing to the drifts of snow - “R- ruan?” His voice is all that is heard in the deep set etch of snowy night.

[Ruan]

Ruan

---

Ruan's brows were still pinched in worry as he watched, his eyes wide and alert. The boy stumbled in the deep snow, and his heart tightened. The image of Kilter spoke his name then, and he knew it wasn't in his mind. He'd really found him. Finally, he let cool relief wash over him, closing his eyes with a smiling sigh.

At last.

Deep blue eyes warmed, giving Kilter a reassuring smile. The poor pup looked so chilled and miserable. Ruan slowly edged closer. He didn't know what the boy had been through and didn't want to spook him. Black muzzle reached out tentatively, inching closer and closer until he could touch him, brushing lightly against his smaller nose.

As soon as he was close enough, he shifted his angle and cocooned a large wing around his smaller body, pulling him in to his side. He knew he needed to get him home, but of course he was reluctant. More immediately, though, he needed to get the colt warmed. So his thickly feathered wing was Kilter's own wall against the winter chill, his large body was his own furnace. If he'd had his magic yet, he'd sweep away the snow for him instantly, maybe form a hollow little fortress to hold the warmth within. But it was not yet returned to him. He would have to make do.

"Hey, Little Wolf," he cooed gently, "Do you know how worried your family is?" He glanced around for a bare spot on the ground, and found a decent enough place beneath a dense tree. Only small, thin patches of snow littered the base of it, and he guided them to it.

He coaxed Kilter down with tender nudges so that he could curl against him and share more of his body heat.

"Your father says your mum is awfully worried about you," he continued. "Did you intend to live out here as a wolf without me?" he teased with a playful tug at Kilter's little mane.

_{ooc: does that count as powerplay? *shrug*  i shall remove if you dislike ^.^  <3}