It had been exactly three weeks since he'd gotten the news.
Snow crunched beneath flat paws, the powder of earlier snow having melted leaving beneath hard slushy ice that bit to walk through. Winter into spring was always an awkward time, transitional and uncomfortable; it was muddy, it stank, excluding the overwhelming sprouting smells of a quickly beginning spring. New shoots were only just starting to peak were snow and ice had cleared, and where existed exposed dried grass, tiny vibrantly green blades intermingled, contrasted against the otherwise drab environment of the Redwoods. Late winter here was muddy and unpleasant while other parts of Kells were well into the first few weeks of spring. Last Ash had come to know this through experience, returning now to the territory of his birth after four summers beyond, exploring, living, struggling sure but he had grown accustomed to this exiled life. He loved it. Returning now was a necessity, impermanent he told himself.
Debitage's shadow over his shoulder had not been expected.
Last Ash had made The Forest his winter refuge, had for the last three winters at least. South and west of any mountain ranges with the majority landlocked made for a particularly easy atmosphere as far as winter goes, by his standards anyway, which worked well enough for him. Prey migrated down from the mountainsides therefore food wasn't as much a worry, plus there were plenty of rivers, not all frozen, he'd den up alongside. Avoiding the packs however...that was more of a challenge. The alliance he had tentatively forged with Kiln two autumns back had relieved said issue, with minor incursions with unfriendly wolves both lowering in severity and frequency. Avoidance was key.
Coming back to the Redwoods brought along new challenges. Firstly was just transversing the very place itself. New wolves had made the southern reaches of the woods their home; a large pack....a very large pack. This was worrisome and the quick wonderings begging to be asked popped up over and over again as he made his trek. Were these the ones? Did these -Crows- commit the act? Any amount of time lingering on the subject brought with it wave after wave of intense emotion, shifting predominately between great anger and grief. Aside from the Crows, aside from the very land itself sickened with the disease seeping from the Crystal Caverns, Last Ash's biggest obstacle was himself. He'd had three weeks to process the news of the attack.
Debitage, Catch Fire's companion, had carried the story. Kiln had nearly attacked the smaller bird out of reflex given the sudden appearance, but upon recognition, Last had called off his friend, trying to understand the ominous appearance of a figure he hadn't seen in four summers. The news of the attack had brought an avalanche of uncomfortable truths to the forefront; Last Ash would need to confront the past in order to move forward. But it was difficult. Returning to a place you never belonged. There was a hole in his chest, he was certain, from the time that he was born, he wasn't anything they wanted... His family wasn't particularly unkind, his father, well, his father was another story, the ending of which he didn't know how to navigate, what to feel. It was complicated, the whole mess, and now his brother, his litter-mate, whom, along with their sister, had assisted in his escape, was asking for his return. To come home. What did that even mean for him anymore? He didn't know the Fire Bringers anymore. What was left of them. And they didn't know him.
He spotted a boulder which upon the face was a pawprint long, long marked. It didn't belong to anyone of his generation or those recently prior, but countless back. A sure indication he was entering into his old pack territory. Pausing, he shook, the wind was picking up and little small flurries were starting to come down in what would probably be the last bit of snow for many months. It reminded him of falling ash. He took a moment to breath before looking over to Debitage and gave her a nod.
"I think it's time."
Catch Fire was in the middle of speaking with another pack member when he saw the crow overhead. His heart soar to his throat, an uneasy feeling of joy and apprehension sunk his stomach, and with a curt nod to the other wolf, he excused himself. Debitage had landed on a dead tree, the branches burnt out by an old lightning strike and the wood swayed with the impact of the bird, the thing hardly more than a twig now. She gave Catch Fire a smile, a sad one all the same in these sober times. She had been gone for nearly two months.
"It's good to see you, my friend," she started, giving him a respectful bow and raised back up. "There was a point at which I thought I'd be coming home with empty wings. BUT, I found him. He's waiting just at the edge of the territory."
They exchanged a few more words before he left her on his own, wanting as much of this to be between the two brothers as possible. He didn't know what to feel other than admitted anxiety, some relief, even joy for the first time in two months at the prospect of reuniting with his brother. He'd lost so much. They'd lost so much. Their father was dead, their mother missing. Other siblings, missing...numerous dead and others displaced, the pack was in shambles. There were a number of outsiders he'd recently recruited, potential permanent members he was getting familiar with as hard as it was to trust anyone now. It gave him hope though, seeing the young faces come in, even a father and his pair of pups of all things, and everyone was just...making it. There was a balance he was trying to keep between allowing his family their space to grieve and pushing them to not linger stagnant. It was difficult when the gravity of it all yanked him in either direction, just like everyone else. The large wolf made his way to the edge of the territory he'd been pointed to, leaping fallen logs and darting between live towering trees, which most of the journey was spent gliding over slipping flint rocks along the incline of this side of the range. He only paused when he spotted the figure, the other a large bird shadow on the ground eight or so feet away, clearly respectfully keeping a distance.
There was a long pause between them, just staring, looking each other over with a sort of reverent fascination that either one still existed and didn't belong solely to some old memory.
"Ah...welcome Last Ash," he started, taking a few steps closer. His head was lowered respectfully, not in a full bow but something clearly defined as less threatening. "Debitage told me the new name. I like it. I ah...thank you. Thank you for answering my call."
Last Ash watched his brother, noting the name usage, and respectful body language. Boy he'd grown. The were a year old the last time they saw each other, mostly grown then, but his brother had filled out, really matched the look of an alpha anyway. He recalled Catch Fire having scoffed at the idea of becoming the chief when they were pups. Things had changed, hadn't they. But just seeing him, knowing he was still alive, at least some of his family was still alive, family that as far as he could tell supported him, wanted him, he didn't know what to do with himself. Before he even registered what was happening his paws were moving and just as quickly he was hugging his brother in their wolfish way, bumping shoulders before he lowered himself, no longer meeting his brother's eyes.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I've been gone so long. I'm sorry I never came back. I...I..mh" he choked out, clearly distraught, "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help, to protect anyone. I-"
"Please...I don't blame you. You didn't cause this. I understand; are...are you staying?" Catch Fire was shaken, not expecting this display of guilt. He hadn't held it against Last Ash for never returning home, not even once. He leaned now to nudge his shoulder, telling his brother to get up.
"I...yes, I will. I'll help you reforge the Fire Bringers."
Word Count: 1,404