walking on eggshells tester repost

{OOC} Backdated to 2/5 about midday. Calling specifically for the leader @Viorel and for @Eros. Matty is bringing Ally home, special tag for @Magg <3[/OOC]

The entire trip to the Backwater's borders had the ebony man's insides twisting themselves in knots. The tension between them and the cove wolves was known to him but he didn't know if that extended to him. Maybe it was just between the older generations if Magg was there. Speaking of, how was he going to look his littermate in the eyes and tell her their parents were gone. Would she care? Would she almost crumble like their Uncle Chan did? He didn't have the anger his father had when their delivered the news of Grandma Moon. Maty didn't imagine that would make it any easier.

His stomach began rolling as they neared the borders. Emerald and amber looked over his niece, he was thankful he found her so that he may help her home. Her injury worried him but she told him that they had a healer so he had faith she would be okay. He wished even harder than ever he had learned more from his mother. Maybe if he had spent more time with her...

They reached the invisible border and Matos gave it a healthy wide berth, no need to add fuel to the fire. Crisp winter air filled his lungs as the eldest Eastfall-Slayer took a deep breath, steeling himself for the interaction. He tiled his head back and let out a long call for the leader and Ally's paternal uncle Eros. She was home at last. The final few notes were for his sister if she could hear him, or if she even wanted to see him.

The salt and pepper man was distinctly aware that this winter seemed harder than most. The snow came down harder and formed deeper piles, the nights colder and longer, the storms more unpredictable. Or, maybe he just felt that way because of how often the children continued to go missing. Atlas and Kalysta had a habit of wandering when they shouldn’t, and now Ally was gone as well. Every icicle felt like a personal insult, every tree that groaned under the weight of accumulated snow felt like a scream to his ears.

And, now Eros had given up completely. When the rest of the pack needed him the most, when Ally needed him the most. They couldn’t afford it.

Viorel’s heart rate climbed as he continued to ruminate on their situation, his paws carrying him through his paces subconsciously, carving a path into the frozen ground. The call was almost unbelievable and for a second he just stood there, sure that he had imagined it. Ally had been found and returned back to them safely? He returned with a call of his own, trying to rouse Eros from the infirmary, but wasting no time in heading towards the summons.

Silvered face brightened at the sight of his granddaughter, ”Ally! You had us all worried sick.” Maybe that was a little too on the nose. Looking towards Matos, he nodded, ”Thank you for bringing her home.

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(This post was last modified: 10-13-2025, 08:52 PM by Bleros.)

[dohtml]

I guess it goes to show, does it not?

THAT WE'VE NO IDEA WHAT WE'VE GOT UNTIL WE LOSE IT

Ally's foot hurt. Her whole leg throbbed, but having her uncle with her to encourage her to keep moving helped. She wanted to go home. She'd spent way too much time away from home as it was. More time away than there, actually. What made a home? Did it matter, how long she was there against how long she wasn't?

It didn't matter right now. The ground grew ever more familiar and as it did finding the motivation to keep going longer and faster came easier. The familiar smell washed over her, and soon they were at the border, and Matos was calling for her grandad and uncle. Viorel did not keep them waiting. Smiling widely, Ally stumbled forward and butted her head into her grandfather's chest, half collapsing into him. "I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to be gone!" Only now did she worry she might be in trouble, might be grounded once again.

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The trip back was heartachingly slow. Matos hated to see his kin in pain and wanted to do nothing but alleviate it. He chided himself again for not learning more about healing from his mother. The partially healed crack in his heart cracking a bit further at the thought. Now wasn't the time though to think about it. He encouraged the yearling until the finally made it to the border. His call went out and when he finished the inky man let out a shaky breath. The adrenaline had his insides buzzing in anticipation as they waited.

The wait was not long at all. The grey phased form of Viorel came into view and Ally immediately took off towards him with words of apology. The sight was bittersweet to the maternal uncle. Yellow met bicolored as the older man nodded to the younger. "Thank you for bringing her home." Matos dipped his head in return, a little more deeply out of respect, not only to rank but to age as well. "Of course, I found her while looking for my youngest sister Jessamy. You haven't happen to have seen her have you?" The more eyes looking for Sam the better. His bicolored gaze glanced towards the territory behind the patriarch momentarily in hopes to see his littermate. His attention would immediately go back to the leader after. His emotions raged like a out of control wildfire. He hoped Magg would show but he also dreaded it at the same time.

[dohtml]

The grandfather smiled down at Ally and shook his head, ”I’m just happy that you’re home, and Eros will be so glad.” Or the closest thing to glad that his son could be right now, or maybe he wouldn’t acknowledge it at all. It would be a true test to whether or not anything would be able to raise his once co-leader or if this was what the rest of his life was going to be like.

The warm feeling faded when he heard that one of the Cove’s children was missing. They had had their own fair share of wanderers, but something was nagging the back of his mind. The corners of his mouth set and he looked up towards Matos, ”We haven’t seen her, but I will keep an eye out for anything,” he couldn’t stop the next comment, ”I’m assuming you already asked Nori? I’ve heard she has an interesting approach to babysitting.” That was sarcastic, and probably uncalled for but…

Well they had a pattern of having children drown or almost drown while in their care, so maybe it wasn’t that unfair at all.

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Magg stopped dead in her tracks as her brother's voice stretched through the air, as though a ghost had tapped her upon the shoulder. Of all of those still dwelling within the bend that she'd left behind, she'd most hoped to see him again. Yet anxiety still wrenched at her innards as all at once, she was found out. They knew where she was, which meant @Nori would soon know too if she didn't already. She physically bristled at the thought, claws pressing into the earth as her paws flexed and gripped.

Then she rolled her shoulders, took a deep breath, and turned to face this latest challenge. She moved through the forest at a jog, and hoped that Aven and @"Neva" had followed the plan: that if family ever came 'knocking,' they were to hide somewhere specific until she found them and told them it was safe.

When she arrived, she just barely caught the end of Viorel's remark, but the tone was clear enough. Still, Magg appeared with little visible attention given to the conversation she was now walking in on.

"Matos... ?"

There was a kind of hope in her eyes, a want to embrace him, but she was hesitant. Just as they'd never know the truth of what went down between Nori and Eclypse, Magg couldn't help but worry; what lies had been told in her absence? And like with their younger sister... would Mat again follow their parents lead in downplaying the crime that had been committed?

The bittersweet sight of reunited family reverberated within the dark male. One he so desperately wanted to be apart of with more than one missing individual. His heart sank at the news that the black and brown girl had not been seen but the small bloom of hope within him swelled at the leader’s promise to keep an eye out for her. The young man’s inky maw opened to offer his thanks when the elder man continued.

”I’m assuming you already asked Nori? I heard she has an interesting approach to babysitting.” Matty’s mouth clamped shut as his eyes darkened with confusion and a flare of protectiveness. Viorel didn’t know his cousin, why would he make such a comment? His onyx brows furrowed with confusion, his maw once more opening to respond only to be blindsided again.

The voice he’d know his entire life, now one of only two left in this world, called his name. Emerald and amber snapped to where his tawny litter mate stood. Every fiber screamed to go to her to embrace her. To hug her one last time before he changed her life. Instead, he stood rooted to the ground. Part from respect of the Backwater’s border, part from not knowing how Magg felt. He still didn’t know why she left. He had been searching for Eclypse when she left with the twins. Something that had pushed his parents to the brink…broke their hearts beyond repair. The eldest Eastfall- Slayer held no ill feelings for his sister, how could she know the consequences of her decision?

”Magg” he breathed, his voice cracking on the last note. This was the moment he dreaded. He didn’t care about anything or anyone else in this moment. It was just him and her. ”Mama and Dad…” his voice trailed off, unable to say the words. His eyes became misty, silently pleading with her to not making him say them.

”They’re gone.

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Viorel mistook the darkening in Matos’ eyes as recognition and felt his own muscles tighten in anger. So much so that he missed the look of confusion that followed. How could they house an attempted cub killer and feel good about it? At one point the Backwater leader had thought that maybe he had been too rash in his judgement of the once Cove wolves, but this had sealed everything he had ever thought. They couldn’t be trusted - not even with their own blood.

Which was why Magg’s arrival set him even more on edge. His hackles rose for a moment before he could stop them, though he ushered Ally to the side and whispered in her ear, ”Go to the infirmary, Eros is there and he’ll be excited to see you.” And watched carefully as she went on her way. Remaining off to the side, he knew better than to step into his subordinate’s familial business, but he was here and he would not move. A silent sentinel in case Magg needed physical protection.

He wouldn’t expect Matos to attack his own sister on sight, but he would not put anything past the Cove wolves at this point. He slowly released his breath, watching the dark wolf almost unblinkingly.

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Magg hadn't expected Matos to be stoic, but the emotion that gripped him now felt confusingly out of place. Her brow threatened to knit, and her head began to tilt, but every muscle locked when he pushed on. She had been told of a family member's passing before, knew that look in his eyes, but it still felt miles away from real. Like a wild assumption, as he failed to elaborate at all. Maybe they were just angry, maybe he felt torn, Mat had always been sensitive...

She didn't even notice Viorel ushering their niece away— it felt as though she were in a tunnel, just her and Matos, and it was threatening to close in. Later, she would be thankful for his guardianship.

"... what, Matos?" she took a step forward, her voice tense. Just as his gaze asked that she not make him tell, hers argued imploringly that he not keep her in the dark a moment longer.

"What's happened?"

There were the words he dreaded most in that moment. The demand to verbalize what had happened. The look in her eyes, that step forward…his dark audits swept back, pinned against his lowering head. Amber and emerald shone beneath the welling tears like liquid pools. All he wanted to do in that moment was embrace his littermate. Take comfort in her scent. The only one left to offer that level of comfort. His gaze flicked to where Viorel stood, to where Allie had before. The young man noted the way the greying alpha stood, guarding. Annoyance would’ve flared any other time. No, there was no time for that now.

His gaze quickly landed back on Magg, staying rooted where he stood. He would not cross the pack boundaries, she would have to come to him. He drew in a deep breath, the fading winter air crisp in his lungs. He used it to steady himself, now was not the time to fall apart. He had to be strong – for her.

”They’re gone Magg.” He paused taking in her reaction before continuing. ”They went together, not long after I returned from looking for Eclypse, after you had left…” his soft voice trailed off. It wasn’t an accusation, merely a timeline for her to know. ”I didn’t know where you were otherwise, I would’ve come to tell you sooner.”