The leader had spent too much time locked up as of lately and he had little knowledge of what had been going on in the packlands. Since Cinder had been killed he'd neglected his duties and kept his feelings and emotions locked up tight. How Miriette had managed to drag him back to his cabin he didn't know but he hadn't had any want to leave since then. He'd lived off of what dried meat he'd had stored around the place and oddly enough he hadn't thought to drink away the misery this time around. Instead he seemed to be nursing the pain and letting it cut at his heart and soul over and over again. He hadn't saved her, he couldn't save her.. was his life worth more than hers..
He sat on the backporch and stared out across the lake, the sound of the birds cheery in his ear, the buzz of the summer insects as they flitted about.. there was so much going on all around him and yet he saw nothing. A shadow crossed overhead and he barely glanced up, the action when he did, slow and drawn out. Where he belonged he wasn't certain but he didn't believe he belonged where he was now, what sort of leader was he.. he lowered his head and thought about the one thing that had been coursing through his head lately. He wasn't fit to lead alongside Jefferson.
Ty took a deep breath, he hadn't seen his father in months, not since he was little and left this place. Roughly for most of his life he hadn't seen his father, reuniting with him almost felt...surreal. Yet there he was, a few feet in front of him. His father hadn't seen him quite yet, or heard him. He didn't know why he was trying to be stealthy right now, it's not like his father seeing him would be life threatening.
However, he was nervous, what would he say? What would he tell his father? He had been a good male wolf up until this point, a reliable person, aspiring to do good, yet for some reason, he still felt inferior to the man before him. He looked up to his dad, saw him as a role model. He'd hoped when he came back to Phoenix Valley, he was just a good a wolf as his father was. However, now, seeing the veteran there, looking slightly lost, he still felt like he was just a pup. And to be honest, he was right, it's not like he had done much as a sailor besides sail, trade, and fight off pirates. His father had done so much more, he didn't know if his father would be proud of him or not. After all, he did abandon the job after a while, was that the right thing to do? He didn't know, but he knew he had to say something to his father, or he would go unnoticed.
He let out a shaky but clear "D....dad?" As he stepped out of some bushes, slowly approaching the older wolf with a certain nervousness in his step.
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DaVinci had been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't even realize that he'd been watched for some time. The boy that was almost a mirror image of his grandmother standing so close and yet DaVinci hadn't even known he'd returned to the lands. His mind was a mess of thoughts and emotions and now he was about to be presented with another thing to worry about. The male loved his two children but the thought of them here now with the heat between the clan and their pack was too much. To see one of his own offspring fall victim to the sick game was not something he wanted. When Skylar had returned without her brother it had caused him to wonder just what Tyrone was up to but he had duties and responsibilities and knew he couldn't go of on some adventure to find out more.
Instead it seemed that the boy had come looking for him. At the sound of his voice and the one word he'd never thought he would have heard again DaVinci turned to meet those strangely beautiful eyes of his son. A soft but unsure smile playing on his lips as he tried to push his worries aside, Ty didn't need to have to deal with the mundane part of being a leader. He cleared his throat and laughed in disbelieve as he replied. "Ty! You're back.. what.. how.." He really didn't even know where to begin this time. The first time he'd met his children hadn't been much better, he couldn't even speak then.
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((ooc: wait...I look like your grandma?!?))
"Hey dad...." Ty said quietly, giving a warm smile to the old man before walking over and giving him a warm, strong hug. "It's been a while, good to see you again..."
Ty was about as caught up with words as DaVinci was, he didn't know what to say or how to act, he had thought of a hundred different ways to approach his father, manly ways, tough ways, childish ways, but when it came down to the big moment, this is all that he could come up with. And to be honest, this was all he really felt he needed to do to get his point across that he missed his father. He remembered this kind of embrace, he could remember the feel of his old man's fur, it was relaxing, calming to him.
After a few seconds of the hug, Ty quickly attempted to regain composure and catch up with his father instead of making some kind of drama out of the reunion. Still beaming, he asked his father [b]"I'm surprised, but glad you are still here, and at such a high position as well!"[b] He chuckled lightly, easing into the situation more and more. [b]"How has Phoenix Valley been without me?"[b] He placed his hand on his father's shoulder as he spoke. His hand clasped a little tighter then expected, but in reality Ty was so overjoyed that he could barely contain it. What he really wanted to do was jumped around in joy for seeing his father again, but he knew they were both adults here, and he didn't want to concern his father with such behavior.
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It had been so long since DaVinci had seen the boy that he was speechless still a moment longer as his son's arms wrapped around him, tightening in a warm bear hug. He finally found his voice as he gave a laugh. "Wow, where have you been? I didn't expect either you or Skylar to wanna come back.." His words kindof trailed of sadly, not liking to admit that he would have believed that his children would have been happier somewhere else with someone else. He knew the wild outdoors wasn't much to compare to when you lived in the hustle and bustle of the port towns. He offered the boy a chuckle and a smile, something that was almost rare nowadays for the male as he admitted. "It's good to have you home.."
He almost didn't want Ty to pull away but when he did DaVinci let him go, he knew that he wasn't a child any longer and he needed to respect that. How he wished the boy was still a pup but those days were long behind them now. He smiled sadly at the boy at his teasing comments, he raised a brow and asked, "Who did you think was going to keep an eye out on Jefferson, I had no choice but to stay." They both knew the grumpy leader was good at heart, but that didn't stop DaVinci from teasing and taunting the male every chance he got.
He gave a sad sortof smile when Tyrone asked about how the lands had fared without him. DaVinci just shrugged and shook hs head, the warm grasp of his son's hand on his shoulder reminding him that he wasn't alone and didn't have to act it anymore. He sighed and admitted, "It was a tough winter.. and Spring's not shaping up any better.." Nothing had seemed to have gone right since Davinci had risen in ranks to assist Jefferson in leading, but it wasn't like he could change the world. He just hoped sooner than later the tables would change and he would be on the winning side for once.
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Ty chuckled as his father cracked jokes at the one-eyed fool that was his mentor, that was the father he remembered. He used to love his father's humor, or at least, what he could remember of it. He knew that's where he got his own humor, along with Jefferso, so he added his own little quip to his father's joke. "Oh, come on dad, Jeff could take care of himself. Sure, he's only got one good arm, one eye, and a bit of a mean side, but he'd be fine." He chuckled. "I'm sure the rest of the packs would respect such a cripple like him."
He then let go of his father as he listened to what he had to say about how things were. He frowned at how unfortunate it sounded to him. Sighing lightly, he tried to put on a cheery face, and said with a somewhat determined resolve, with a maturity beyond his years. "Then...tell me what I can do to help." He said grinning. "I owe this place, I owe these people for my absence, the things I've learned during my travels can help, just tell me what I can do."
DaVinci couldn't help but chuckle at his son's words as he shook his head, "It's not protecting Jefferson I'm worried about, it's the rest of the pack." He gave the boy a wink as he grinned back at him, knowing that Jefferson's tongue could deliver a lashing that would leave one cringing if he wanted to. How some of their members were still alive it amazed him at times. How he was alive, that was the strangest part, but the two males were always so laid back around each other it just seemed that it didn't matter, maybe DaVinci was immune to Jefferson's ways. He wasn't for certain but he could almost believe it.
Explaining to Ty that things hadn't been so well DaVinci couldn't help but shake his head when his son asked for some way of assisting in helping the pack. DaVinci didn't know that there was anything that anyone could do to assist them in their problems now, it was basically a touch and go subject now and they were just sitting and waiting for the reaction of the enemy. One enemy that DaVinci was head over heels for. He sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair, "It's all just been outside forces, things we couldn't change.." He tugged on one lock of hair as he frowned. "All there is is to keep our hopes up and stay strong.." He knew that his son could do that, even if DaVinci himself couldn't.
"You mean the pack fears him now? funny how they'd fear someone with only one good arm to beat them with." Ty joked wholeheartedly. He enjoyed his old mentor, but enjoyed poking fun at him more. Of course, if Jefferson heard him, he'd either chew him out or try to beat the crap out of him, but Ty wasn't so easily pushed aside by the older male, as he was friends with him. When he was younger he was intimidated by the older wolf, scars and such were such a thing to be frightened of. Now as a young adult, he was more comfortable around people, and much more around scars, he even had his own to show nowadays.
Hearing his father say it was only outside forces, Ty frowned, he didn't like the feeling of helplessness. He wanted his dad to be proud of him, to see him as an asset to the pack, he'd been learning how to help the pack even though he wasn't the best hunter. he was a much better runner and defender, but not a hunter. He was hoping somehow, someway, he could show his dad that he had become a good man. But to be told there wasn't anything he could do but hope ad stay strong, inside he kind of felt helpless. However, that doesn't mean he wouldn't stop trying. "If that's all I can do, then that's what I'll do dad!" Ty replied confidently and with a big grin as he hoisted his head up proudly and placed his hands on his hips. "I'll try to keep others strong as well."
DaVinci smiled and shook his head lightly. "Not exactly but close enough." The pack didn't exactly fear Jefferson but at times they did tend to want to go avoid the leader at all costs. He smiled at the joke that Ty went off on as he shrugged. "I bet he could still beat one or two of them though.." he grinned, a brow raised as he suggested that Jefferson was probably tougher than he let one from time to time. Actually, DaVinci knew the male was but he wasn't going to get into that. Thinking about the leader he let his eyes wander off for a second as he wished that his life wasn't on a downward spiral while Jefferson's seemed to be doing just fine. It was silly and pathetic.. but he couldn't help feeling it.
He turned back to Tyrone again as he spoke, a smile appearing on his lips as the boy tried to cheer him up. He really did love his children but at times he wished that he could actually explain to them the pains that he went through so often. He doubted the two cheery spirits would understand but it would help him that they knew. Instead he just said, "That's my boy.." knowing that nothing could make the silver and gold boy turn to the dark world that brewed around his father.
"Yeah...I bet he could." Ty said as he stared at the ground with a chuckle. He knew Jefferson was a tough old bird, with plenty of life still left in him, but he was still a cripple, and slowing. Jeff was Ty's mentor, his teacher, his trusted leader, and he respected him as such. But as he was now, an angry old man, and Ty had begun to show pity, pity that Jeff was slowly becoming overall untrusting and tense with others, and Ty knew that if that attitude was going to be kept up, he'd make a lot more enemies then friends, and then where would the pack be?
But it wasn't about Jeff right now, it was here he would see his father. And when his old man said 'that's my boy' his tail wagged with imminent excitement, glee and joy filled his heart to hear his dad proud of him. He aspired to please his father, and to hear that he did coldn't make him happier. He smiled to his old man, then spoke again. "Well...it was good to see you dad, but I have to go meet other people in this pack, I want to see what Pheonix Valley is like nowadays." He turned as he made another glance. "I'll see you around, okay? Call me if you ever need help."
DaVinci wasn't sure what was going on in Jefferson's life anymore, just as he was unsure of Tyrone's. He wouldn't question though, he knew in time they would come to him or they wouldn't. It probably wasn't the best way to go about things but right now it was all he had. The silvery blue male offered his son a half smile as he nodded and just sighed. "Yeah.. things will change, but it's nothing we can help sometimes.." He wasn't really for certain if he was talking about himself or Jefferson or even Tyrone but it was true just the same.
DaVinci was glad though that he could bring some small bit of happiness to his son, no matter how silly and pathetic it might seem to another. Atleast he was trying. While his world might not be stable but he was still willing and able to be there for the boy. Though it seemed that their meeting was going to be short and sweet Davinci just smiled and nodded to his son, glad at least that the boy was trying to find his place in the pack since it was now his home. "I'll see you Ty.. stay out of trouble." he said, as though it was the way everyone of their ending was suppose to go.
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