He stood outside looking in – as if he were an outsider coming to the borders to seek acceptance. What had happened to Shadowed Sun over time? It had seemed so lively and happy at first, even if Pilot had let himself sulk through the first few months. Now that he had finally come to terms with the massive move and felt situated here, Shadowed Sun was falling apart in front of his eyes. Members came and went, and now there were only a handful. Not even enough to warrant the term ‘pack’.



He shook his head, holding the arrowhead necklace in his hand. It seemed as if the sun was about to set in Shadowed Sun. And it didn’t appear as if it would be rising any time soon.

It really was too bad. Perhaps it was not meant to be, or perhaps they had not tried hard enough. But these sort of things could never be prevented- they just happened. Tayui could not control how many members they had, nor could she prevent any of them from... leaving and dying. She grimaced, wishing this had not happened. If Skoll were alive, if Lubomir were still here, things would be different. But Skoll was dead. It was hard to believe that the old warrior had died, especially after everything that had happened. He had been one of her last remaining links to Shaeniire, Ember, Agani, Fly and Rain. But they were all dead now-- all of them. And now Skoll was dead as well.



It was difficult. She was torn between mourning for the pack she had loved so much and the friend that she had forever held so dear. "Pilot," she said, a little at a loss for words. "Skoll is dead."

Tayui’s presence didn’t startle him one bit, nor did her words. They didn’t seem real at first – as if Pilot were the only one there in the world and Tayui was just a ghost, like a bad memory. He avoided her words for a moment and let his hand fall to his side, the arrowhead necklace slipping from his grip. He shook his head. What else could he do?



"Dead?" He asked, though he didn’t really expect her to answer. It was rhetorical – said out loud so that it might make it seem more real. He didn’t ask when, or where, or even who. He turned to Tayui, silver eyes rimmed with the slightest indication of tears as he asked, "How?" But not just to his friend, the golden warrior’s death. But to everything. How had this happened to everything?

"In a battle for his life. A wolf, I believe, who came to remove him. He knew something he was not supposed to know-- secrets, or simply knowledge for the battlefield, and died for it. He told me before he left. I think he suspected this might be the end, but I had been hoping it wouldn't... be." She paused. "But it was." The entire situation left her a little shocked and bemused, unable to truly understand what had happened. Skoll knew something about fighting, but it was a secret he shouldn't have known. He had killed someone related to the wolf (who had it been again?), and the wolf had killed someone else. His teacher? Mentor? Something like that.



Tayui winced-- she couldn't think straight. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, and it was difficult to remember everything from their conversation. Skoll was dead. Dead. And that was it.

There is totally not a Dir en Grey reference in this reply. |:



"I'm not sure," she replied honestly. What could she possibly do? Skoll was gone and now Lubomir was gone as well. That was the other thing she had to tell Pilot. They were so few, now-- it was impossible to go on. Ember had only just joined Shadowed Sun, but now the pack was disappearing; withering to death.



She followed Pilot's gaze, staring off into the distance of what was left of Shadowed Sun. But she did not see it-- there was nothing to see. "Lubomir is gone as well. All that is left is Ember, Urma, you and I." She paused. "We won't make it like this."

"Yes," she replied with a degree of certainty. Then, louder: "we are." She could not avoid it anymore, could not pretend it wasn't true. We’re dying. Weren't they already deceased? There weren't enough of them to make it by, and if they wanted to survive, to live, they would have to find another pack. Two leaders and two members were just barely enough to hunt, let alone survive. It wouldn't be possible, and she didn't want to see anyone suffer because of her own incompetence as a leader. They would all have to find another pack to survive, especially with summer ending and autumn fast approaching.



She shook her head in reply to Pilot's second question. Again, her words were rooted in simple honesty. "I don't know. I think I might find Vedr and stay with him for a while. At least until I can figure something out." She frowned. "We should probably tell Ember and Urma we're disbanding so they can find... a new home." She winced; it was harder to say than she'd thought.

Agreed. ): (Also, I forgot that Tayui knows Aiden Oriel as Vedr, so you could you edit the name to such in your post? :3 )




Tayui nodded in reply, feeling the weight of Pilot's words as she inclined her head. Indeed, it felt like the small movement carried the meaning of so much, of everything that had tried to accomplish. With that one gesture, she had accepted the situation and decided to continue to move forward.



She glanced from Pilot, to the surrounding landscape, and back. Her gaze remained steady, almost resting on Pilot's own face as he spoke. "I will," she replied. She opened her mouth to continue speaking, but decided against it, and instead looked away. She stared down at the picturesque landscape, the gently sloping hills in the distance and the stark movement and abstractionism of the mountain. A number of peaks rose in the distance; strong and powerful.



"I wanted to talk to her after she joined, but never had the chance. She's named after my adoptive daughter, you know. Ember Agaric was her name; she died... a while ago. I never thought anyone would name one of their children after her." She frowned. How long had it been? One year? Two? It was hard to remember, for Ember's death had occurred only months after the deaths of her parents, two of her dearest friends. Around the same time, Shaeniire died and Agani disappeared, and she was left alone in Jaded Shadows. She wondered if this Ember knew of the origins of her name. She wondered.

Alright! If you want to reply, go for it, if not, we can end it here.



Maybe it was greed that had made her not want to share Ember, but she had always felt as though she had failed her daughter in some way. Perhaps it had been because Ember had never actually lived in Jaded Shadows with her, and that Storm had always been her home. Perhaps she had become bitter when she found out Phoenix had named his child after her daughter, but she had vowed to treat this Ember like any other wolf, regardless of namesake. She had felt as though she owed it to this Ember-- to tell her where she was from, where her life had begun, ended, and started again, but never had. Tayui knew she would regret it if she didn't, which was why she'd felt the need to tell Pilot. She now had a witness, hopefully one who would hold her to her words. She felt more free knowing that she was now obligated to speak to Ember.



Pilot did not say anything in response, and Tayui had not expected him to. She had only needed to tell him that piece of information so that he, too, might know the girl's story. So that he might know a bit more of Tayui's story, too. Was it greed? Perhaps. Perhaps she was being selfish, wanting others to know, or perhaps that was her selflessness at its best; she couldn't tell.



Tayui offered a wry smile in response to Pilot's words, and a soft shake of the head; mutual agreement. She would sincerely miss Pilot, for all he had done for her and all she had done for him. They had been equals, true equals, and it had been wonderful. In the future, perhaps they would be friends again.



No, they would continue to be friends, for they had never really stopped. Tayui's smile widened at this thought. "I will be sure to find you, then. If you can't find me, I'll be moving-- I need to see the rest of this area. I'll find you when the time comes, since you might not be able to find me. But that's alright-- it'll work out. I'll see you again, Pilot. It was a pleasure working with you," she said firmly.