end of the beginning
#1
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Wow, am I ever RUSTY. Augh. WELL. I was hoping that Conor could break it to Rynny that Kol died like...forever ago, and that he should seek out Brisface if he wants to hear about her and Eli? After they bond and fall in love FOREVER, of course!
WC: 545


He'd come a long way. Months and months of traveling, slowly making his way east. Whenever it seemed as though he was making good progress, Rynnas would purposely slow down. Find a comfortable place and stick around for a few days. He found that the closer he made it to his destination, the worse he felt and it would take more and more time for him to recollect himself. And now he was here, which made it perfectly safe to assume that the guy was freaking out. It was silly, really when he thought about it. Rynnas had wanted to know all about his brother even since Eli left Jasper Valley that first time. And for awhile the male believed he'd learn all he wanted from the source itself. But now Eli was gone and it was up to Rynnas to seek the answers through second hand stories. It took him a while to gather himself after the initial devastation but eventually he was able to start where it all began. Soon he made his way out of the valley, slowly heading east toward the lands where Eli spent the bulk of his life – the time that mattered most, too.

And now he was here. He'd come so far but it was the final steps that were proving to be the biggest challenge. Rynnas was told to seek out the pack's leader, a fellow named Conor Soul. He figured the alpha would be able to give him any information needed in order for him to find Kol. He just hoped he'd be able to find the leader at a good time. Hell, he hoped he'd be able to actually move forward in order to do so. But at the moment it seemed as if his feet had become extremely heavy stones. Try as he might, Rynnas couldn't bring himself to climb the steps that would leave him to the old manor's front door.

The male heaved a great sigh, gazing longingly at the door in front of him. He managed to shuffle forward a few steps before becoming preoccupied with settling his pack properly on his shoulders. Over the past months, Rynnas found that whenever he felt particularly overwhelmed, if he looked through all the items that the pack contained it would calm him exponentially. There was something about holding his brother's greatest possessions in his paws that made him feel stronger. They represented everything Eli had taught him, all the things his big brother passed on to him. He knew that looking over them just one more time would give him the strength he needed to continue on. But he couldn't exactly empty his pack all over the stoop of the alpha's place, could he? As unconventional as it seemed, Rynnas knew he wouldn't be able to move any closer until he had.

It wasn't until ten minutes later that he realized just how stupid it would look to a stranger. There he was, a complete stranger to the lands, sprawled on the ground, his possessions spread out all around him: right in front of the alpha's house. But as he picked up Eli's hammer and felt the weight of it in his hands, he couldn't bring himself to care.



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#2
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Shush, woman, I love tayposts!


This would not be the first time a stranger would show up on the young Alpha’s doorstep. It was the uncharacteristic sounds outside the main door that first drew the warmly hued male’s attention, and eventually he closed the book and left his spot in the sofa, reeling closer to the door and whoever stalked outside. As he opened the door and peered out, he quickly spotted the canine sprawled on the ground a before the steps leading up to his home. Cinnamon hued ears momentarily drew back to rest against his skull, but it was more in surprise than distaste. It could happen that strangers found their way to Wolfville and those who lived there, but they usually had a motivation for seeking him out. As Dahlia’s lone leader, he could not be everywhere at once and sometimes they had to search him out instead of the opposite.

Then, the young Dahlian felt himself hesitate. He felt as though he should know this male, though he knew that they had never met before. Stepping out on the steps, the caramel male gazed down at the scene with strict curiosity apparent within his lavender orbs. ”Excuse me,” he spoke, voice stripped for the usual warmth that so often accompanied it in most matters. This could be a member, but he could not know for certain as the stranger’s scent had yet to be claimed by a dominant fragrance of belonging. Anyway it could be considered a bit rude to sit and fiddle outside the Alpha’s home, but then again Conor took little for granted and would not judge the man’s behaviour before he knew what this was.

”Who are you?” he immediately asked after being certain that he had the stranger’s attention.


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Table by Siekone
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#3
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Oh, poor Rynnas. He's so sad and pathetic. xD
WC: 889


Already his exercise was calming his nerves. Like a drug addict satisfied that his high would kick in, Rynnas was relaxed. There was still a slight edge of anxiety simply because of the entire situation, but for the moment he felt as though he'd be able to cope. He placed the hammer on the ground gently, his giant hand resting on the handle for a moment before he moved on to the next tool. Screwdriver. It was one of those fancy types with the handle that contained all the different attachments and heads. He knew the names of some, but Eli had died before he'd taught Rynnas them all. It usually would have been a single teaching session, but the younger brother had been more interested in seeing each tool in action than learning their names. So a simple lesson would become a marathon session complete with demonstrations and quizzes. The two of them had scoured all of the pack's territory, searching for anything that needed to be fixed in order for them to have things to work on. More often than not everything would be in working order, so the two of them would have to make things from scratch. Soon the pack members would be deluged with various gifts – boxes, shelves, trunks and the like. Rynnas never got tired of it. He looked forward to every lesson and it had taken the male a long time to convince himself that they were over after Elliot was gone.

So now he had the memories. Thinking of Eli was always a painful experience for Rynnas, he tried not to do it, even though he always failed. But thinking about the tools and the lessons each one inspired didn't hurt so much. He found he was able to remember without the ache. This was both a good and bad thing. For one, it never failed to calm him down in stressful situations, but unfortunately it also made him very distracted. He was often sucked into a world all by himself, oblivious to what may or may not be happening around him. Like now, for instance. He'd completely forgotten about his task and he had no idea how disrespectful he was being. Not only was he sitting at the bottom of the steps of his alpha's house uninvited, he was also making a mess. His improper behaviour was brought to his attention by the verbal prompting of someone above him. The voice wasn't angry exactly, but it certainly wasn't friendly by any definitions. It had no reason to be.

Rynnas jumped in surprise, his ears flattening with chagrin almost immediately. He dropped everything he was holding, head whipping around to find the source of the voice. He knew instantly who it was, even though he'd never met Conor before. But with most leaders, it was easy to tell. They always had an air about them, an extra sense of responsibility and burden. There was also a sense of extra vigilance, something completely understandable when one stepped outside their home to find a stranger practically playing in the dirt at their door. Rynnas was lucky he didn't get his ass kicked, really. Sure, he'd been recently accepted by another- but it wasn't as if Conor knew. And besides, member or not, you didn't loiter around the alpha's home without good reason! In his panicked and sheepish state, Rynnas didn't remember that he did have a reason for being there. It took him a few seconds to recollect himself. In the mean time, he jumped to his feet and took a few steps away from his bag and its littered contents. It was difficult for him to leave them there, scattered across the ground, but he forced himself to.

I'm sorry, sir. He apologized profusely, his mournful voice made worse by its shame. He was careful to keep his ears flat and his head bowed, tail tucked neatly where it belonged in a situation such as this. His gaze was cast downward in both remorse and respect, but the sadness within them had not lessened. Any calmness that he may have gained earlier was gone as he struggled to explain himself. My name is Rynnas Oriel. I was recently accepted by... The name completely escaped him, as did the appearance of the one who greeted him. These days he wandered about in a distracted state, unaware of his surroundings most of the time. For him, time seemed to pass with jerks and pauses, seeming to fly by one moment and drag the next. He was so turned in on himself that he barely acknowledged the things that went on around him. It was inexcusable, but his grief was a distracting thing. I'm so sorry, he apologized again, his fur turning a deep red beneath his fur. The name escapes me. Um. I'm here because I'm Elliot Oriel's brother. He was a member here a little while ago? Though he knew what he said to be fact, it still came out as a question as a result of his discomfort and embarrassment. He didn't know if Conor was a kind or forgiving wolf, he just knew that it was going to take a lot for him to redeem himself.

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#4
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Me likey! 300+


The golden Dahlian was content with the reaction he was served. He watched the nameless stranger jump with surprise before the gaze found the alpha’s lavender one. The apology was quick to rise from the large male on the dirty floor, and Conor had to struggle not to instantly soften at the sound of shame and submission. Rynnas Oriel was recently accepted by a nameless Dahlian member. As the surname was spoken out, that purple gaze sharpened again. He knew he had somehow recognized the male. He was not Weilund or Elliot, but there was resemblance there regardless. The Alpha’s head slowly tilted to the side, quietly waiting for more words to come from the large male surrounded by various items.

He was sorry to discover that it seemed that this Rynnas was looking for someone long dead. He had witnessed Weilund’s soul digest the painful shock already, and he was afraid to see it again. Did the male know that his brother was long dead? ”He was,” the Soul male admitted quietly, voice much softer as he prepared to serve some truly bad news. ”Elliot passed away several months ago,” it was best to be bold, the coin hued male believed. Rather than beating around the bush, he ran straight at it and pushed his way through. Nothing could ease up the pain that flooded one’s emotions if a close friend or family member died. ”I’m sorry.” he then added, his tones genuine as everything else about him. Death was never pretty, and it was a shame if his brother learned about it just now.

He stepped closer to the seated form and sat down on the porch. If this male was indeed a Dahlian (and Conor did not doubt what he had claimed), there were several things he wanted to clear up now. But first they would have to talk about the dead.


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Table by Siekone
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#5
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Sorry about the wait! Had a week full of stupid doctor appointments.
WC: 535

While Conor certainly seemed understanding enough (especially under the circumstances), Rynnas was far from relaxing. His embarrassment was still strong, the blush beneath his fur only just receding. He had a feeling that it wouldn't be gone for long, either. Even as he stood in front of Conor, actively being addressed by the pack's leader, Rynnas couldn't help but think of the scattered tools behind him. He longed desperately to be able to pick them up, return them safely to their bag. It seemed like some sort of post-mortem insult. It was stupid to think of such things now – as if Eli would ever be insulted by something as trivial as that. But try as he might, Rynnas couldn't banish such thoughts from his mind. He was always worrying about things like that- afraid that something he might do or say would insult Elliot...from wherever he was. When he was alive, Elliot's little brother had always looked to him for approval. And even in death Rynnas seemed to be doing it on some level. His sibling had always told Ry to think for himself, to have more confidence and Rynnas acknowledged that it would be a hard habit to break. Who knew it would be difficult even after part of the duo was gone.

Rynnas had known of Eli's death from the second it happened, until now. Several months, none of it spent in denial. His grandfather had spoken to him about the different stages of grief, but Rynnas didn't put a lot of stock in such information. To him there had only ever been one stage – an endless state of misery that seemed to stretch on forever. Sure there was anger as well, but as far as he was concerned, that was all part of the misery. However, despite how very real the entire situation had been for him from the beginning, despite his lack of denial; whenever the subject of Elliot's death came up, it hit just as hard as the first time. So when Conor spoke directly about it, Rynnas couldn't help but stumble slightly, rocking back on his heels. He flushed again and attempted an apologetic smile – it was feeble, but it was there. And when the alpha offered his condolences, Ry's eyes became bright with tears. Thank you. He croaked hoarsely, dipping his head. If Conor knew about Elliot, then maybe Kol did as well. Regardless, he still had to see her. His mission remained the same. He wanted me... The large male had to stop for a second in order to fight for control. It took him a moment before he was able to continue. Before he....died, Eli asked me to speak to his mate, Kol for him. Tell her what happened. He drew a deep, shuddering breath. Is there any way you could tell me where she might be? He was afraid to move forward in any way. A large part of him wanted to lay himself down right where he was and do nothing. Let himself stay crumpled on the ground amongst the many tools Eli left behind along with the memories.

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#6
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Apologies for late- and shortness q_q <3 It's heavy to write with Conor these days.


He was brought back to the time when he was fresh in his position and his confidence less prominent. It did not ease this unfortunate situation, and it was unpleasant to rip up in old memories. It was very sad, but he couldn’t protect them from the brutal truth. Life could not always be joy, no matter how much one wished for it to be different. ”Rynnas,” the coin hued male spoke the name carefully, regretting the words he now would have to say. Again. ”Kol Stormbringer passed away earlier this spring,” he carefully announced, excluding details that could make the first shock worse to bear. Kol had not deserved what had happened to her, but war was ugly and did not spare the innocent. Quiet anger existed within his core at the thought of his blue eyed devil of a father and everything Haku Soul had done against the wolves here, but the past would remain unchanged.

Perhaps it was ripping back into those memories that made the whole thing so unpleasant. There was nothing that could be done about it, but it was horrible to know that his own pack was stained with blood of others. It was not right; not how it was supposed to be. Haku should never have been given leadership at all. A madman was all he was, and his son was glad that the bastard was dead. Lavender observed the shaky giant before him, but there was nothing he could do. ”I’m sorry,” and he was sincere as he said this. He could never get used to announce the death of a Dahlian. The victims of the Dahlian war would haunt him forever, he knew this much.


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Table by Siekone
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