History will repeat itself

Yet now I'm standing here, my heart so full, I can't explain
Seeking faith and speaking words I never thought I'd say.

There were many things to consider about Inferni's situation both after the war and after the move. They had lost the war, and lost so much more when the rival pack decided to burn down their mansion.. their home. It not only took the structure and almost all their supplies, but also the lives of some of the clan's members. Cartier had been one of them.. Goliath another.. It left many with broken hearts, including enough to make one of them leave. There were no words spread about this, but even her mother had noticed her friend had become absent after their move.

Jehan, the dog man whom had joined to be with Cartier.

Now Faith couldn't help but think of a passing in her own life. Basilio, her own father, had left her family without so much as a proper goodbye. Her mother hadn't been dying, nor was dead, but he still chose to abandon them.. to abandon his family. Not even she could really understand the reasons besides the sins he had committed. Everyone made mistakes.. everyone was capable of sin, but in the light of the Lord, they could make up for it. Perhaps it was her blindness to what truly happened, but she could not understand why he would leave instead of seeking help from the Lord.

And now her mother's friend had made a similar choice. Clover was still here, loyal to Inferni despite her blood heritage.. but he was gone. Magpie, Oriole, and Serentiy were now left without both of their fathers..

The robed girl woke early that day, making her way outside the new territory of Inferni. While she wanted to find Jehan.. there was just a small problem. She wasn't sure where he could have gone. Was he even still in the area? If he was, maybe she could convince him to come back.. if not for himself then for his children. She didn't know the whole story, but if he was about to pull the same stunt that her father had, then this needed to be corrected. No child should have to be without their father without wondering why they left them alone in the first place. There was no telling what that could do on one's mind.

Faith paced about in the snow, moving along the north shore as she had done once before. Her head moved down, arms moving up to bring some more warmth to her body. Eyes stretched over the ocean as she walked along the shore, watching the waves crash against the sand. She paused, feeling the wind pull her towards the waters, letting her mind wander before she went on her path again.

+400 words.

[234]

A snowy wind blew down from the wooded shores. The small campfire guttered, but the small dog seated nearby fed it another piece of salty driftwood. Stinking smoke floated out over the steel-blue sea. Watching it all, Jehan picked back up the jar of moonshine and tilted it back into his mouth — letting it burn hotter and louder than the flames beside him, flames he practically couldn’t feel for his numbness.

Turquoise eyes half-closed, and he tilted his head as he studied the water. If the strait was icier, or if he was a good swimmer, he might have crossed to the island that he had oh so briefly called home. Not that anything was left there either.
There was nothing for him there. Anywhere.

Another drink.

And footsteps along the shore — not that he heard those, either. Jehan turned his head, unurly white hair falling into his face. It might have been snow-colored if not for the tangle of burrs and soot and other things in the rat’s nest. There was no one to braid it for him, and so its hygiene had suffered as a result — not that there was anyone to care, either. He hiccoughed, and when he spotted the approaching figure lifted his hand to shield himself from sunlight with his wrist. It glinted on the jar.

“Heyyyyy,” Jehan said. Who was this dame again?

Yet now I'm standing here, my heart so full, I can't explain
Seeking faith and speaking words I never thought I'd say.

Faith's eyes moved up along her path, the smell of smoke from a fire catching her nose. Ears pinned back, flashes of the night the mansion burned to the ground fresh in her mind. She and her family had been in the middle of it.. and Cartier had been lost to the flames. That had to be the reason he fled from them right? Jehan had been accepted, even if he was to only be titled as an Outsider. Clover had chosen to stay.. but he left.. and unlike her own father, didn't seem to give anyone any warning to his actions or why he was doing so...

The robed girl stopped as she came more into view. He had spotted her long before she had, calling out to her as through he did not recognize who she was. Perhaps it had been some time since they last saw each other.. but she remembered him.. and what good friends he and her mother had become. A frown graced her maw as she stepped closer, noticing the lack of hygiene in his look. So not only had he left.. but that along with the manner in which he spoke.. he was not taking care of himself either. It was not hard to catch a wif of the moonshine from where she had been standing.

Faith couldn't help but pause.. just staring at him. What if this had been her father she came across? Basilio probably wouldn't have been one to resort to drinking.. but in such a guilt ridden state? What would he say to her? What would she say to him..?

There was a soft shake of her head before her hands began to move along her arms once again, the chill coming back to her now that her mind was focused on what was going on. Another frown came to her muzzle as she spoke softly, "Jehan? Is that really you..? Don't you recognize me..? Why aren't you in Inferni with your family..?"

+300 words.