Liseli

"Spring?" Spring? Spring? "It can't be spring yet. It was just winter..." winter... winter... It's not spring, you dolt. It's summer. "Sheesh... no need to get testy." testy testy The soft voice rebounded sulkily from the walls of the canyon, where a white female strode along the bottom, along the perhaps six-inch stretch of land between the river, and the side of the cliffs that bordered it. She didn't seem disturbed that the fast-flowing waters were mere inches from her claws, or that one small slip on the smooth, slick stones would send her into the water... but then, she didn't seem too concerned that she was talking to someone who wasn't there, either. "I told you this was the wrong way." And I'm telling you that we have to go this way to get there. "Get where?" There was an overly-dramatic sigh, not from the snowy wolf trekking along the riverbed, but from the impatient voice inside her mind. Hell's bells... you forgot again?! I swear; if you can't keep track, I'm not going to tell you anymore. "No, no! I'll remember, this time!" Now, the soft-eyed she-wolf looked like she was about to break down in tears; this was relatively common for her, even though in the last several months she'd received kind treatment and consistent meals back home with her pack - as well as vigilant supervision to help keep her from wandering, as she was prone to. There was no telling how she'd managed to slip out today... but at least she was in much better health than she'd been a few months ago. She'd be alright, physically - as long as she didn't fall in the river.

Darling

Nose to the ground, ears perked, Darling padded diligently after Liseli's trail. Part of her was relieved to be out and away from the Aspen Grove, with each pawstep putting distance between herself and the parents that always seemed to be feuding over some ridiculous matter or the other. What was it today? Mom had gone out to speak with a stranger, grandma had snapped at dad for trying to interfere, and he'd held out for no more than thirty minutes before storming off to confront his mate and the transgressor. Darling was just glad to get away from it all, if only for a few hours. Of course, it wasn't the only reason the ashen gray and tan smudged wolfess was prowling the canyon. The further she went, the more Darling's troubles shifted away from her own affairs and towards those of her beta.

'No, no! I'll remember, this time!' Darling paused with her head lifted from the ground. The voice was closer this time, and it pained her to hear the teary quality of it. Her mind is wandering again. Darling thought sadly to herself, and shrugged off the last of her own worries. She moved forward more determinedly now to catch up with Liseli, her pale colored paws thumping against the ground so deftly and surely that the small she-wolf might as well been a cat for as little noise as she made. When at last she could see the brushy tail of her packmate further up the trail, Darling woofed softly, "Liseli?"

Liseli

You won't, either. That's what you said the last time, and I told you- "Liseli?" That voice was solid... real. Something she could hear with her ears, and not just in the privacy of her mind. She didn't make that conscious connection of course, but it was enough that her large ears perked to the sound, and swiveled, making her look almost more like a fox than a wolf with their slightly-too-large, fluffy appearance. A moment later, her brain caught up with them, and her head turned; yes, that was definitely her, as the single slash of black fur across the muzzle amongst all that white marked very clearly. Oh yes, this was that female from the pack... Cortinarri's granddaughter. What's-her-name... Darling, you fuzz-head. Can't you remember anything?! The female shook her head violently, ruffling up her coat all around, the light that descended into the canyon catching the whiteness in a shimmer almost like snow falling in the summertime. And once that was done, she didn't pause before clearing her throat and bringing her voice back to life. "Why Darling... hello, what brings you all the way out here? And we're where again?" That second question, spoken aloud, but near-beneath her breath, was directed toward the voice, not to Darling, and meant to avoid the other female's hearing, though with the echo of the rock around them, she could probably still here. By now, Liseli had pretty well figured out that nobody else could hear Sauda when she spoke, but it hadn't diminished her belief that her sibling was still quite alive and very real; it just made her believe that the others were not as perceptive as she. But she had learned how to disguise it by not talking to 'Sauda' so loudly when others were near to hear her do it. Here is where we are... you don't need to know anything else. Come, we've places to be. "No, Darling's talking to me, I can't just walk away... Have you seen your father? I was just looking for him."

Darling

When she saw those large ears turning back, Darling knew the other had heard her, and thus she slowed down in anticipation of Liseli's response. It took a moment or two for Liseli to actually turn her head back and acknowledge her, and at that point the younger fae came to a stop and looked calmly upon her friend. Before drawing any closer, Darling needed to be sure that Liseli actually knew who she was, because sometimes... she didn't. If the voices hadn't already informed her that the elder she-wolf was battling with the voice in her head than only she could hear, the vicious shake that came next was clearly a frustrated response. Patiently Darling waited, until at least Liseli brought up her name, "I needed a breath of fresh air, and was hoping to hunt some salmon." A partial lie, but then Darling wasn't about to tell her friend that she was trailing her out of concern for her mental instability. A soft smile crossed over her expression and she padded forward to close that gap between them a little more, all while ignoring those hushed responses that Liseli murmured back to herself as if she never heard them in the first place. "He's back at home, busy with the usual pack matters. I was actually hoping that maybe I could walk with you?"

Liseli

It was a much better story than Liseli herself had told; salmon were abundant in Requiems River, and furthermore were one of the white female's favorite meals. Oh, she had a taste for venison and lamb like the rest of them, but fish were a particular favorite of hers. Relieved for the new topic to take up, she smiled, and her tail waved slowly as she turned to more fully face Darling. "That sounds wonderful... can't tell you the last time I had salmon." What, you're going hunting? At a time like this? What do yo- "Yes, I do remember it being a little noisy around the terra this morning." Liseli broke in to interrupt the constant jabber in her mind; a first step to coming back to reality, which was marked by how she answered the other female with a tone that was just a tiny bit too eager and quick. It was a not-too-subtle way of attempting to impress upon the voice in her mind that she was not going to speak to it while Darling was around to hear; since the voice was only in her mind of course, it wasn't too impressed. I don't even like salmon, and- "Why certainly, Darling... come, walk with me. I know a place right up stream that is ideal for fishing." Whether or not she truly knew such a place was supremely up to question, and perhaps she really understood that she had no knowledge at all about this river, and was merely trying to make conversation to prevent the sad looks that always came into people's faces when she talked to Sauda. Either way, she fell into an easy walk beside the water, and started out casually, "How's your grandmother? I suspect that hind of hers was bothering her last night... she was in a pretty snippy mood." Of course, it hadn't been 'last night', and the female's old injury had been only the tip of the iceberg that had fueled her temper in the tense situation.

Darling

Darling had the soft, gentle face of her mother, without the fierceness in her eyes or the puzzling and often bizarre expressions that her dam so often displayed. It was this appeasing facade that continued to hold audience with Liseli, all without a wrinkle of uncertainty or glimmer of alarm to be seen. Sure, she often wondered about their beta and even discussed it with her grandmother and siblings, but Darling was far more personable and tactful than someone like her father, who frequently struggled with how to deal with the 'crazy fae' and her 'senile jabbering'. "Care to join me? Salmon and fresh canyon water... I've always thought the canyon water tasted much fresher than the water from the streams in our terra." Darling carried on the conversation as casually as could be, while keeping back to sympathy she felt for the elder wolf and the way she struggled to come across as casual herself, without as much success as Darling. "She's been irritable the last few days." The she-wolf agreed, now padding close behind Liseli, until the path down towards the river had widened enough for her to travel at the beta's side. "I think we all have, with this weather." She chuckled lightly, trying to ease her friend's mind, "It'll be good for us though; the river is lower than normal, and the salmon will be concentrated. All we need to worry about is the bears."

Liseli

"Yes, I'd noticed that," Liseli answered, even though it was a lie. Even if she had noticed how on-edge Cortinarri had been the last few days, the female had long since forgotten that she'd noticed it; one of her chief problems was that she couldn't hold onto thoughts from one minute to another in the short term, and yet seemed perfectly able to recall with intimate detail things that had happened before Starscream was ever born. Thus, she remembered that she liked salmon... but couldn't exactly detail what had occurred this morning before she'd ended up here. "The water back home comes close, in the winter when you have to break the ice to get to it. Something about the cold temperature freshens it, I think." That creeping little voice in the back of her mind was not so easily defeated however, and got uglier, almost in the sense that it could somehow detect that it was being 'threatened'. You can take your fish and your water, and- "Your grandfather was partial to fish too, you know. More perch than salmon, but he still liked it." She wasn't one to talk about Vestige much when they were around the terra, mostly because she was aware that such discussions pained Cortinarri some, but she was also aware that the former alpha's children and grandchildren were hungry to know about the relative they'd never had opportunity to meet, and so she sometimes brought him up whenever his elderly mate wasn't around to hear.

Darling

Warmth radiated uncomfortably against the dark rocks where they traveled, and was particularly thick at the bottom of the canyon. As they began to travel along the edge of the river though, Darling relished in the crisp chill of the liquid whenever her paws traveled over a wet rock or a into a stray pool. Where the river crashed against boulders and half-submurged logs, the fine mist of water that resulted offered even more respite. "I have to agree with that. I've always wondered why the canyon water is so cold, even during the summer... as a pup, I always imagined traveling the length of the little creeks in our terra, to find out where the water started. Someday I'd like to do that here." It was more wistful than serious, but it did make Darling wonder. Her mind wasn't really there though; she was monitoring Liseli's behavior through her casual facade, and had noted that the beta had stopped murmuring out loud at least. Whether or not the voices continued in her head, Darling could only wonder. "Did he?" That caught the fae's attention rather quickly and she looked over at her friend, "I've asked grandma about him a few times, but... she really doesn't like to talk about it."

Liseli

It was hard to tell if the beta felt the oppressive heat around her, or the cooling relief brought by the stream - a lot of the time, it was difficult to discern how much she was aware of, as her ability to focus on reality was constantly changing. Sometimes, she could be clear and calm as crystal, and know exactly who everyone was and what they were doing, and could carry on a conversation normally with others; those days were increasing now, as her strength had returned to her and the comfort of living in a familiar, steady environment helped to stabilize her mind. But there were still times, every now and then, that she slipped, as with now. She recovered fairly well though, with another living being to talk to that could help drown out the voice that sounded between her ears. "I have been to the source of this river," she replied quietly, and twitched the very end of her tail in a teasing way; and this part of her memory was likely quite true, as it had become clear over the last months that she'd traveled the length and breadth of the valley during the time when she had no one to mind her, those two years. "Perhaps one day, I will take you there... provided your father does not mind." Of course, Darling was a grown wolf in her own right, and able to make her own decisions, but apparently Liseli was aware - at least, at this time - that Starscream was very wary of her strange behavior. She'd had little interaction with his mate while she'd been in the packlands, mostly because Cortinarri and her family had done an admirable job in keeping the two crazy females separated to avoid drama, so she didn't know that the male possibly had reason to fear allowing his children to go anywhere with her... and yet, she accepted his suspicion with no resistance and no anger. Rather than focus too harshly on that, she continued on the subject of Vestige as Darling drew alongside her as the path widened. "Yes, he did. Got that tendency from his first mate, I think. Lady did have a liking for fish, and he used to bring them to her, as a special treat." That aside though, she knew that Cortinarri didn't like talking about her deceased mate, and nodded with a frown as Darling brought that up. "She misses him very much," she replied, her answer quieter now as though she expected the older female to overhear. "They were very close, and not mated long when he was taken away. The pack kind of fell apart, after that."

Darling

The curiosity of a pup still dwelled in Darling's heart and revealed itself in the way her eyes shone with awe and barely tempered surprise, "You've really been there?" For the sake of being an adult now, the brown coated female didn't yip or express the full depth of her interest, but she was clearly intrigued. "We'll have to plan a trip, some day soon. Maybe this fall, when the weather settles, and before the snows come. Keap and Ranui will want to come, and Crow too, I'd imagine." She was smiling genuinely as she named her two brothers and cousin. Darling had half a mind to ask her more about what she'd seen in her travels around the Valley, since Darling had rarely strayed too far from there terra; Starscream had been particularly vigilant over her, fearing in the back of his mind that Nachi might one day do their daughter serious harm. Little did any of them know that that danger was now eliminated, for better or worse. "I wish she would talk more about him. I know dad wants to know more about his father, and when aunt Isias visits, she sometimes tries to talk to grandma about it." Darling spoke with a quiet sigh, "I guess-" The she-wolf paused, then let her words die away, not wanting to bother Liseli with what was on her mind. "I've heard that dad and us have his eyes."

Liseli

Now the female chuckled, and it as an innocently joyful sound, rather than some of the harsh, semi-insane laughs that sometimes took her when her mind was not quite her own. "I daresay I've traveled this land in much more detail than almost anyone else. I've a knowledge of little things like that, which few can challenge." Of course, that was provided that she remembered those things, but that was entirely beside the point. Unaware of the family troubles that made Starscream wary of her slightly strange behavior, and equally unaware that Darling had fortunately chosen the right crazy wolf to accompany into the vast unknown today, she looked up at the younger female's prompting, and met the amber eyes with her own dark green ones. It was rare for her to actually do so, as she usually would talk to the other wolves in the pack while facing away from them, or either have her gaze upon a random rock or tree while she spoke, but to verify if those eyes were indeed like her old friends, she had to look at them. It offered Darling a rare opportunity to look into her eyes as well... and though there was mild confusion at their depths, and the sense of age and slight senility, they were curiously lacking in the vicious, dangerous glint that Nachi could get to her; all the months she'd stayed in Aspen Grove, Liseli had never proved violent in her insanity... only a little goofy or prone to tears, and in need of looking after. Finally, she nodded, and replied, "Yes... yes, that you do. And so does your father. In fact, he often reminds me of Vestige; with a little less elasticity and tendency to trust, perhaps. But perhaps that is well enough... his kind nature proved to be your grandfather's undoing." She shook her head again, and then picked up the subject once more, but in a kind of random place. "Ha..." she laughed, and the sound was full of irony instead of enjoyment. "'The Philosopher', he used to call me. Some philosopher I turned out to be. I can't even keep straight what I had for breakfast this morning. Or did I have breakfast?" Again, the head shook. "But he always seemed to find some sort of value in me... what it was, I'll never know now."

Darling

Ahh, here was the Liseli that Darling was hoping to coax back from the edge of delusion and senility. The femme's chuckle brought a sweeter smile out of Darling, and out of comaraderie, she flicked her tail against the beta's side, as a person would put a hand on their friend's shoulder. Dad needs to see this side of her more, then he'd understand. She thought wishfully to herself, without believing that such a time could come soon, not with her mother being as temperamental and hostile as she was to the other females in the pack. It took all of Starscream's effort and rather short patience to keep his mate from getting into fang fights with her or Liseli, not to mention Darling herself, and all with little or no provocation. "Really?" For a spare second or two, Darling kept her eyes on Liseli's, until the wolfess' submissive nature forced her gaze downward towards the rocks her paws were crossing over. "Personally, I think that dad tries to live up to him, or what he knows of him. I heard him talking once, at grandpa's resting place." The 'resting place' she spoke of bore little more than a few bone remnants, most of which were green with moss, and gnaws down by the teeth of tiny rodents in search of minerals. "I wish both of us could have met him." Not wanting to let the mood get too somber, and not wanting to drag up bad memories despite her hesitant curiosity over how exactly he'd died, Darling pressed onward and gave another tail flick against Liseli's lighter coat. "You have plenty of value, Liseli. You aren't our beta for nothing."

Liseli

The friendly twitch of tail made Liseli smile, and after a beat or two she returned it in a nearly casual, purely social way, indicating that she did still know how to interact with others... she was just super rusty with it. When conversation slipped back to Starscream though, she nodded sagely, with the sort of wise understanding that a wolf her age would be more expected to possess. "It is very difficult, to live up to the image of a loved one you've never met. It's dangerous to love an image... they have no flaws, none of the failings that are all too common to our kind. And when you compare yourself to the perfection of that image, you'll always find yourself wanting... every time." She shook her head, turning over the memories of Vestige that were sworling through her brain in no particular order; it was hard to keep them straight, much of the time. "It would have been better, if your father had known him, and known those flaws. Some of them were the main reasons the rest of us loved him. And then, he'd have a much better image to compare himself to. He's really not such a bad guy, your father. He's had a rotten hand dealt him, I admit... but he's too hard on himself for not being the sort of wolf he thinks his father was, and Cortinarri's an awful fool for not at least discussing it with him." It was rarely that Liseli could be heard to disagree with Cortinarri on any topic, still prone to treating her with the same sort of respect she'd given her when she was alpha female of Aspen Grove, but she disagreed powerfully there, and though she wouldn't have spoken it to the elder female, she did not hesitate to voice it to her granddaughter. And furthermore, she shook her head to Darling's assurance that she did have value. "That's your Grandmother talking. Don't let anyone do your thinking for you. What do you think, Darling?"

Darling

The white fae's true self was coming out more as the traveled the length of the river, until she was revealing the old Liseli once more, the way Vestige and Cortinarri knew her, and standing up to the title that had once been bestowed upon her. Darling was happy that she could help restore this side of the wolfess, for however long it would last today. "That's why I wish you would talk to dad and the rest of us more about him. I know grandma doesn't like it, but... I think you're right that... well, she shouldn't keep us from learning more about grandpa." Darling was not about to repeat what Liseli said and call Cortinarri foolish, but she did agree with the term. "Dad gets frustrated a lot, even moreso the past few months. I think it would help him if he heard these things from you. You knew grandpa, so you could tell him." Nachi was already a loss as far as Darling was concerned; she didn't want her father driven down the same lane, and besides, she felt that it would help Liseli to finally be able to talk more openly about the alpha whom she was so close to. Darling actually brought her muzzle up and briefly held eye contact with the beta when she was questioned, and did not delay in giving a firm, supportive response, "I think that there is no one who could replace you and your role in the pack. I know that your mind wanders sometimes... but I also know that you've got a lot to think about. And when you're not bothered by all those thoughts - like right now - you've got more wisdom to offer than anyone else in our family. And you offer it freely."

Liseli

"If only your father would listen to me, instead of mumbling to himself about the 'senile old wolf' all the time, he might hear something." Her voice didn't sound angry there, far from it; she sounded... grieved. Yes, perhaps that was the word for it. Her steps slowed for a moment or two, and she shook her head. "He is very like Vestige... hot-headed, ready to do whatever he must to protect those he loves; but he does not listen to me as his father always did. That was all I ever did, was to take Vestige's protection and his temper and put them to him in such a way that served him as alpha, helped him to cope with his issues and do what was needed for the good of the pack. But your father will not listen to me as he did. He views me as a crazy old fool... and I don't blame him for that. But it saddens me, because I see a lot of his father in him... and his father was my best friend." Her tail stopped waving, and her feet grew heavy, forcing her to exert extra effort to lift them, or so it felt to her. She did perk up a little though, when Darling replied to her challenge to say what she thought with spirit and power; the smile returned wistfully to her features, and she actually reached over and nudged the other female with her head, scrubbing her velveteen ears over the darker-colored flank. "Now that's an answer. That's what you believe, not what someone has told you. Don't ever get the two confused, Darling." She paused, and then her smile broadened a little. "You've a bit of your grandfather in you, too."

Darling

"Don't take his comments to heart, Liseli." Darling suggested lightly, all while knowing precisely what the fae was talking about. Darling seemed to be the only one immune to such mutterings, but she'd heard plenty of them against other members of the pack, her brothers included, and Liseli and Nachi in particular. Far more than latter than the former, but the fact remained that he could be more mindful of what he said. "You really should try to just talk to him more. You know, like we're talking now." It pained her to hear how sorrowful her friend was about this, especially with that last line. Darling's ears went back, "Like you said yourself, he's striving to be like someone he never truly knew - it'd help him if you talked about grandpa, and it'd help you to get closer to dad." Though it wouldn't be an easy task, or a quick on at that, Darling was ready and determined to help out in whatever way she could, if she could get both parties to cooperate. Feeling a nudge at her side, the she-wolf turned a brief look to her superior and smiled shyly, "You really think so?"

Liseli

The little corner of smile faded a bit, but didn't disappear entirely. "I don't deny that I often sound crazy," she ventured, and it was good she did not try to deny it... though perhaps just as good that Darling hadn't called it that in her assessment, either. It was one thing for Liseli to say that she sounded a little insane... but to hear it from someone else - and particularly to hear Starscream mumble to himself about it - did her a blow. Rather than cover that any further, apparently not wanting to discuss the voice in her mind, she instead went on, "Your father's frustrated... that is easy for me to understand. It often happens, when we compare ourselves to the perfection of the image of whomever we are trying to be like. He's too hard on himself, I'd wager... Vestige was that way much of the time too. The slightest mistake, particularly if someone else got hurt, could send him into little spells of melancholy. Kimama was particularly good at bringing him out of those." She shook her head again, to help keep herself from tearing up; they'd had a precious relationship, the alpha male and her daughter. Her features grew a little more certain as she returned her attention to Darling though, and she flicked her tail against the young female again. "Yes, very much... that's just the sort of thing your grandfather would have said. He never realized many of the good qualities in himself... but he was good at spotting them in others, and keen to point them out. And he'd get determined about it too; he wouldn't let you turn aside a compliment that he felt you really deserved."

Darling

Part of her wanted to know more about the voice, a bit out of curiosity, and more out of a want to help. A greater side was afraid to ask, and still another piece of her felt that such a question was too much an invasion into Liseli's personal business. In the end, the wolfess said nothing, even though she personally thought the term 'crazy' was far too harsh to use. "What you've said confirms something I've long been thinking about." Darling's own steps began to slow down a little, but they were not heavy in the way that the beta's were; it was the strong smell of fish somewhere up stream that caught her nose. Without remarking on that, she pursued the topic that had been brought up, "Our pack needs to become unified; we're not so much a pack as we are a few individuals coming and going from the grove, occasionally bumping into each other." It was a rather oversimplified version of things, but it suited her explanation, "A pack hunt, maybe a trip somewhere... something to bring everyone together." Darling sighed and closed her eyes, "I don't even know what I'm talking about it." She opened them just a second later and found herself smiling shyly at Liseli, then sobering a little, "The way the pack was before I was born, before dad was born - that's how I want things to be."

Liseli

"So your grandmother has at least told you of how the pack was, when he was alive." It wasn't too hard to draw that conclusion, after listening to Darling's wish that things could be like the old days; in memory, the white female nodded. "Yes... we were a very happy pack, when he was alpha male; again, I'll say your Grandmother is foolish for telling you that we were happy without telling you anything about the male who made us so happy. We could be that way again... but not if Cortinarri persists in refusing to speak about your grandfather. A great part of your father's tension can be blamed on that lack of knowledge; a child needs to know their father. If only she would correct his views... your father has a personality that could quite possibly bring us together like we once were." Of course, that was the word of a slightly-eccentric female who half the time couldn't recognize Starscream if she saw him, so perhaps that didn't mean much, but Liseli believed it. And she was quick to correct Darling on one point, too. "You have good instincts, child... and a loving heart, like your grandfather's. What you lack in age and wisdom, you have in other much more vital areas. A pack must be a pack. If you step upon a single stick, it will snap beneath your paw; but if you step upon a whole pile, the individual sticks will hold, and even keep your weight aloft. As individual wolves, we cannot protect ourselves from enemies... as a pack, we can. You see, dear? You do know what you're talking about... you just don't quite know that you know."

Darling

Darling did not turn her head to meet Liseli's eyes, preferring instead to continue walking alongside her and keeping her gaze on the rocks and streams that were falling quickly behind them and their easy-going lope. It's what allowed her to spot the fish carcass that had caught her attention a few moments past, and one look at the skinned corpse told her this was the work of a bear. Indeed, the scent of the bear still lingered, but there was no sight of the beast anywhere. "She's said a little, when I asked. It hasn't been much, though." The wolfess came to a pause once she reached the salmon and sniffed about it, without having as keen of interest in at as she normally would. "Mostly, they're quick, dismissive answers. I think it makes her sad, and that's why she doesn't like to talk about it." The she-wolf was sensitive enough that she had never pushed her grandmother for any more information once that realization had dawned on her, no matter how strongly she wished to know about Vestige. Darling perked up once Liseli complimented her, which brought back the shy smile to her brown and gray face. "Don't give me too much credit, Liseli. What I know I've either learned from you or dad."

Liseli

"Hiding from a bad thing that happened doesn't change that it happened," Liseli replied bitterly, her tone a little tart. "Of all wolves, I should know. Your grandfather was killed before my eyes, by a nine-times-cursed bastard by the name of Cavan. And no matter how little Cortinarri says about it, it's not going to change the fact that it makes her sad, and it's most certainly not going to bring Vestige back. She's old enough to know better. In fact, the only thing that kind of attitude will do is exactly what it's already done - cause tension and division in the midst of a pack." Yesss, Liseli... you do know about that don't you? Better than anyone... because that was your doing, wasn't it? The rift's worsened now, but it started with you. The eyes clouded for a moment as the voice reared its ugly head again, forcing Liseli's mind down a dark road, so far that she didn't even pick up the scent of the fish that Darling had stopped to sniff. She jerked her head to the side; once, twice. Get out of my mind! A brief snarl, very soft but still audible to Darling in the echoing canyon, and then a third toss of her head ended the brief spell, and there was silence between her ears again. Trying to play it off as no more than a strange itch, she reached to scratch in her ruff for a moment, and then fumbled back onto the subject at hand. "I don't know how much you can have learned from me, little one. The old Philosopher's mostly empty words now, full of slow thoughts and stale wisdom. No, dear... you must get that from your father."

Darling

The fish laying inches from the end of her snout looked suddenly bland and uninteresting, the scent of flesh and a free meal forgotten. She raised her head without bringing it above shoulder level and, after a pause, kicked into a short sprint that had her catching up to Liseli to trot at her side again. "I know... I guess that's just her way of coping." Darling tried to come up with an excuse for her grandma's behavior, whilst knowing that Liseli did have a very good point. Her mind went from sorrowful to shocked just seconds later, bringing the she-wolf to a dead stop. "...Cavan?" She whispered the name so faintly it would be hard to hear, but the disbelief in her wide eyes was undeniable. She was not close to her uncle, not by a long shot - in fact, she'd only seen him once before, when he arrived just outside of their packlands to speak with his sister. Yet to know that her uncle was responsible for Vestige's death sent a numbness through her body that she couldn't begin to shake off, much less process the rest of what Liseli had said. It even took Darling a moment or two to realize that the elder wolf had snarled at the voice in her head.

Liseli

"By confusing everyone around her and giving your father a complex?" She shook her head, and then sighed, seeming to understand all of a sudden that she was kind of bashing on Cortinarri. "Don't get me wrong, Darling... I love your grandmother. I loved her when she was Vestige's mate, and I loved her afterward, and I still do... but she's been very foolish since then. She needs a good wake up call." She seemed to have almost forgotten about the young fae she was talking to, as was shown by how she didn't notice that Darling had lagged behind, but she certainly did notice when the younger female stopped dead in her tracks. The auditory world might be confusing for her, but the visual world was usually concrete; when she saw Darling stop, she too stopped, and turned around to face her. "Darling?" There was a pause, where the question hung in the air, and then she'd feel the brush of those thick, soft ears across one of her shoulders; a caress meant to bring the female around. Almost insane, she might be, but she'd always been intuitive. "What's wrong?"

Darling

Most of what Liseli said about Cortinarri had gone in one ear and out the other. She heard the words, but her mind was too shaken by this revelation that she couldn't focus on anything else, even the peculiar way the she-wolf shaken her head earlier. "...you said Cavan?" Darling scarcely blinked as she stared back at Liseli. No, there was no way he could be her grandfather's murder... Cortinari would have known about it, wouldn't she? Why would she not tell them? And mom...? Comforting as Liseli tried to be with her caress, Darling's muscles were stiff and did not loosen, "You were there during the fight? It was my uncle?"

Liseli

At first, Liseli didn't quite understand what she'd just stumbled upon; she had initially assumed that she'd hurt Darling's feelings somehow, which wasn't exactly unheard of, since she was prone to all sorts of shouting, snarling, and other aggressive-looking behavior when the voice was ranting powerfully in her mind. So that was where her mind went first; that was why she continued to nuzzle her way up and down the younger female's side, as if believing that the touch would help mend whatever feelings her unknown actions had harmed, and make her feel better. "I'm sorry, dear... what did I say? Whatever it was, I didn't mean it, I swear." Now she sounded like a pup, trying to comfort another over some quickly-spoken insult that had cut deeper than intended, only to find tears springing to their eyes. When finally Darling did speak again, Liseli did her best to put her mind to the matter, eager to help solve the problem she'd apparently created. So her brow creased down in thought, and finally she answered, "Yes... I was there. I remember there was a mountain cat who had Cortinarri pinned - Vestige begged me to save her; I guess he must have known that she was going to have pups, by that point. But yes... I definitely remember that the wolf that killed him was named Cavan. Several of the others called him by name. But... you have an uncle called that?"

Darling & Dally

For all the assurance and comfort they meant to offer, Liseli's nuzzles achieved no reaction from Darling still. She kept picturing what she remembered about that scarred face, and the ghastly white-green eye of his that made him so unsettling to behold. Now, that face became even more terrifying for her, "You're sure it was him?" The wolfess spoke faintly and blinked fiercely, as if it would clear her mind a little more and allow her to think straighter. "He's... he's my mom's brother. Uncle Cavan, and Uncle Jais; but I've never met Jais.." Darling looked away, blinking harshly again. "That can't be so, grandma was there - why wouldn't she have told us? Why would mom not say anything?" The fae was far too troubled to ever notice the crow-sized falcon that had taken to flying from branch to branch along the canyon above them; but then, why would she notice such a thing? Peregrines were very common here, and water sources like this river provided prime hunting grounds for them and the small prey they targeted.

Liseli

"Jais..." The name sounded very familiar, but this was another of those places where Liseli's brain was a little foggy, and she couldn't quite place it. "That name, I recall too, but... not in relation to Vestige, I don't think." She followed that tangent for a moment or two, and then seemed to remember what they were discussing, for she turned her wandering eyes back to Darling. "There are many things in this world I do not remember, dear... but that name, I do remember. It's one of those things I'll take to my resting place one day; I could never forget that." This was again a place where she sounded very sure, indicating that she was convinced of the verity of this statement; she believed that was she was saying was the truth, even with her mind often in disarray. But even so, it disturbed her to find that this upset Darling so much, and she ran her head along the female's side again. "Surely, there's more than one Cavan in the world..." she ventured slowly, even though she could not think of another wolf with that name. "Perhaps it is not your uncle, but another."

Darling & Dally

Darling had no face to lend to the name, and would not recognize Jais if she ran smack into him. She also didn't know that, despite her mother's foul description of the white wolf, he was actually the most morally centered - and entirely sane - surviving member of that litter. His relevance to her was neither here nor there though, so when Liseli came up with no new information on her other mysterious uncle, Darling quickly dismissed him from her mind. This time, at last, Darling's tense posture eased up a few degrees under Liseli's patient caress, and she breathed out quietly, "Maybe you're right..." ...but how far can I trust your words, poor Liseli? Ears back, Darling brought her muzzle up and gaze briefly into her friend's eyes, "Do you remember what he looked like? Did the Cavan who killed grandpa have a bad eye, and a missing ear? A scarred face?" The she-wolf spoke almost mincingly, half because she did not want to hear the answer, in case it was a yes, and half because she did not want to rehash those painful memories in Liseli. If they had been part of what had driven Liseli mad, and were bad enough to make Cortinarri not want to speak of them, Darling could only imagine how horrible the event must have been.

Liseli

Liseli truly had no idea if there was possibly another Cavan in the world; she was simply trying to please and calm Darling, because over the past few months, she'd found herself getting very attached to the soft-spoken, gentle young fae. She had the soft spirit of her grandfather, and it spoke to the otherwise soul-sick Liseli; anything that reminded her of her lost friend was soothing to the ravaged mind. "Cavan..." She tried to make her repetition of the name a little less rough that time, for Darling's sake, but there really wasn't much hope to offer; there was only one Cavan, as the younger female's words proved only moments later. With a deep sigh, Liseli brushed her head over Darling's back, and replied softly, "Yes, my dear... one milky, sightless eye that he was quite sensitive about... and an ear that looked like someone had taken to it with a passion and torn most of it off. Just the barest little bit of skin still attached to the head - and as I recall, he preferred to stand back and watch while his goons ravaged the rest of us. They even had a human with them... a terrible bastard with arrows that-" She stopped and shook her head, but when she spoke again her voice still came out a little pitchy. "-that killed my Kimama." Of course, that wasn't quite true; Kimama had healed from the wound she'd taken from the arrow, as horrific as it had been - it had been the grief at losing Vestige, who'd been a father to her, that had ended the life of the young female. "But yes... I recall it as well as I recall yesterday... maybe better. That is the same Cavan." She was quiet for several seconds after admitting this, still running her head up and down over Darling's fur as if trying to make up for the unhappy words she'd said. "I... am sorry, Darling. I wish that I had better news to offer."

Darling & Dally

Darling closed her eyes at the news and buried her face against Liseli's thick fur. The description proved, in her mind, that Liseli was speaking the truth and not some delusional half-truth that her over burdened mind had conjured up. "Why would mom keep that a secret?" She murmured in distress, more as a rhetorical question than one she expected her friend to have a real answer for. She could have brought Cortinarri up again, but was so baffled and distraught at the idea of her grandmother keeping such news a secret that she couldn't confront that issue just now. Darling eventually drew her head back and looked up to Liseli, focusing on the beta's nose at first, then letting her gaze trail to the ground, "He brought the Haunters with him? ...why?" The she-wolf couldn't bare to look in her friend's eyes, not just because of her submissive nature, but because of the pain she feared she would find there after bringing up the daughter who had perished after Vestige's death. As far as Darling knew though, Kimama was killed by the human, a creature that the young wolfess hadn't ever seen in person. A sudden flap of wings above them didn't catch Darling's attention, other than the twitch of one ear, and a brief glimpse at a bird's shadow quickly sailing away.

Liseli

"Ohhh... oh, oh now..." The moment Darling tucked in against her, Liseli's heart melted a little, and she delicately placed her head over the younger female's, bringing her chin down until she could cradle Darling in a semi-awkward fashion. "Shhh... I don't know dear... I don't know. I don't know your mother. I've seen her perhaps twice since I returned to the packlands. I'm sure she had her reasons, sweet... adults do a lot of silly things without telling the pups; they figure it will scare or confuse them." The beta had no idea, of course, that neither of those things had been the reason that Nachi had kept those things from her offspring, but neither did she know that Starscream's mate had been a near-constant torment to Darling, to the point where her father often had to defend her. So she presumed that most of this distress was stemming from the fact that her mother had kept something from her, and Darling was shocked that her 'beloved' parent would do such a thing. She continued to hold the younger fae gently until finally she drew away of her own accord, and at that point, she answered the latter question with a snarl. "Because Cavan is a coward and a bully... he knew that the pack would protect Vestige with our lives, and he didn't want to risk getting his precious hide marred. Yet he still wanted too kill your grandfather himself; he wanted him to know who had 'beaten him', so to speak... so he brought the Haunters to subdue the rest of us so he could-" She stopped, because her voice had begun to shake, and she shook her head again, saying no more.

Darling

The tan and gray wolf did not speak up either in defense of her mother or against her, leaving Liseli none the wiser to the late alpha's true behavior and level of cruelty and insanity. All she could think of now was that her dad surely hadn't been told of this, because he wouldn't have kept it a secret... right? There were too many what-ifs crowding her mind right now, so she sought the solace offered by Liseli's embrace and the comforting press of her fur for many quiet seconds before some of the shock wore off. After withdrawing from her friend, Darling braced herself up and strove for calmer thoughts against the chaos that had suddenly been unleashed in her brain; after all, this venture out after Liseli was meant to help keep her safe and perhaps begin to mend her shattered mind. She was none the wiser for the danger that had been placed on the older wolf just now, in the form of the hooded falcon that was clearing the canyon ridge and winging due south along the Croal Mountains. "I'm sorry, Liseli..." Darling began, "There's little point in rehashing it now." Her ears were still back and her voice a few notches too soft and troubled, but the kind-hearted wolfess couldn't bare to here the shake in Liseli's. She moved towards the beta again, brushing up against her shoulder before stepping past the white fae to encourage them both to continue walking.

Liseli

Quiet reigned for several minutes, wherein Liseli was casting around for something comforting or cheering to say and coming up empty; how could one put a positive spin on such a raw thing as, 'The brother of your crazy mom killed your grandfather?' No... no, there was really no way to do that. "Hush now... don't you apologize to me, Darling. It all happened before you were born, before even your father was born. You've no part in taking up the blame for what occurred, and certainly none in hungering to know more about your grandfather. He was the best friend I ever had... he was worth wanting to know about." She shook her head a little, and released Darling a moment later, offering the corner of a grim smile. "Besides... nobody ever wants me to talk about him; your grandmother always listens quietly, and changes the subject quickly - we cope differently. She tries not to think about him because she misses him; for me, talking about him is what keeps him alive." She allowed the younger female to turn her steps though, when she started to move on down the canyon - but she stopped after only two or three steps. "I find I am not so hungry now... the salmon will still be here tomorrow." She blinked slowly, and turned against Darling in a pup-like way. "I'm tired, Darling... could you remind me... which direction home is in?"

Darling

Reassurance after that quiet spell helped to mitigate the feelings of regret Darling felt for having brought any of this up, especially knowing that Liseli already struggled on a daily basis to cope with things in her mind. So she took the beta's words to heart, and set a ghost of a smile herself by the time she raised her amber eyes to look at her friend. "Why don't we talk more about grandpa then, on the way back home?" The wolfess turned and backtracked the few steps she'd taken away by this point. Now facing the opposite way and in the general direction of the Aspen Grove, Darling loosened her tail and let it sway a few times from side to side, "This way, Liseli."