1X1 with arvanien

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Juniper

" Well, Howlers wouldn't have to worry about that," Juniper chuckled warmly, " In our village we don't have much use for fancy titles or money. We may not have the most efficient way of doing things, but as far as I can remember, Howlers have always been equal." Perhaps it was his simple Howler upbringing, but Juniper didn't see any point to Quell titles or caste systems. In his opinion, they were unfair and frivolous. Titles didn't grant a person any special privileges; both serfs and kings were real people who lived and died. Juniper much prefered the Howler village's simpler form of government where every Howler was equal. Every Howler did their part to benefit the pack as a whole. Of course, there were issues within the village life but nothing major. Juniper grinned crookedly as Celeste said that she'd enjoy living in the village. " Yeah, I think you might like living in the village, bunny" He agreed cheerfully, " It'd probably be a big change from what your used to though" He added thoughtfully. Village life was far from easy; there weren't many "modern" comforts like the Quell city, like electrictricity, running water and a lot of technology. Howlers also had many chores like growing vegetables in their garden, hunting and hand washing clothes they had to attend to. Though, most villagers were content to live like this, many had chosen to live more comfortable lives in the city. Juniper hadn't been in Solodin very long, but he had already seen how vastly different the Quell city and the Howler villages were. He didn't know how Celeste would enjoy living in the Howler village, but he had a feeling that she'd enjoy it after she got used to it, just like he was adjusting to living in Solodin. Parts of Quell life still baffled him, but he was slowly learning more about it and adapting. He was sure he'd love the city just as much as Celeste did after a while.

Juniper's purple eyes sparkled happily as he smiled back at Celeste; the soft look in his eyes was a devoted fondness that he only had for her. No one else could give him the same warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest as she did. Every time she smiled at him like that, it melted his heart and made him feel as if he would never be sad again. "You're welcome, Bunny" He smiled, gently giving her hand a gentle squeeze. He kept his arm gently around Celeste, offering her support. Juniper was always very empathetic and caring to most people, but he was especially attentive to her. Making Celeste happy gave him a warm, contented feeling in his chest that he could never get from anything else. As long as he was with her, Juniper knew that he'd always be happy.

Quietly, Juniper listened as Hawthorne spoke. After the war, he was a little nervous of the captain, but seeing him like this was a tiny bit unsettling. Basil? Wasn't that the green haired Quell from the hospital? I didn't know she was his sister. He wondered, remembering how nice she and Kyran had been to him. He glanced over at Celeste, wondering if he could help somehow. Being a Howler, he could track nearly anyone, but Juniper wasn't sure if he wanted to if it meant he would be inadvertently involved with whatever argument Hawthorne, Basil and Arion had been apart of. But, Celeste seemed to be willing to help find Basil- he'd gladly help if she wanted him to. Juniper squeezed Celeste hand and leaned closer so only she would hear his whisper, " I think I can find her, bunny. Just like I found you and Arion earlier."

Hawthorne

Hawthorne gave a small nod, though he looked even more crestfallen as Celeste said that she didn't know where Basil might be. Already his paranoia had made him believe that his sister was in danger outside of Solodin. Basil could have been attacked by Howlers, like Celeste had, or kidnapped by humans or goodness only knew what other trouble she could have accidently stumbled into. Running his hand through his hair, Hawthorne tried to curb his panicky thoughts. She'll be okay just as soon as I find her The captain clenched his jaw in determination. " Alright... thank you Celeste for your help" He said, giving a well-rehearsed feigned smile. " I'm glad I didn't disturb you both". Though his was trying to have a cheerful attitude, crippling guilt and sorrow had shaken the captain to his very core. Hawthorne had a sinking feeling that it was his fault that Basil had ran away as well as the reason both she and Arion had been so angry. It was his duty to fix this; the first thing he had to do was drag Basil back home convince his sister to come back to Solodin. Then, he could apologize to both her and Arion. Hawthorne couldn't take back the bitter things he had said when the trio had argued, but he hoped that he could make it up to them in some way.

As Hawthorne's gaze rested on Celeste and Juniper's fond expression and intertwined fingers, he felt something snap in his chest. That could be Arion and Basil if it weren't for me. They would look that happy if I hadn't interfered. D*mn it, how could I have been so stupid? The captain gave a soft sigh and shook his head. " I'm afraid it is my fault... therefore it's my responsibility to remedy it." He mustered up a faint smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, " Thank you Celeste for wanting to help, but I couldn't ask you to do that." He doubted that it would be a good idea for Celeste to help him search for Basil after just being injured so recently. " I'll find her, don't worry" Hawthorne promised, mostly to himself. As Celeste mentioned Arion, he felt another painful tug at his chest, though it wasn't exactly from guilt. Celeste was right- this just might push Arion over the edge. After knowing Arion all of these years, he couldn't bare to tell him something like this. Very gently, Hawthorne put his hand on Celeste's arm. " Please don't tell him... not yet anyway. This would hurt him too badly" Though he had been angry at Arion, honestly the captain didn't want to hurt him," I can't order you to do it, but... just give me until this evening. I know I can find her..." It was easy to see that his intentions were completely sincere. Hawthorne honestly didn't want to lie to Arion; he wanted to protect him in an almost brotherly way. The captain may have had his faults and he was sometimes grouchy, but he did have a good heart. He truly cared about Arion, Celeste and his sister.

Lyra

" True, up in the mountains the rabbits are nothing but bones and fluff. I suppose it's far better to let the bigger prey find you than running around wasting energy on a scrawny ball of fluff. " Lyra gave a genuinely warm laugh- it almost surprised her that she was sincerely enjoying herself. She couldn't remember the last time she had ever felt this content and cheerful. Being out here with Endymion was like a breath of fresh air. Lyra hadn't known she needed to just relax and get away from all her responsibilities and worries about the pack. Somehow it reminded her of skipping training when she was younger to go exploring or just to run through the forest without a care in the world. A small smile played on her lips as her mind wandered to her carefree childhood and tween years. Things were a lot different now that they were adults; as Lyra glanced down at their intertwined fingers, she was reminded just how strange things were. A few months ago, she never would have dreamt of being this close to Endymion.

As Endymion leaned closer, instinctively Lyra did as well. Her expression flickered to a questioning look, though not with disbelief- unquestionably, she believed the warrior's story. " A stag with eight eyes?" She repeated thoughtfully. After pausing a moment, she said, " Well.. the only way to learn more about it is to capture it and study the thing. Maybe there are more... creatures like it up there?" Lyra suggested, " Maybe it's some sort of animal touched by Quell magic or something?" The alpha has no idea what to make of a eight-eyed stag, but it was certainly interesting. Without a doubt, she wanted to learn more about the strange creature. " Once my leg is healed, perhaps we can go up into the mountains and look for it?" She offered with a smile, " I think the pack can get along without me for a little while at least. "

" I suppose you're right about us being able to adapt" Lyra agreed with a small nod. After all, Howlers were masters of adapting to their environment- it was apart of their nature. Howlers seemed to enjoy living underground; after all, Solodin offered a more comfortable life than the small village. Secretly, the alpha feared that more Howlers would choose to live in Solodin instead of the primitive village. What would happen when everyone left? Would the once proud Howler village culture disappear? Lyra didn't want to even consider that, besides many Howlers enjoyed their lives here in the village. It was hard work, but Howlers had lived like this for centuries and there wasn't much if a chance that it would simply vanish into non-existence.

Lyra grinned crookedly at Endymion's mock surprise, " Of course I don't hate you. If I did, I would have gotten rid of you a long time ago" She teased playfully, though the fierce glint that lingered in her eyes revealed that she probably could have done it. Lyra was without a doubt, an unbreakable warrior, but underneath her stoic mask, there was something that was strangely softer to her personality. The alpha met Endymion's gaze, her eyes filled with the strange fondness and faintly, the familiar determined glint she was well-known for. It caught her slightly off guard to see the softness in his eyes, but she found it strangely attractive. A faint blush crossed her cheeks once again as she smiled at him softly. " Endymion, you're much too sweet- or a terrible flirt" Lyra said teasingly, giving a warm laugh. she knew Endymion was sincere, but she didn't know how to tell him that he meant just as much to her. Do I really mean that much to him? Very gently, she leaned her head against his shoulder partly to hide her blush. Lyra was fairly tall for a girl, but she didn't have to lean to far down. Endymion's familiar scent filled her nose, making her smile softly despite herself. Someone wake me up, this has got to be some sort of fever induced hallucination

[arvanien]

Celeste

"Yes, but I still think living there would be nice there in its own way, even when it is so different than Solodin," Celeste smiled, remembering the time when she'd left the human city for good, coming into the forest. "But really, as long as I have you, I would be happy anywhere." Her eyes sparkled softly at Juniper as she met his gaze intimately, her chest growing warm at the sight of his soft purple eyes with their sparkle. He never failed to make her smile, even the smallest things he did were impossibly sweet. Celeste's and Juniper's relationship was as new as a rosebud, yet already he was so lovingly devoted to her. It was one of the many, many things that Celeste loved best about him - right up there with the cute kisses and puppy eyes. One could speculate that loyalty was an innate virtue in every Howler because of their pack nature, but Celeste knew that Juniper's faithfulness was something he had given to her alone. That, coupled with his companionship, was worth far more than anything else she could ever imagine.

Anyhow, Celeste was far from naïve - of course she knew better than to think that life in the Howler village was an idyllic dream. They obviously had hard work to do every day, work that was different than what was needed to be done on Solodin. But she couldn't help imagining living a life with Juniper in both Solodin and the village, though the sadly the probability of that happening was virtually non-existent because of Lyra and Endymion. Someday we'll set things right, she thought happily, looking at Juniper and Hawthorne. It does no good to hold grudges.

Celeste returned Hawthorne's smile, but she could tell when someone was faking an attitude. Her heart ached for him; he was obviously in great pain and she genuinely wanted to help him in some way, despite her condition. Why do I have to be such a burden? She thought, annoyed at herself. Juniper and Arion AND Basil got stressed out over me because I almost died, I got Juniper kicked out of his own family, and now I don't even know how to help Thorny. She swallowed the lump in her throat and patted Hawthorne's hand reassuringly as he rested it on her arm. He was one of the very few guys who could even touch Celeste like this without getting kicked in a painful spot. "It would drive Arion mad," she agreed, "but..." Celeste trailed off, unsure how to word her thoughts for once. She cleared her throat and continued, "It really wouldn't turn out pretty - either telling him or waiting - no matter what our intentions are. Honestly, I don't know if we have any choices other than crushing him or making him even more furious at all of us. After all, Basil did address him - not any of us." She looked back down at the slightly crumpled lavender paper in her hand, angrily shutting her eyes briefly. For the first time in a long while, Celeste felt utterly helpless. Her indefatigable optimistism had crumbled. At the village, even as she lay dying with Juniper, she'd had the satisfaction of knowing that both of them had potentially taken down Lyra together. And really, she hadn't been scared of dying at all then. She had been in pain and mentally shattered, but at peace. Now? It was a whole different story. Arion was already rather unstable; he would not take this well at all whether they told him right away or waited. He'd been through so much, the least Celeste could do for him was to make sure he got enough sleep (which still remained a challenge) and took his medication. She felt frustrated and hopeless, but not as much as she would have been without Juniper. Just feeling his arm around her waist gave her a sense of peace though the tumoil in her head. As he whispered to her that he could find her by tracking her scent, Celeste immediately perked up, her sky blue eyes brightening. "You're the best, darling! I knew I always could count on you," she beamed at Juniper, hugging him tightly in her excitement. Celeste turned back to Hawthorne, her eyes lit up with hope. "Juniper here is your new best friend, Hawthorne. He's going to find our Basil!" She smiled enthusiastically, her old cheerfulness coming back. Celeste wrapped her slender hands around Juniper's strong and sturdy one, squeezing it affectionately. Unrelentingly loyal, consistently reliable, and adorable? He's literally perfect, She thought blissfully. She couldn't wait to see Hawthorne's anguished expression wiped off of his face.

Endymion

"That's true, unless Mother needs extra rabbit pelts." He smiled faintly. Endymion sure didn't seem like the type of guy who did favors for people, but he and his sister always paid attention to his elderly mother's necessities. His smile widened just for a second at Lyra's laugh, which made his facial muscles hurt. He wasn't used to smiling so much in such a short period of time, but today had been really something. Endymion wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to pass such an afternoon again - at least, for quite a while. He never sought time like this with anyone, but if Lyra was enjoying herself as much as she seemed, then that might just change. He realized that he'd never stopped quite long enough to take how serenely beautiful the scenery around the stream was; he'd always crossed it in two bounds before disappearing into the trees. It felt like his life had been playing in fast-motion and someone had suddenly hit the play button, restoring the speed to normal. Lyra had always been one of his closest friends, but the time they spent relaxing together had begun to diminish as they neared adulthood, and had pretty much disappeared when she became alpha.

"Undoubtedly," he replied. "I don't have any proof of the existence of any other animals like that stag. But I think it's highly probable." Strange creatures of different species weren't a big surprise to Endymion, who had liked to draw three-headed animals when he was a toddler, to the extent of worrying his parents. "It could be Quell magic. But it wasn't the first thing that came to my mind," the dark haired Howler remarked. "The mutant animal may be the result of some force that's we've never heard of." Usually nonchalant and apathetic, Endymion for once didn't try to keep the interest out of his voice. He nodded, his dark blue eyes glinting. This proposal from Lyra was unexpected, but not particularly surprising. If anything, he welcomed it. "I would quite enjoy that. But only if you are completely sure that the rest of us can hold our own without you, of course." He smirked. Lyra had a colossal responsibility on her shoulders, the only thing Endymion knew better than to help her with. She had proven herself worthy for it, and offering her help would be like telling her to her face that she couldn't handle the job. Besides, repeatedly failing to summon his deceased older brother was far more interesting than trying to run a pack, wasn't it?

Endymion simply nodded. "I know you could have." He said calmly. Along with his mother, who was well-known for her method of combat with her unusually long claws (and her wonderful cooking), Lyra had played a big role in firmly establishing Endymion's belief that there was no weaker gender - the ladies were every bit as capable, if not even more, as the males. Lyra could get rid of anyone she pleased, himself included. Then why was she looking at him with that fondness in her eyes? Sure, they had been good friends for years, but this must be some sort of...he didn't even know what. His usual icy indifference clouded the softness in his eyes as he told himself to snap out of it. Still, he made no move to extricate his fingers from hers. It was the most physical contact he'd had with anyone in a long time, but Endymion probably wasn't going to admit that he kind of enjoyed it. He had to laugh at Lyra's teasing words, looking genuinely amused. "Flirting with the alpha? What an efficient way to meet my brother," he teased her back, an almost mischievous glint in his eyes. Lyra would definitely rip open his throat on the spot if he attempted anything like that. Endymion wasn't interested in romance as much as he was in black trench coats, but he could be quite charming when he wanted to. He was being sincere to Lyra, and she'd called it flirting? The Howler wasn't sure what to make of that. He let her lean her head on his shoulder, resting his free hand on hers which was laced on his other one in a purely platonic way. Endymion had a faint scent that resembled dried, aromatic herbs and fresh blood, not surprising for someone with his interests. As the rays of sunlight illuminated the crown of her head, he couldn't help but remember many, many years ago when he had been fascinated by her icy blonde hair, thinking that she had white Quell magic. How ignorant he had been when he was little. Lyra was even more divine than any Quell.

[rubyrocketboots13]

Juniper

Hawthorne

Juniper nodded cheerfully in agreement, " Both Solodin and the Howler village are unique in their own ways, but I think both are nice to live in. I've always loved living my village and in the forest, but I think living in Solodin will be just as nice. " He grinned crookedly at Celeste, planting a gentle kiss to her cheek, " Though I think you're right, Bunny. I'd be happy anywhere in the world as long as I'm with you". Juniper had lived in the Howler village nearly his entire life; the forest was the only real home he had ever known. Truthfully, it was a bit frightening to be forced to live in a strange city like Solodin so suddenly, but he knew that he would be perfectly content living here or anywhere else as long as Celeste was with him. Even though he had lost his home in the village and place in his pack, Juniper was happier than he had ever been in his life now that he had her.

Juniper watched helplessly as he saw Celeste's heartbroken expression when she talked about her brother. Something tugged painfully at his chest to see her looking so hopeless. It was easy for him to see that Celeste cared deeply about her brother; though he didn't have any siblings, he did know what it was like to care for someone like a brother or sister. After all, growing up in a pack was like living in a very large family. He understood what a terrible feeling it was to watch helplessly as a friend or family member suffered. Though, Juniper's heart immediately felt lighter as Celeste's eyes lit up with hope. Hugging her back gently, his familiar crooked grin returned. " Of course you can count on me, darling!" He said cheerfully. His words were sincere; no matter what, Juniper would always be there for Celeste. Very gently he gave her hand a gentle squeeze before turning to look up at Hawthorne. Just a few months ago, he would have never dreamed of helping a Quell like Hawthorne, but as the sorrowful man stood before him, Juniper knew he had to help any way he could. It wouldn't be terribly difficult to track down Basil; he could still remember the green-haired Quell's floral and slightly citrusy scent from before.

Hawthorne quietly listened as Celeste spoke; he knew she was right about it crushing Arion to learn what had happened. It just wasn't fair to let Arion suffer like this. No matter if they waited or told him right away, there was no way of telling how Arion was going to react to the news. The captain ran his hand through his hair frustratedly, giving a small sigh. " I suppose you're right. There's no point to putting it off...." He didn't want to be the one to tell Arion the news though- he was pretty sure the red-haired Quell didn't want to speak to him after the things he had said. How could I have been so stupid? Hawthorne thought, guilt making him sick to his stomach. If he had only kept his mouth shut, then none of this would have happened; Basil would still be here in Solodin and Arion wouldn't have gotten his heart broken. But, there was no point to wishing that he could change the past and worrying about what might have happened. The best Hawthorne could do was try to make things right again- starting with finding his sister.

The captain's eyes lit up with hope as he looked to Juniper, " Of course!" He said, nearly smacking himself in the forehead for not seeing it before. With Juniper's heightened senses, they would be able to find Basil in no time at all. Hawthorne looked ready to bear hug Celeste and Juniper. " Thank you both so much" He said gratefully, the relief apparent in his voice, " You don't know how much this means to me". The usually stony-faced captain broke into a sincere smile, his eyes twinkling with the faintest hint of amusement. " Though, Celeste I think you might want to choose a better outfit for a search-and-rescue type of mission." He said, reminding her of her white hospital gown in a friendly way. He was eternally grateful for both her and Juniper's help, but he didn't know how wise it was for her to be running around in a flimsy hospital gown.

Lyra

Lyra couldn't help but smile a bit as Endymion mentioned his mother. She knew the warrior didn't do favors for people very often, but she had seen how much he cared about his family. His devotion to his mother and sister was something that she admired. Lyra didn't have the best relationship with her parents after they had split up, and she didn't have any siblings, so she had always admired Endymion's relationship with his family. Maybe it was a little frivolous, but she thought that it was sweet that Endymion cared so much about his family. Though most Howlers in the village shunned him for his unusual interest in the dark arts and his less than friendly attitude, Lyra saw something in him that no one else seemed to. Endymion was extremely intelligent and considerate and oddly caring in his own strange way. After all, he cared deeply enough about his brother to spend all of this time searching for ways to bring back his the dead- who could be more devoted than that? Though, the alpha wasn't stupid nor was she naive, Lyra knew very well that Endymion dabbled in dark magic and could be as ruthless as she could, but he had good reasons for it in her opinion. Maybe he wasn't perfect, but she believed that he was pretty close to it.

Seeing Endymion's smile made her grin just a bit wider. Now Lyra was sure she had never seen the stoical warrior act this way before- she was glad to see him truly enjoying himself. She couldn't remember the last time they had relaxed together like this, though it was most likely when they had both been children. Lyra wouldn't have given up this afternoon for anything in the world; she was perfectly content just to be here with Endymion like this.

" You may be right about that. Who knows what kinds of creatures might be hiding up in the mountains?" She said thoughtfully. Lyra listened intently as Endymion theorized about the stag. It both surprised and interested her to think that there might be other magic out there that hadn't been discovered yet. She nodded in agreement," I think we should find that stag as soon as possible and learn more about it. Who knows what magical forces there might be out there." She said, her dark brown eyes glinting excitedly. Though, Lyra was brought back from her fantasy of exploring the mountains with Endymion as he mentioned the pack getting along without her. As alpha, she had an enormous amount of responsibility on her shoulders. But, she was confident the pack could get along without her for a little while. Lyra cracked an amused grin," I think the pack won't descend into chaos if I'm gone for a little while. " She chuckled warmly, the softness still lingering in her eyes. " I know I could have gotten rid of you, but I never wanted to." Lyra said, her blunt tone holding a slight fondness in it," Endymion, i honestly don't know what I'd do without you always being there for me. You've always been my closest companion." Her words were sincere, though she had trouble trying to explain how she truly felt about him. Lyra wasn't the best with expressing her emotions and feelings, if that wasn't already painfully obvious. Truthfully, she was a bit surprised that she had worked up the nerve to take Endymion's hand.Though the fact that he hadnt minded AND held her hand for this long was even more blissfully surprising. The alpha just wasn't that great with handling" romantic feelings". Lyra felt her cheeks grow warmer at Endymion's laugh, but she couldn't help but chuckle a bit herself. It was common knowledge that she could be ruthless, it was no wonder the blonde she-Howler scared off most potential suitors. Needless to say, guys who attempted flirting with her only tried it once before she tore into them. Lyra gave a warm, oddly bubbly laugh," Well, I don't know about that. I haven't killed anyone for flirting with me- yet" She teased him lightly, an unmistakable mischievous glint in her eyes. Lyra knew Endymion would never try to flirt with her, she knew he was being sincere and she honestly thought it was sweet of him to say something like " I have everything I'll ever need when you're with me". But, she had no idea how to explain that she felt the same way about him. Lyra gave Endymion's hand a gentle, affectionate squeeze, silently wishing she could explain how she felt about him, but she forced the thought out of her mind. The alpha kept her head resting gently on his shoulder, feeling cozy and warm from the summer sun. This is absolutely perfect She thought contentedly, closing her eyes for a moment. Endymion's familiar scent was just as calming as the sound of the bubbling stream in front of them. Coupled with the warm sun and pleasant atmosphere, Lyra felt strangely peaceful and just a little drowsy. It was a great feeling just to be able to forget the rest of the world for just a little while like this together.

[arvanien]

Celeste

"You are definitely going to love living here! I was a little overwhelmed at first, but there's nowhere I'd rather call home. Besides, you've already had some time in Solodin," Celeste agreed warmly. She was going to stay by Juniper's side no matter what - it still disgusted her to even think about how readily Lyra had thrown him out of the pack. She still had that horribly sinking feeling that it was her fault Lyra had done so, no matter how much she tried to push it aside. Giving Juniper's hand a gentle squeeze, she blushed faintly as he kissed her cheek. Every time he did it, it was always simple and innocent, but inexplicably sweet. It's like he doesn't even care that Hawthorne is here. How cute is that? she thought, smiling. "I'll always be able to count on you, Juniper." Celeste rubbed his head fondly, appreciation sparkling in her eyes. Juniper really was the perfect cinnamon roll; he would go out of his way to help just about anyone. That was just another item on the list of things Celeste admired and loved about him.

"Don't worry. I'll tell Arion," Celeste said evenly. Worst case scenario, he could potentially take his anger out on her, though really - it was still difficult to predict Arion even after all these years of knowing him. But that was pretty unlikely. She pressed Hawthorne's hand gently, resolving to wipe that forlorn look off the captain's face as soon as she could. Juniper was going to sniff Basil out, and all of them would be overjoyed at seeing her again. She breathed a sigh of relief as Hawthorne's eyes lit up. "No, I think I get it," she smiled, remembering all those times Arion had scared her so badly by risking his neck and almost dying. From what she knew, Hawthorne had already lost a sibling and both parents. Having his sister run away must have devastated him more than anything else. Celeste laughed at Hawthorne's reminder, her face brightening in an attractive way. She had intended to go and change, but the hospital gown had been the least of her worries, with this dramatic turn of events. "Honestly, Hawthorne, I'll need to stick with this suit. It's far more suitable than any of my other clothes," she teased good-naturedly. "But, I'm going to check on Arion first. I'll be right back!" Celeste gave Juniper a quick peck on the cheek and quickly went into Arion's house. Resolving not to look helpless or weak, Celeste had recovered her steadiness through her own sheer strength of will. Arion was sitting on the floor near the couch, flipping through Red Rebellion but not actually paying any attention to the book, staring blindly at an invisible spot on the wall. He looked up as she came in and quickly got up. "What is it?" He asked passively, his tone bland and listless. As distraught as he was, Arion still knew Celeste's body language very well, as close siblings often did. Before Celeste could even open her mouth, he was at her side. She put her hand on his in a soothing manner before silently handing him the little note Basil had wrote him. "Hey, Arion. Are you feeling any better? This was addressed to you." She said, quieter than normal. Neither he nor Basil deserve this to happen to them. Does Basil really think Arion resents her? He was looking at her the way Juniper looks at me, she thought sadly.

Arion

She's going to tell me something bad, and it has to do with Hawthorne. As Arion looked up, he knew this could only be the case. He crossed the room in a few quick sides and snatched up the piece of lavender paper she'd offered him, answering her with only silence. Arion, who had a quick tongue and a quicker wit, took at least five full minutes to absorb the information Basil had so lovingly written out for him. His reaction couldn't have been worse, not even if the paper had told him they'd found a better head chef for The Teakeeper or if Hawthorne had decided to kick him out of the Guard for good. Arion's mouth went dry with pure shock, all trace of color gone out of his face. He stared at the little note without looking anymore. Getting out of Solodin would be...BETTER? Basil had already gone; she'd had enough of him. Arion was already blinded with enough grief, he didn't even take notice of the other sweet things Basil had written. But the part where she'd mentioned friends outside of Solodin shook him badly. Disgusting, pathetic, usurping humans. Celeste was shaking his arm, desperately begging him to stop, to calm down, but she wasn't even audible to him anymore. He was suddenly aware that his hands were aching. Arion finally realized that he'd ripped apart the back of the wooden chair his hand had been resting on. Basil was gone, and it was all his fault. He exhaled shakily and clutched the letter, dropping the splintered pieces of wood that used to be a chair and leaning heavily against the wall. Suddenly, he stood up straight, eyes burning. "I've had ENOUGH," he screamed, crushing the piece of paper in one fist. Arion whirled on Celeste, "I'm never going to work or to training or to any dαmn ---- I have to do until I find her." He said through clenched teeth, his eyes smoldering. No sooner than Arion was done with his uncontrollable outburst, a wave of guilt crashed over him. "I'm...sorry, Catnip. I didn't mean...to snap at you." Arion swallowed hard, turned, and raced into the basement, blue sparks flying off his arms in poorly concealed anguish. His basement served as a compact, personal training room, holding all sorts of equipment and almost every single weapon he had, from mace to throwing star. Arion began snatching up his best weapons, the ones that were most easily concealed and carried. He knew what he had to do, and he did not need help from this lot.

Celeste rushed after him, hysterical. "Arion! Get your butt back here! We already have something figured out!" She yelled.
"Do I look like I care?" Arion shot back, in the act of strapping a combat knife to the inside of his forearm, handle towards wrist. "I do too." I'm coming for you, Basil.

Endymion

Endymion never watched Lyra very closely, save for when he was listening to her, but he noticed the way she'd smiled when he mentioned his mother. He'd initially suspected that she was only acting this way towards him because of her fever, but that suspicion was crumbling. Lyra might not have a personal family anymore, and she was colder than dry ice, but apparently she still had a heart underneath that impenetrable white pelt. Several years of knowing her, and she never failed to surprise. Most people only saw Endymion's rough, impervious exterior, but he knew she'd seen past that already. It wasn't something he would grant to anyone else. No one had even dared to ask him what he did on his journeys, much less accompany him. Endymion wasn't exactly fun to be around with, as Benjamin had experienced last night. But as long as Lyra enjoyed it; that's all he cared about.

"There's Quell and Howler magic. The humans don't have any magic of their own, but there must be other forms of magic that exist." Perhaps something even more powerful than what I'm trying to achieve. "Or maybe," he tilted his head slightly, giving a dry laugh, "It's just another species." It sounded unlikely to him, but really, anything was possible. Endymion was simply pleased that Lyra hadn't waved off his discovery; she was even interested in it. He gave a small smile at her words before lifting his eye, constantly alert despite the time he was having. "Alright then, if you say so." The dark-haired Howler nodded, observing the softness in his alpha's eyes with a sort of fond curiosity. "And I could have watched you bleed to death in the dirt last night. Really, this relationship of ours has worked out quite nicely for the past several years, has it not?" Endymion gave Lyra a pointed yet playful grin. "You've proved time and time again to be steadfast, loyal, and unshakable. That's everything important to me." He tried not to glance down at their hands twined together. He'd only express that much about her; Endymion really wasn't sure what else to say. He knew it might sound ridiculous; they'd known each other for this long and he couldn't offer her more than a few phrases. But Endymion wasn't one to waste his breath.

He had to laugh at Lyra's words, his eyes sparkling for a brief moment. "What about that certain coyote - do you remember him? You almost bled him dry after he made a lewd comment! I have to say, I wish I had been present." Endymion sniffed in disdain. "I remember my younger sister flapping up to the treehouse in a flurry of feathers, screeching something about Lyra and 'murder'. Mother thought you had been murdered; my first thought was you had been the murderer. You sure taught a lesson there, Lyra." He looked down at her, the small mischievous glint in his eyes meeting hers for a second. Giving Lyra a small smile, he rested his free hand gently on her shoulder. He wasn't a fan of physical contact, but he made no move to push her head off his shoulder. Lyra looked so content and peaceful, even someone like Endymion would think twice before disturbing her. She deserved every moment of rest she was getting; it was unfair that she had to be wounded to the point of dying just to get some time off. Endymion always enjoyed doing anything with Lyra (which had been narrowed down to mostly hunting and other work), but frankly, he didn't mind spending time with her that was as leisurely as this.

(Sorry for my late responses! I'm always notified of your replies and don't worry, I don't forget about them! Right now I'm on vacation - but ironically, I haven't had much time to write 😬)

[rubyrocketboots13]

(( No worries! I don't mind late responses <3 I completely understand about being busy, especially during vacation. lol I'm on summer break as well and sometimes it seems I'm busier now than I was during the school year on some days! DX I was just afraid that you might have forgotten about the reply or were bored with the roleplay or something. ^^; So sorry about that!))

Juniper

Juniper knew that he was going to enjoy living in Solodin, even though it was all very new to him. The underground Quell city wasn't at all like the sleepy Howler village he was used to, but as long as he was with Celeste, he would have gladly lived anywhere in the world. Even if Celeste made him sleep under her front porch, Juniper would have been perfectly content. " I think I'm going to love living in Solodin. It is a lot to take in all at once, but I think I could get used to living in the city. " He said optimisticly as ever. Juniper had always loved adventures and exploring new places; living in an underground city full of magic certainly was an adventure. Though, he was afraid that he would miss his old home. Juniper had always loved the forest, especially at night when he could stargaze. But, as he looked over at Celeste, his small sacrifice paled in comparison of being with her. Without hesitation, Juniper would have given up his home and place in the pack to be with her all over again.

Very gently, he affectionately squeezed Celeste's hand back. Juniper beamed at her happily, thinking her blush and adorable smile was the most precious thing he had ever seen. " Of course, bunny. I'll always be there to help you when you need me" He said, meeting her gaze. His purple eyes danced with merriment as she rubbed his head; the warm, content feeling in his chest returned. Few things could make Juniper more content than seeing Celeste's attractive smile and having his head rubbed. How did I get so lucky to have someone as wonderful as Celeste? I've never met anyone as nice as she is. He thought dreamily, not even bothering to hide his lovesick grin. Juniper didn't care if Hawthorne or Arion or if anyone else saw it. He loved Celeste more than anything in the world and he wasn't going to hide his feelings for her; besides, it wasn't anyone else's business besides his and Celeste's. Juniper was brought back to reality as he felt Celeste's gentle peck on his cheeks. Part of him wanted to protest her going in the house to talk to Arion, but he knew she'd be perfectly fine. Patiently, he waited outside for her to return with Hawthorne. He cast a glance at the captain, unsure what to say to him. Hawthorne had once been his enemy, but all Juniper saw in the distraught young man was someone who needed his help.

Hawthorne

Hawthorne's jaw tightened resolutely and he gave a small nod as Celeste offered to tell Arion what had happened. Arion and Hawthorne had known each other for several years; the captain knew very well how unpredictable and a little violent Arion could be at times, but he also knew how deeply the red-haired Quell cared about his sister. As far as Hawthorne knew, Celeste was the only person that could calm Arion down in times like these; she was the best canidate to tell him about the note. The captain was also convinced that Arion probably didn't want to talk to him after the bitter things he had said earlier. But, there was nothing that could be done about that now- all he could do was ask Arion and Basil to forgive him.

Hawthorne gave Celeste a ghost of a smile as she gently gently pressed her hand to his. Maybe she did know what pain and distress he was going through. Celeste knew what it was like to lose a sibling or at least nearly lose one; she had nearly lost Arion many times before over the years. She could relate to the hopelessness and sorrow that was laying heavy on his chest. Truthfully, losing Basil would no doubt break Hawthorne completely. After Howlers had ripped their family apart, she was all the family the captain had left in the world. He relied on Basil just as much as she needed him. We have to bring her back home, who knows where she could be? He bit his lip in worry, his gaze wandering to Juniper. Could he really find Basil? It had been a few hours since she had gone and she could have been anywhere in the world by now. Hawthorne tried to push negative thoughts out of his and focus on the hope that they would find her. Hawthorne's small, but sincere smile returned as Celeste playfully teased about her hospital gown. Celeste always had a way of lightening his mood, but the captain's heart was feeling heavier than ever. He wouldn't be truly happy until Basil was found, Arion had forgiven him and things were back to normal.

Lyra

Lyra listened to Endymion carefully, enraptured by his theories about the strange forces at work. The alpha was deeply interested in learning more about these strange hybrid animals. " You're most likely right, there's got to be other kinds of magic out there that hasn't been discovered yet." A faint smirk crossed her lips as she continued," And perhaps you're right. There is a small possibility that other magic- wielding species like ours somewhere. " Lyra had always been cold, apathetic, and extremely analytical, but even she had to admit that fantasizing about new races was exciting. What if there was other magics and other races somewhere out there, just waiting to be discovered?

A faint smirk played on her pale lips as Endymion spoke about letting her bleed out. " But, the fact is you didn't let me die last night. You easily could have walked away without feeling the least bit guilty about my demise." Lyra's eyes were filled with the strange softness and a hint of amusement. Her voice dropped just a tiny bit lower as she continued. " Yes, our strange little relationship of saving each other's necks has worked out beautifully all this time. I can't even count how many times you've saved my life- or how many times I've stayed by your side when everyone thought you weren't going to make it." Lyra gave warm chuckle at his compliments, feeling her cheeks flush a bit more. " Endymion, I couldn't ask for someone more worthy of my loyalty and trust than you. For years you've always been faithful to me and you've never let me down when I needed you." she said sincerely, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. The alpha wasn't great with expressing her feelings and emotions, but it was evident that she did care a great deal about Endymion.

Lyra gave a clear, almost sardonic laugh at Endymion's words. " Of course I remember that half-witted coyote" She said, the ruthless glint back in her coffee colored eyes. "He should have known better than flirt with an alpha. It's a pity my father stopped me before I could finish the nuisance off. " She said with a biting edge to her tone. Without a doubt, the alpha wouldn't have hesitated to murder in cold-blood if she was threatened. Though Lyra wasn't completely heartless, she often seemed like it because of her sharper-than-steel personality and dispassionate logic. But, slowly she was beginning to show a small glimpse of her softer side around Endymion. Lyra glanced up at the warrior, noting the mischievous glint in them as their gaze met for a moment. She had never seen him act this way before, but it was rather nice. Somehow she felt like this side of Endymion had always been there buried deep in his personality, but she had simply overlooked it somehow. A small smile played on her lips as he put his hand on her shoulder; Lyra knew he didn't like much physical contact- and truthfully, neither did she- but, it felt strangely comfortable like this with him. Endymion didn't seem to be mind her leaning on his shoulder or making any move to push her away. The blonde she-Howler softly smiled to herself, her gaze wandering to the peaceful stream ahead of them. They would probably never share a moment quite like this before, but while it lasted it was absolutely blissful.

Basil

Basil jerked awake from a horrible night terror, letting out an ear-piercing scream, " ARION! No!". She gasped as she blindly tried to scramble off of the couch where she had been sleeping- but she couldn't seem to move a single muscle. Wide-eyed with panic, Basil let out another panicked scream, " H-Hawthorne help!", She squeaked, used to her brother coming to her aid whenever she needed him. The green-haired Quell thrashed and kicked at whatever was holding her down before she realized what it was. Callie was shaking her shoulders and yelling at her to wake up. " Basil stop! Wake UP!" Immediately, the green-haired Quell stopped thrashing and blinked up at her friend with a panicked expression. Basil's heart felt as if it would pound right out of her chest from fear. Of course, she was relieved she wasn't in any danger ad that it was only Callie, but that didn't seem to slow her racing heartbeat. Her nightmare was still too painfully fresh in her mind.

Callie had blood dripping down her nose and was attempting to holding down Basil as best as she could. The blue-haired human was much bigger than Basil and quite strong from working as a police officer and playing roller derby for many years, but even she had trouble holding down a panicked Quell. Though she was petite, Basil was much stronger than she looked. " C-callie? Are you alright? What happened to your nose?" Basil asked worriedly, " And... could you let me up?" . " Yeah, sorry about that. " Callie gave a sigh of relief, offering a hand to help her up. The blue-haired girl swiped at her bloody nose, before answering Basil's question. " You have a mean right hook, just to let you know." She quipped with small smile, but it was soon replaced by a concerned look. " I dunno what happened. One minute you were asleep on the couch, the next thing I knew you were trying to take a nose-dive out of my living room window and screaming about something in your sleep. I tried to stop you and well, I got a bloody nose as thanks.". Basil chewed her lip worriedly as Callie spoke, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of her lips. " Thanks Callie." She said, giving a small apologetic laugh, " And I'm sorry I slugged you. I really didn't mean to." She quickly hugged the muscular girl and pulled away. Callie gave a warm laugh, " Nah, don't mention it. I've gotten worse battle scars from work anyhow. You're a lot easier to take down than a six-foot desperate criminal on the run." She said with her playfully teasing manner. But, somehow it didn't seem to improve Basil's lackadaisical mood. Callie chewed her lip worriedly, seeing the green-haired girl like this was a bit unnerving. Basil was usually always so cheerful and bubbly, but after losing Arion, she barely even smiled anymore. Yikes, she's never been like this before, Callie thought worriedly. She didn't know how exactly to perk her friend back up, but she was willing to give it a shot.

" Hey, come on girl, you can't just mope around the house all day." Callie said frowning a bit," You look like you could use a mood boost. How about we go out and get some icecream before we head to practice? It won't help you forget about your lover boy and brother, but it can't hurt. Besides, icecream is the best cure for a broken heart" She offered, a playful, but deeply caring tone in her voice. Basil gave a tiny smile, " Thanks Callie, but... I dunno, I don't really feel like it. Truthfully, I don't feel like doing anything right now. " She wrapped her arms around herself in a protective manner, her gaze resting on the living room carpet. Callie put her hand on Basil's shoulder in a caring manner. " Believe me, you know I've broken up with guys before. There's nothing worse than siting around the house, feeling sorry for yourself.". Basil looked up at Callie, her emerald eyes large and teary, " But..." She started, " Callie you don't understand.... Arion is different. I love him more than I've ever loved anyone in my whole life. But... I just know he hates me now. You should have seen the look on his face before he stormed off." Basil sniffled, feeling hot tears begin to weld up in her eyes, " And if he doesn't hate me enough already, he should. I mean, after everything that's happened and what I said, I don't see how Arion would even want to speak to me. I've ruined his friendship with Hawthorne; my brother is probably going to throw him out of the guard becasue of me." She said, hanging her head in despair," But... what's even more pathetic is how I left without saying goodbye. My leaving Solodin must have hurt him just as badly as it's hurting me. I told myself it was for the best... but... I don't think I believe it any more. If it's for the best, then why does it hurt so badly? " She rubbed her face, guilt making her sick. Basil could feel the tears running down her cheeks as she spoke, but she didn't bother to brush them away. An anger at herself began to bubble up in her chest, making her want to hit something. It seemed that no matter how far she ran, she'd never forget her past nor Solodin nor most importantly... Arion. She could still see his crooked little smile and his shapely, but scarred hands gently holding hers and a million other little things she had noticed about him. Her heart felt as if it would break all over again the longer she remembered the little details she loved so dearly about Arion." Gah! How could I have been so stupid!" She exclaimed miserably, covering her face. Callie's eyes were wide at Basil's outburst, but she listened carefully just the same. " hey! Whoa, slow down there. You were angry and tired and miserable after the fight. Everyone makes mistakes when they're upset. You can't blame yourself for making a hasty decision in the heat of the moment." She reasoned calmly, " But, you can still go back if you want to and face him?". Basil shook her head miserably, " No... I can't go back to Solodin. I don't want to go back if Arion hates me and I know my brother... he's probably nearly as angry." She said sorrowfully, her head in her hands.

[arvanien]

(Thanks 😊 And don't worry, I really enjoy RPing with you! It's just that trying to create a good reply often takes me a while, and I know I took really long this time. I find it a bit challenging to write Endymion's part. 😬 Sorry about that. But I'm still with you here!!)

Celeste

Arion

Celeste gave Arion a long, even look, her sky blue eyes impossible to read. He held her gaze, but that stare of Celeste's never failed to make even Arion himself at least a bit uneasy. Well, Arion was strong-willed and determined, but also very stubborn and unreasonably hard-headed. Sometimes it was cute, but more often than not she found herself wishing for one of those child leashes. But he looked like he knew what he was doing, for once.

"Hey, you probably should get changed, Catnip," he murmured distractedly as he rested his hand on her head, obviously still preoccupied with Basil. Arion could not be thinking about anything else in the world, not even food. He looked down at her as she led him back upstairs, but his eyes seemed to be looking at something else.

"Yes, I'm getting to that," Celeste nodded. Under any other circumstances, she'd be rolling her eyes, but it was impossible to be annoyed at Arion when he looked so dejected. "Arion. No, look at me." She reached up and grabbed his broad shoulders. Why did she have to be so short, and why did he have to be so freaking tall? "Just remember that we're here for you. You're never going to be alone, I promise. Just try to keep your cool, okay?" She reprimanded him gently. Celeste hugged him warmly, resting her head against his chest.

Arion wrapped his arms around her, shutting his eyes. He felt like he was hugging her for the first time. All he wanted to do right now was to tell her that he was sorry, so sorry for treating her and Juniper the way he did, but the words just wouldn't come. He could only hold on to her tighter and hope that she wouldn't hate him for it. Arion had already lost Basil, and now he genuinely feared that Celeste would replace him with Juniper. Perhaps it was ridiculous, as the two adopted siblings had never been romantically involved, but they had stuck so close for so many years that they could operate like two arms on the same body. Arion done some pretty horrific things, but he felt as if this was the worst so far. He knew he should be happy for the young couple, and he was. But every time Juniper did anything sweet to Celeste, he might as well be slapping Arion in the face. Arion knew it was stupid, but he couldn't shake the feeling.

As soon as Celeste disappeared into her room, Arion glanced at what could only be Hawthorne's and Juniper's silhouettes through the curtains. He couldn't help but cringe. He'd most likely ruined the chance of having a healthy relationship with Juniper, and his long time friendship with Hawthorne had almost crumbled with that bitter exchange at the mansion. As if losing Basil wasn't enough. Arion ground his teeth as he began to rewrap his hands, clumsily fumbling with the gauze in his frustrated yet distraught state. I can't believe I screwed things up so badly. But why did she have to leave? I don't get it. I am such an idiot! He rubbed his temples, still sickened by thinking about it. Arion knew he'd never understand. Girls were weird creatures. Even after living with her for more than a decade, Arion still didn't know how Celeste made hats out of towels after she showered. He had tucked Basil's now very crumpled note into the pocket of his jeans, now he fumbled for it to read it again. It still didn't make that much sense to him. Any other feeling would be heavenly compared to the sharp stab of pain he felt every time her face appeared in his mind's eye. What if I had chosen my words more carefully? If I hadn't been so stupid, she'd still be here. he thought bitterly, his bandaged knuckles constricting painfully under the gauze.

Celeste reappeared to see Arion still deep in his disconsolate stupor. She wore simple blue jeans, a cobalt blue tank top with paint splatters on it, and still no makeup. After losing her favorite turquoise blouse to Lyra's claws, she'd decided to dress trashy, because who cared. (Definitely not Juniper, she was sure.) She quietly took one of Arion's bandaged hands in her own as they went out to meet Juniper and Hawthorne again. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," she said sincerely, giving Juniper a fond smile. Celeste looked as harmless as yesterday, about as harmless as a grenade could be. She smiled, but her eyes were harder than steel as she took Juniper's hand with her free one. Maybe it would be best if she stayed between these two guys. Arion was likely to "accidentally" step on Juniper's head than Hawthorne's. But Arion neither greeted Hawthorne with a hateful glare nor gave Juniper a spiteful smirk. Instead, he only gave them blank looks as if he didn't know them. Arion had that same vacant, shell-shocked expression on his face that he'd worn when Celeste first met him. He might've been a million miles away. He didn't know what to feel anymore, and he didn't care about anything but Basil. Arion just wanted her back.

Endymion

"We haven't even discovered all of the aspects of the magic we know," Endymion agreed. It was strange of him to be alluding to his beloved dark arts so often in a conversation, but it showed how comfortable he was with Lyra, and how much it meant to him. Nevertheless, Endymion did mentally catch himself, and he frowned inwardly at himself for being so careless. But he realized that he wasn't the only one doing so. It was equally alien to see Lyra like this. By now, Endymion was sure that it wasn't the fever or the wounds or anything inflicting her that was the reason for her peculiar behavior. Not that it wasn't unpleasant; he actually quite enjoyed it. He and Lyra had been through so much together - they were anything BUT children - but perhaps one never stopped fantasizing about the unknown much like a kid would.

He looked down at her, momentarily forgetting the discussion. The way that smirk of hers played across her lips reminded him of how a rattle snake coiled up before it struck. But her statement brought him back. "Yes, I could have," he acknowledged. "But I decided I didn't want to. I can't lose you," He admitted, but not grudgingly, whichHe'd never felt any obligation to any alpha, but he sincerely cared about Lyra, although at times it might not seem that way. "It's what every friendship needs, am I correct?" He smiled slightly. "I intend to keep it that way. Nothing is more valuable to me then your loyalty." He promised her, squeezing her hand back. His bony fingers had always been cold and somewhat clammy like a vampire's, but they seemed to be a degree warmer today from sitting in the sun.

Endymion tilted his head back, looking at the sky through the lofty branches of the tallest pine trees. "Now you have no one to hold you back." He smiled pleasantly. "No one can stop you if you choose to eliminate anyone." His thoughts drifted to last night's crisis. He'd watched the entire scene played out, but hadn't interfered until the last second. It had felt good to see her being so deadly once again. He liked that. More than anything else. But this new, unexpected softness of hers unnerved him. But even Endymion had to admit, it was strangely sweet. The dark haired Howler's idea of relaxing included concocting philtres or amusing his sister by reanimating the bones and fur of the animal they just ate, but this was something he'd never done before - or thought he would enjoy. But Lyra looked so happily peaceful, and he wanted to keep her that way as long as he could.

[rubyrocketboots13]

(( No problem! And I totally understand! It takes me a while to write out a decent reply too ^^ Take all the time you need to! I don't mind waiting <3 And you don't have to be sorry for anything! It's fine ))

Juniper

Hawthorne

Juniper quietly waited for Celeste out on the veranda, feeling a bit awkward around Hawthorne. Even though peace had been established legally between Howlers and Quell, there was obviously still a bit of tension among the two races. A Howler/ Quell peace treaty didn't automatically erase the centuries of war between them. Uneasily, Juniper tried not to stare at Hawthorne for too long. During the war, he, along with his pack, had tried to assassinate the captain on more than one occasion. It was strange to be helping someone who was once his sworn enemy. But, times were changing for Quell and Howlers; slowly the two races were learning to get along with each other. Still, Juniper was having a hard time trying to come up with something to say to the imposing captain. Even without his armour and sword, the Howler boy knew Hawthorne definitely was a Quell that he didn't want to cross. Juniper ran his hand through his dark, messy hair, fumbling to come up with something to say to try to cheer him up. But, it seemed the captain wasn't in much of a talking mood anyway.

Completely ignoring Juniper, Hawthorne crossed his arms over his chest as he tried to collect himself. Pull yourself together! There's no point to worrying about what might have happened. Basil is perfectly fine; she couldn't have gotten too far, right? He told himself, though he couldn't shake the sinking feeling in his chest. The captain nervously paced on the veranda as he and Juniper waited for Celeste returned. Hawthorne looked up as she stepped out of the house- with Arion. Guilt made him feel sick to his stomach as he saw how shell-shocked Arion looked. He hadn't seen the red-haired Quell looking this bad in a very long time. Taking a deep breath, Hawthorne cleared his throat and gave him a curt nod, " Arion" He said in greeting. Part of him wanted to apologize or offer his long-time friend comfort, but he couldn't seem to find the right words. Hawthorne gave a small sigh, not wanting to look Arion in the eye" Look mate... I'm sorry for what I said yesterday. I was out of line." He said in his usual blunt manner, but his tone was strangely quiet as he continued. " I know you'd never hurt my sister." Hawthorne rubbed the back of his neck, unsure what he could say to make up for his actions. Arion didn't have to forgive him and the captain didn't expect him to. CLearing his throat again, he looked to Juniper. " Come on, let's get a move on."

Juniper squeezed Celeste's hand gently as she took his hand, smiling at her as if she were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He honestly didn't care what clothes she wore; he would have thought that Celeste was beautiful even if she wore a paper sack as a dress. " You didn't keep us waiting too long, bunny" He said. Juniper noticed the cold-as-steel look in her eyes and how she seemed to be keeping him and her brother separated. A tiny frown tugged at his lips as he looked up at Arion and Hawthorne. Juniper had seen both of them on the battlefield before; they were some of the most powerful Quell Solodin had ever seen. But now, they both just looked miserable and defeated. Though he and Arion hadn't gotten along before, Juniper couldn't help but feel a painful tug at his chest to see him looking so listless. He knew what it was like to lose someone you loved more than life itself; Juniper had felt it when believed he was going to lose Celeste in the hospital. The young Howler was determined to find Basil even more now that he realized how much she meant to Arion.

Juniper gently leaned over to Celeste and planted a soft kiss on her cheek before slipping his hand from hers gently. He didn't want to let her hand go, but he had to in order for him to transform. Juniper quickly shifted into his adorable hyena pup form, shrinking down to the size of a small dog. The hyena's tail wagged happily as he lifted his head in the air to see if he could catch Basil's scent already. He didn't smell her, except a bit on Arion's clothes, but that wasn't really any surprise. Juniper gave a small huff and headed towards Solodin's entrance, checking over his shoulder ever so often to make sure that Celeste, Arion and Hawthorne were following behind him. As they got closer to the entrance, the Howler boy caught a trace of Basil's floral, citrusy scent- though it was faint with all the other smells wafting through the air. One scent in particular seemed to catch Juniper's interest- food. A small group of Quell and Howlers were out grilling some kind of meat on an outdoor grill. The hyena pup's mouth watered at the delicious scent and his stomach growled hungrily; he hadn't eaten anything since the night before, right now, food smelled heavenly. Juniper looked up at Celeste, looking up at her with his sad, begging puppy eyes. Hawthorne noticed and gave a small huff in annoyance. " Come on, we can't waste any time. What's the hold up?" He said bluntly, usure why Juniper had stopped. Juniper frowned at the captain, but he continued tracking Basil's scent again. Her trail led out to the forest to a barely noticeable path that smelled very strongly of her. She must have some this way a lot He thought, continuing down the small path after making sure the others were behind him. Another familiar scent made him stop again, narrowing his purple eyes. Howlers. There had been at least a small group of Howlers come by this way recently, perhaps a patrol or something. Thankfully, they didn't seem to be nearby, but it still wasn't a good sign. Who knew when they could come back by this way?

Lyra

" True, I suppose there's still a lot to be discovered about the magic we know about." Lyra said thoughtfully. She had never really been particularly interested in being involved with magic, though she found it fascinating. She did know that Endymion cared a great deal about the dark arts. The alpha had known about Endymion's involvement in dark magic for a long time and she had never minded it in the least. There had been countless times she overlooked his "trips" to find specific herbs in the mountains. And Lyra had always enjoyed listening to him when he mentioned his beloved dark arts. She loved to listen to Endymion as he talked something he was so passionate about it, though she herself didn't have much of an interest in practicing magic. The alpha believed that magic was meant for Quell or skilled people who had learned to master it, like Endymion had.

The blonde she-Howler looked up at Endymion as he spoke, her complete focus on him. Something strangely warm sparkled in her dark brown eyes when she smiled at him. " Thank you, Endymion" She murmured softly. His words had truly touched her ' I can't lose you'; those words meant more to her than he realized. Lyra gave Endymion's hand a gentle squeeze before sitting up just a bit so that she could see him better. A small, soft smile played on her lips, which was somehow nearly as deadly as her usual smirk. " I think you're absolutely right." She agreed, smiling up at him. Meeting his gaze, the alpha continued sincerely," Your trust and loyalty means everything to me, Endymion. I couldn't ask for someone more steadfast than you. " Her small smile widened a bit as her gaze rested on their intertwined fingers, " I promise, in this life and the next I'll always be by your side. You deserve all the loyalty and support I can give you." Without a doubt, Lyra cared a great deal about the warrior that went beyond just a normal a friendship or romantic relationship. She and Endymion's unique bond was something that not many people shared but, it made her even more grateful for the warriors companionship.

Basil

Basil rubbed her face frustratedly, wishing she could take back everything she had said. She didn't even know exactly why Arion had been so furious with her, but she would have done anything to have him back. Part of her wanted to run back to Solodin and apologize, though she couldn't bring herself to do it. Basil was sure that Arion wouldn't want to face her again after their argument at the mansion. " How could I have been so stupid?" She groaned miserably, " I've ruined everything." Basil hung her head defeatedly, torn between crying again or punching the nearest wall in frustration.

Callie bit her lip worriedly, unsure how to cheer her friend up. " Hey, come on, its not that bad. You didn't ruin everything" She said confidently, " I'm sure you and loverboy will kiss and make up when you're both ready, just give it some time. Heck, maybe even you'll smooth things out with your brother soon.". Basil gave a small shrug, looking up at the blue-haired girl sadly," I doubt it". Callie frowned even more, wishing there was some way to cheer Basil up. The two girls fell quiet for a moment until Basil spoke up quietly. " I'm going to go get washed up and changed before practice." She gathered up her bag and went into Callie's guest bathroom. After locking the door and turning on the shower to cover the sound of her crying, Basil sobbed quietly with her back against the bathroom door. " I'm so, so sorry, Arion, You deserve somebody better than I could ever be" She whispered miserably, though it was really no use. For all she knew, Arion was still in Solodin and had completely forgotten about her. Basil rubbed her face and attempted to pull herself together. After a long, hot shower, she was feeling a little better, but she couldn't shake the hollow feeling in her chest. Basil did her make up as usual and changed into a black Blink 182 tee shirt, a dark purple hoodie covered in stars and a pair of ripped white jeans. Stepping out of the bathroom, the green-haired Quell looked around for Callie, but she had stepped out for a bit to smoke a cigarette. Not feeling like chatting, Basil flopped down on the couch and flipped on the television to mindlessly stare at some tv show she wasn't really interested in paying attention to.

[arvanien]

(Ahh thank you! 😄)

Celeste

Arion

Arion slipped his free hand into his pocket and drew out a small silvery disk the size of a thumbprint. As he examined it, Hawthorne's voice pulled him from his thoughts. Arion looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly as the captain spoke. The last thing he was expecting from him was an apology, but today had been a day of surprises. Still, the last thing Arion felt like doing was smiling. He lifted his eyes to meet Hawthorne's, his face still blank as ever. "That's all right. I know how you felt." He answered, surprising himself with how calm he sounded. "I said things I shouldn't have said as well. But it won't happen again." Arion pressed Celeste's hand gently, knowing he'd already gave Juniper a ton of crap just for loving her. It hadn't been a lot different between himself and Hawthorne. The captain loved and wanted to protect his own sister, and Arion undeniably understood that. He clapped Hawthorne on the shoulder, in the exact same way he always did after they survived a fight.
"And you're right. I would never hurt your sister." A shadow of a smile passed over Arion's face, but it quickly turned weary and wistful. His expression became distant as he stared at the piece of silvery material in his palm. I'm going to find her no matter what. But what if she's decided to leave for good? What if she still despises me? He thought hopelessly. Without wanting to, Arion remembered how outraged Basil had looked upon seeing himself and Hawthorne at each other's throats. He absentmindedly rubbed the strange trinket. The little disk had a weird aura to it, the exact same aura that Arion's sword, most of his weapons, and some of Celeste's jewelry possessed. They appeared to be made of metal but did not have the same vibration to a green haired Quell as metal would. It was almost unnoticeable, but if detected by an earth Quell with sharp senses, rather eerie.

Celeste smiled faintly as Arion squeezed her hand. She knew he cared for her, a million times over. It was good to see him and Hawthorne making up; she'd hate to spend the journey with both of them towering over her giving each other hateful glares. She turned her attention to Juniper, her blue eyes softening fondly. "All right, you're the leader, Juniper," she said, gently letting go of his hand, blushing faintly as he kissed her. She giggled quietly, feeling warm and fuzzy all over. But this time, Arion was too distracted to notice at all. Giving an excited smile as Juniper transformed, Celeste turned to Arion to see his reaction, her eyes sparkling.
"Come on, Arion. Isn't Juniper the most adorable puppy you've ever seen? Just look at him!" Celeste grinned madly, poking him. Arion just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, fine," he grumbled. Celeste poked him again, harder. "Ow," he said, just to humor her.

They followed Juniper through Solodin into the forest. Arion was absentmindedly letting Celeste pull him along as she followed intently at Juniper's heels. She bent and softly rubbed his furry little head as he looked up at her so sadly. "I'm sorry, darling. Don't look so sad; I'll get you something to eat as soon as possible," she promised, understanding him perfectly. Poor thing. Of course he would be hungry! I should have brought him a snack, Celeste sighed regretfully. She knew he hadn't had anything to eat since last night, and right now she didn't have any food in her bag except for a few sticks of strawberry chewing gum. "What is it?" She asked worriedly, her previous thoughts clearing as she noticed Juniper stop.
Arion suddenly snapped out of his disconsolate stupor. "This path comes awfully close to the Howler's patrol pattern," he remembered, his stomach twisting in alarm. Peace had been established (which didn't mean a hoot anymore, it seemed), but with Celeste's and Juniper's predicament last night, anything could happen. "Juniper, please tell me you don't smell any blood." Arion's head started throbbing as the old memories of being held hostage during the war resurfaced, all of them blurring painfully together. It was irrationally out of proportion with the scenario they were dealing with, but he couldn't help it. Howlers always meant trouble, except maybe the small fluffy ones that Celeste liked. He wearily rubbed his temples, trying to force down his fear.
Celeste massaged Arion's hand, trying to calm him. "Arion, we don't know for sure yet. We need to keep our heads clear and keep following. It's very unlikely that Basil would be ambushed by Howlers or something like that." She was just as anxious as he was, but now was precisely the time not to freak out. She gave Juniper an uneasy glance, clearly afraid that something nasty could have happened to Basil even before she could have reached the human city. But Celeste forced the thought out of her mind. Basil was no damsel in distress, and they were going to find her.

Endymion

Endymion sighed inwardly as Lyra looked up at him with that warm sparkle in her gorgeous brown eyes. Mother has always been right. They are experts at both. He didn't care how warm and soft Lyra's eyes could be, or how charming her smiles were; that steely hardness was still in there somewhere. All women were double edged like long swords. But while it lasted, he was going to enjoy it. "Of course." He smiled, his dark blue eyes glimmering faintly. "It will always be like this," he said softly, absentmindedly rubbing a piece of Lyra's hair between his thumb and forefinger instead of actually stroking it. Endymion had meant for it to be a statement, but it sounded more like a promise.

Light footsteps pattered almost inaudibly on the grass behind the duo. Even in human form, Endymion's ears seemed to prick as he straightened and turned around. The dense bushes were pushed aside to reveal a young, limber girl with a fresh, innocent face and choppy hair the color of milk chocolate. She wore homespun trousers under a white tunic and a string of small gems around her neck. A pair of brown and white wings were smoothly grafted to her twig-like arms. A smattering of freckles set off dark blue eyes that looked exactly like her brother's. She seemed to be completely unaware of what she was interrupting. Nodding respectfully at Lyra, she then turned to her brother.
"Endymion! Does your nephrite talisman have any adverse effects on food?" She asked innocently, eyeing the pair with growing uncertainty.
Endymion's face twitched. "What did you do?"
The girl squirmed uncomfortably. "It was an accident. I knocked it into a bowl of potato curry."
"Miri, how many times do I have to tell you to put away the things I give you in their proper places?" He sighed. Talismans were no playthings, but Endymion's temper was the slowest thing in the forest. He turned apologetically to Lyra. "I'm sorry our time was so short. Would you like to stay or come back now? I won't be long," he said. Miri pretended not to notice her brother and Lyra holding hands and busied herself with preening her wings.

[rubyrocketboots13]

(( No worries! ))

Basil

Mindlessly flipping through tv channels, Basil couldn't seem to focus on anything on the screen. Her mind was still on Arion and the argument at the mansion. She couldn't seem to forget how furious Arion and her brother had looked fighting at the mansion. Basil couldn't have let the two of them continue fighting like that; both men had terrible tempers- one wrong word and the two of them might have started dueling in the Monatigh's living room. Basil had hated seeing Arion and Hawthorne glaring at each other as if they were enemies. It was like they had forgotten they were friends in an instant. How could they have so easily forgotten all the times they nearly died together in battle? Or how they had depended on each other over the years? Maybe Basil was wrong for shouting at the both of them to stop fighting, but she wasn't going to let them throw away their long time friendship over her. Rubbing her face exasperatedly, she groaned, " Why do men have to be so stubborn and immature sometimes?" Basil crossed her arms over her chest in a huff, but she couldn't seem to be truly furious at her brother or Arion. The anger and sadness she had felt the night before when she saw the two people she loved fighting had been replaced by a terrible hollow feeling she couldn't seem to shake.

Basil gave a soft sign and settled back into the couch to watch the different channels flicker across Callie's television. Human television had never really interested her, but she hoped that it would take her mind off of her troubles. Basil settled on what looked like a news channel. After listening to the droning voice of the news anchor go on about worthless human politics and the traffic updates , she was about to change the channel until she saw something that looked familiar on the screen- one of the many gorgeous waterfalls near the Quell city. Basil's eyes snapped open as she remembered that their had been some a lot more humans spotted in the forest lately; just yesterday morning she had given Hawthorne a report about some of the strange activity in the forest. Basil turned her attention back to the television, carefully listening to the news anchor speak. " - and drilling will begin in just a few short days for oil. " Basil's heart pounded rapidly in her chest, panic making her sick. If humans were going to start drilling in the forest, then they would eventually find both Solodin and the Howler's village. " I have to warn Hawthorne! And the Howlers!" Basil said, a fierce determination in her eyes.

" You have to warn who about what?" Callie asked confusedly, walking into the living room to see a wide-eyed Basil. The green-haired Quell took a breath to calm herself down." Callie! Did you know humans are drilling for oil in the forest?!" She asked. Callie nodded, a grim look crossing her face, " Yeah, it's all over the news since there was a big scandal with the company that's doing the drilling. Supposedly they have been illegally dumping chemicals and stuff into rivers in a lot of cities where they have been drilling, but no one can seem to arrest them for it. I'm afraid they're gonna start dumping that crap into our rivers soon. " She shook her head sadly, giving a small noise in disbelief, " If I could get my hands on the people behind it, I'd-" The spunky human girl cut herself off as she saw Basil's expression. Suddenly, Callie realized why her friend looked so strange, " Chemicals have some nasty side affects to you magical folk, don't they?" she asked quietly. Basil gave a small nod, biting her lip in worry, " We have to stop these monsters." She said determinedly, " I have to warn everyone in Solodin and the Howler pack about this if they don't know already. The Howlers will start feeling the effects of the chemical's first.". Callie gave a small smile to see Basil at least a little more like her usual self. " Well, what are we waiting for? I'll help you fight these guys any way I can." Callie said, giving a war cry and pumping her fist in the air, " Let's stop these filthy, money-grabbing pigs!". Basil gave a small laugh at her friend's antics, despite how serious the situation was. " Whoa, easy there Callie!" She said, concerned, "Maybe you would be more helpful here in the human city. I'm afraid the Quell and Howlers might think you're on the wrong side.". Callie looked a bit disgruntled, crossing her arms over her chest in defeat, " Fine.... just promise me you'll be careful?". Basil gave her a smile," I promise. And I'll see you later, Callie. Thank you for everything!" She gave her friend a quick hug before gathering up her things. After slipping her dual daggers into the sheath on her forearm and pulling her hoodie hood over her head to cover her bright green hair, Basil sprinted out of the house and towards the forest. Though, she wasn't headed for Solodin on her normal path- she was headed into the forest in search of where the humans had been spotted frequently near the waterfalls- she guessed that was where they would be drilling and dumping filth into the water.

It didn't take long for her to jog through the forest because she cut through Howler land. Walking through the forest, Basil could sense a lot of metal, though she didn't seem to sense any chemicals yet. As she came to the clearing where the humans were supposed to be drilling, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. There were four giant, strange looking machines parked in a large clearing near the waterfall, along with a lot of smaller equipment and tons of white barrels filled with a filthy black sludge. All the equipment had recently been moved there, judging from the fresh tracks from the machines' strange looking wheels. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any humans around, but Basil readied her twin blades in case there was any trouble. After surveying the clearing, she decided to do as much damage to the equipment as she could before heading back to Solodin.Even if it wouldn't stop them, at least it would slow down the human's progress. Basil narrowed her eyes determinedly as she began using her earth magic to bend the metal of the machines into twisted, unrecognizable shapes. Unlike her brother, she had always been very aware of the earth around her and she was quite skilled with manipulating rock and metal. In her own way, she was quite powerful, though she had never really had great control over her earth magic. As she focused on controlling the metal, Basil didn't notice a yellow-eyed figure silently lurking in the underbrush watching her.

Juniper

Hawthorne

Hawthorne had never been a very emotional man, but that didn't mean he still did have feelings. He was actually a very soft-hearted guy despite his tough, grumpy appearance. It was obvious he loved his sister and did the best he could to protect her. And it wasn't hard to see that the Captain sincerely cared about Arion; how many times had he stayed with the red-haired Quell while they were injured on the battlefield? Hawthorne felt like a fool for risking his friendship with Arion over a stupid argument. As Arion spoke calmly, Hawthorne felt as if a weight had been lifted off of his chest. Part of him had expected Arion to still be furious with him or simply ignore his apology. It was a bit unnerving- and relieving to hear how calm and collected the fierce red-haired Quell seemed. Hawthorne smiled slightly as Arion clapped him on the back, giving a small nod in agreement. " It's alright, mate. No hard feelings" He made a promise to himself to be more careful about speaking harshly to the people he cared about. Perhaps if he had been a little kinder to both Arion and Basil, his sister would have still been safe in Solodin.

Noticing the trinket Arion was playing with, Hawthorne looked over at it interestedly. Power replication was his dominate power, not earth magic. Truthfully, the captain wasn't as " in tune" with nature as most earth Quell tended to be. He could vaguely sense something was a little strange about the metal, but he couldn't determine what it was. Hawthorne assumed that it was some sort of specialized metal or perhaps some sort of charm that had been placed on the metal. Though, he didn't really put very much thought to it, especially since he had more to worry about than some metal trinket. Hawthorne kept his eye out for any signs of trouble in the forest as they followed Juniper, his military instinct making him constantly on the watch for trouble. He barely noticed the others as a strange uneasy feeling made him more on edge than usual. Instinctively, his hand went to his hip where his sword usually hung, but he suddenly remembered that he had left his longsword at the training center in his haste to find Celeste. Looking over to Arion and Celeste, Hawthorne's expression was grim, wondering if they could feel it too or if he was just being paranoid. " Celeste's right, it is pretty unlikely that Basil would be ambushed by a patrol of Howlers. Quell are supposed to be allowed on Howler land anyhow." He said, though realistically he knew that not every Howler and Quell upheld the rules of the peace treaty. There were still a good bit of Howlers that hated Quell and vice versa. But, most of the two races were beginning to accept each other.

Juniper beamed happily as Celeste grinned ahd called him cute. He couldn't have been more pleased that she thought his hyena pup form was adorable. It seemed a lot of Quell didn't like his Howler form, but Celeste was different. She actually liked his adorable puppy form; it gave him a warm, contented feeling in his chest to know that he could make her happy by just being himself. Juniper looked up at her happily as she rubbed his head, his purple eyes sparkling madly. Celeste was the only person he had ever met that could understand him so easily. Even if they hadn't known each other very long, it was obvious the two of them had a very special bond.Though he was still hungry, he perked up at the mention of getting food later. Giving a happy yip, the pup nuzzled Celeste's hand gently in thanks and gave her a crooked grin before going back to tracking Basil. Lifting his muzzle in the air, he caught a strange scent that he couldn't quite place. It was strangely metallic and almost smokey, but he didn't have the time to investigate further. Juniper smelled Basil's scent again, led the way through the forest easily, not losing the trace of her floral, citrusy scent. Though with the just barely noticable path, he didn't have much of a hard time following her trail. It seemed that the young earth Quell had come through the forest this way quite often, though he couldn't figure out why. There were much safer ways out of the underground city; the small path came much too close to Howler patrol borders. But, if Basil was headed to the human city, then this probably the safest, but longest way to go.

As he caught the strange metallic scent again, this time is was mingling with a few other scents that seemed to overpower Basil's delicate one temporarily; metal, humans, and faintly blood. One scent in particular stood out to him- a Howler and a Quell that he didn't recognize. Juniper stopped and looked up at Celeste with worry in his eyes. At Arion's question, the hyena nodded his head slightly before looking away with a sorrowful look in his eyes as if to say ' I'm sorry'. But, Juniper was determined not to jump to conclusions; just because he smelled blood didn't automatically mean that Basil was hurt. Lightly, he pawed at Celeste's shoe, an urgent look in his eyes and pointed his muzzle away from the small path, wanting them to follow. Hawthorne looked a bit disturbed as he looked between Celeste and Juniper. "What is it? What's he saying?" The captain asked, feeling a bit panicky now. Juniper apparently smelled blood or something, but that's all Hawthorne understood. " Who's blood?" The captain asked impatiently. Juniper ignored Hawthorne's questions, completely focused on finding Basil's scent again. Trusting his instincts, he felt as if they should head for the strange metallic scent if they wanted to find her. Juniper followed the scent, the smell of blood and the other Howler getting stronger, as well as Basil's scent. The hyena gave several yips as he ran towards the scent; being so small he managed to navigate the underbrush much more easily than the Quell, but he knew they weren't far behind.

Bursting into the clearing where the human's heavy machinery was, Juniper gave a joyous bark as he spotted Basil. His tail wagged happily as he ran over to the green haired girl. "Juniper! What are you doing here?" Basil asked, breaking into her a small smile as she recognized him. Turning away from the now badly damaged machinery, she bent down and gently pet Juniper's little head. The fluffy hyena sniffed her worriedly before giving a slight whine and gently nuzzling her hand. He could tell that something was wrong, though he didn't know what it was. All he could smell was the human's foul chemicals. Transforming back human and covering his nose, Juniper glanced back at the underbrush where he had left the others. " Juniper?" Basil asked, a small frown tugging at her lips, " What's wrong?". Before the Juniper could answer, he spotted a dark figure darting away from the clearing- another Howler, though it wasn't one of his former packmates. He gave a low growl out of instinct, nervously looking around for Celeste and the others.

Lyra

" I know it will be" She replied softly. Lyra smiled up at Endymion, her head still resting gently on the warrior's shoulder. Her gaze was still strangely soft and warm as she met his gaze; Endymion was the only person that she looked at quite like that. Her small, almost fond smile only grew as she saw the attractive sparkle in his dark blue eyes. Saints above, how have I never noticed how beautiful his eyes are? Lyra thought, a faint blush crossing her cheeks. She was used to seeing Endymion with his usual cold glare or an almost completely blank expression. Truthfully, she had never expected him to act like this before, though it was still pleasant. The alpha blushed a bit harder as Endymion played with her long white-blonde hair, though she let him just the same. It wasn't really a romantic gesture, but somehow it was still almost relaxing in a strange way. Lyra closed her eyes for a moment, not bothering to deny the contented warmth in her chest she felt just being here with him. The time they had spent together had been absolutely blissful; as Lyra heard the soft footsteps approaching, she couldn't help but feel a stab of regret in her chest to know that their peaceful after noon had come to an end.

Lyra straightened up and released Endymion's hand gently before turning to see who the newcomer was. As Miri approached, the blonde smiled slightly and returned the respectful nod. Lyra had always liked the younger girl; she could tell that Miri had a lot of potential even at her young age. The alpha listened with polite interest as Endymion and Miri spoke. Not knowing anything about talismans, she was a bit curious whether or not they had any effects on potato curry. Lyra gave an understanding nod, " I think I'll stay here a little while longer." She said, not ready to leave just yet. The cozy spot near the stream was much nicer than sitting alone in her hut or worse, back in the healer's hut. Lyra was feeling a lot better, though she was unsure if she could walk back to the village.

[arvanien]

Celeste

Arion

Arion simply nodded in acknowledgment. He thought Hawthorne brave to speak up like that, especially that it was a well known fact that Arion tended to laugh in the faces of those who tried to make up to him. But no matter how disagreeable Hawthorne was, Arion would never do that to him. "By the way," he started, immediately regretting what he was about to say, but he went on. "I know you don't like the prospect of your sister being with me, and I understand that. I respect your wishes, but I won't be able to stay away from her forever." Arion tried his best to keep the bitter edge out his voice, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't even bring himself to say Basil's name. He had dated girls before, but most of his past relationships had been rather flimsy. It seemed like girls only liked him for his attractive looks and his colorful reputation, and he hated that. Arion wasn't that interested in them; he didn't even get why guys got so awkward around pretty girls. But only now did he understand what it felt like to really be in love (and to be awkward around pretty girls). He'd known Basil for exactly one evening, but he knew he loved her, through and through. Arion would be damned if Hawthorne tried to keep them apart.

Arion's face went slack as he realized what he'd really just said. His previous words had no impact at all if Basil didn't want to be with him. Well, I'll be just fine all the same, he told himself, swallowing the lump in his throat. But there was no use trying to convince himself that the sinking feeling in his chest wasn't the fear that Basil would turn her back on him if they ever found her.

Celeste, who had been silently listening to Arion's and Hawthorne's conversation, couldn't help but cringe at her older brother's words. Gah! Why does he have to be such an idiot?! Saying that right in Hawthorne's face - does Arion know the definition of the word tact? She tugged hard on his hand, shaking her head at him. Arion responded with one of his weirdly cute faces, his hazel eyes glinting with some of their old mischief. Obviously, he regretted nothing. The way he pulled off that adorably quirky look was the only thing ruining his bad boy image. Celeste sighed through her nose. Is this why Basil likes him? she thought, exasperated.

She let go of Arion's hand as Juniper looked up at her so worriedly, puzzled. Celeste couldn't speak Howler, but she could make pretty good guesses. Her olfactory senses obviously weren't as sharp as his, but she could sense a faint whiff of something artificial and unpleasantly acrid. Oh no. Just as she was about to ask something, Juniper dashed off. "He's onto something." Celeste heaved a sigh, stared straight ahead, and willed herself to teleport to Juniper, reaching out with her mind towards him.

"Real original, sis," Arion yelled after Celeste as she disappeared in a shimmer of soft blue light like a fairy. "Looks like girls really enjoy leaving us guys behind," he muttered, pocketing the silvery disk. He still didn't get why Basil hadn't talked to him first before running away. Drawing a foot long vibro-blade from the sheath on his upper arm, he began to slash his way through the underbrush, in the direction the hyena Howler had gone. The vibrating blade cut down the greenery twice as faster than the sharpest axe. No way he was going to waste time swimming through dense, opaque foliage. Being the size of a child's stuffed rabbit, like Juniper, had its perks.

Celeste smoothly materialized a few meters behind Juniper, stepping gracefully onto the grass in the clearing as she looked around for him. She smiled with relief as she caught sight of him now transformed human, then her face froze with outrage as she took in the sight of the grotesquely obtrusive, distinctly human machinery by the beautiful waterfall. But then, she recognized the small, familiar figure next to Juniper. "Basil! It's you!" She grinned joyfully, brushing stray wisps of hair out of her face as she jogged towards the pair. She had never been so happy to find someone. "What are humans and their worthless junk doing here?" Celeste took cover with Basil and Juniper and was going to say something to Basil, but was jumped at the sudden CRACK! behind her.

Arion emerged as he reduced the thick branches in front of him to wood chips with the humming blade, looking just as frustrated as he really was. He looked at the trio, then at the machines in disbelief, then back at the trio. He froze with the blade still humming in his hand, recognizing Basil after looking twice. It's her. She's here! It's her, she's here,, his brain screamed at him, demanding him to do something. Arion's heart skipped a beat, stopped altogether, then hammered wildly as all the blood rushed to his face. The mere sight of his Basil once again reduced him to a nervous mess. Maybe it was silly, but he though she looked twice as beautiful as before. Arion stood quietly behind Celeste, which was a little ludicrous as he stood head and shoulders over her. He couldn't bring himself to look at Basil a second time; he had regressed to being just as shy and awkward as he'd been when they met yesterday. She's here. It's really her. His heart was still pounding in his chest, and he suddenly wished he could actually hide behind Celeste. Arion actually hadn't thought about what he would do once they found Basil. He was still sure that she wasn't interested in him anymore, and he didn't really know how to cope with that.

Endymion

He met Lyra's gaze with one last, strangely fond yet blank look of his own before standing up. Disgruntled that he had to leave Lyra for a second just because of a *supposedly* tainted batch of potato curry, Endymion sighed silently. He was sure Miri could have taken care of this on her own - he'd shown her some things. But he would try to make it quick for Lyra's sake. Miri voiced his thoughts, "We'll be right back!" She smiled cheerily.

After they made the quick walk back to the village, Endymion glared at his sister. "Mireina Hermonceaux, what is the problem?" He asked pointedly, using her full name the way old-fashioned parents did. Young as she was, Miri wasn't naïve, and if she'd accidentally magically tweaked her food, she didn't need his help to undo it.

Miri fluttered her kestrel wings. Normally, she didn't have wings in her human form, but sometimes she would get stuck when she got too excited. "Well, I didn't feel like I should bother Lyra about this yet, with her being hurt and all. Anyway, I was going to visit Solodin this morning," she started in a rush, "and I heard loud rumbling coming from the direction of the human city. These huge, ugly human-made elephants were crashing through the forest and they stopped near one of the waterfalls at Solodin's outskirts - one of the smaller ones. That was this morning. I reeally wanted to stay and watch what they'd do, but there was this awful acidic smell, like burnt hide, only a thousand times worse. Obviously human!" Miri wrinkled her small nose in disgust. "I was going to come and tell you right away, but you were gone, Mother was out hunting for eggs, and I had to bake bread and finish mending my other pair of pants first." She ended impatiently. "What should we do?"

Endymion frowned. "Human machines near Solodin? They must want something - or even worse - know something." He knew precisely what Miri, who had very little experience with humans, was talking about. 'Human-made elephants' could only mean one thing. "Yes, that's urgent, but I can't just run off now - Lyra is waiting for me-"

"Oh, that's right. I saw how you guys were holding hands," Miri teased goodnaturedly.

"Shut up," he grumbled. At least she didn't know that he'd carried Lyra there. "We were talking. Anyway, I'm going to go tell her."

"What? But she's already had enough happen to her! It's not that I want to keep anything from her, I just want to give her a break!" Miri plucked nervously on her feathers.

"She's the alpha; she signed up for this. And she's just had her 'break', I believe, unless hanging out with me is a chore. Now please wait here and, I don't know, add lyson flowers to your potato curry." Endymion turned and raced back to the riverbed in his wolf form. Miri sighed and turned, transformed, and flew up into the window of their treehouse. The curiously carved nephrite talisman lay on the table, having been wiped clean of any traces of soup. She smoothly changed back, grabbed a handful of lyson flowers out of a nearby bowl, and tossed them into the bubbling pot of curry.

Endymion reappeared by the stream where Lyra was, not bothering to transform out of his animal form. He approached her, moving with incredible grace for a predator his size. For once, he wasn't sure how he should break the news to her. Potato curry...out of all things.