Horizon

The Butte offered nothing.

He was no closer to knowing who had nearly murdered two wolves in the valley as he had been when he came across the mutilated body of the boy in the fields.

It was a defeat that Sebastian didn’t quite enjoy the feeling of. One that put a weight on his heart and a worry in his step. And truthfully, once again, he didn’t know what to do. Where to go next. How to extinguish this threat and when the next blow would hit.

His tail hung low as he walked and his body moved without purpose as the two of them made their way back towards the Hollow. Isidore needed to get back, seeing as it had only been for a short while that she could leave—but Sebastian wasn’t quite as ready to give up.

Something in his brain kept telling him the truth was out there, somewhere. The truth of the wolf who had done all these terrible things. Perhaps, he was just paranoid. Maybe he was just chasing some closure that he had never received after his father was murdered. Or maybe he was chasing some illusion of purpose within his own mind because he knew the reality of his condition.

He didn’t really know.

A sigh escaped past his lips unconsciously as the two of them began to wander back into the Sanctuary. And although he felt defeated and at a loss for what he hoped they’d find, their journey hadn’t all been a mistake.

If it was up to him, he believed it had made the two closer. Spending nights under the stars together and experiencing a little bit of the world by each others sides. She had secured a place within his heart, and no matter the loss he felt, it was still a win in other ways.

So as they walked, his amber gaze turned towards her, a smile tugging at the corner of his dark lips, “Thank you for coming with me, Isidore. You didn’t have to, but you did… and it means a lot to me.” His tail briefly swayed behind him as he turned back towards the loping hills in front of them.

They were basically home now.

A pair of familiar scents drifting towards her nose had Catrine smiling and turning to trot towards the borders to meet the pair. She was glad they were back - the both of them. Catrine felt like she had quite a bit of news to share, and all of it happy for them as well.

Catrine gave a bark, moving along at a happy pace to meet them.

[Arriving next round]

It was a peaceful walk, no less, and yet while she found herself relieved that she wouldn’t be cooped up in this corner of the world for her entire life and that there was still so much left to see and do (her list was near infinite), she was almost as eager to come back home. It felt as if she had been gone way too long and as she walked beside Sebastian, she released a sigh of relief just at the same time he released his.

A small giggle that began to bubble from her mouth died off when she realized that his wasn’t from relief. ”I think it’s good that we didn’t find anything,” She offered tentatively, trying to ease herself in. ”It means that there’s a good chance that there isn’t an insane wolf out there roaming around.” She rubbed against his side affectionately. But she wanted him to know she believed him and his claims, however ridiculous they may have sounded.

Because she did. And it wasn’t because she was gullible, it was because she wanted to. ”But we should still keep a look-out.” She added, blue eyes closing as she rubbed her cheek against his shoulder before pulling away.  As he thanked her, however, her voice lilted into a soft laugh. ”You don’t have to thank me, you dork.” She teased, stopping and doing a little hop to reach up and lick at his nose.

”I did it… ‘cause you mean a lot to me.” Too soon? Nah, better roll with the punches. Her face burned and she looked at her paws - had they been covered with mud this whole time? Oof. She’d better wash them when they all reunited. At the bark, she instantly parked up, looking for the source.

She knew that bark from anywhere.

Catrine.

The warning had been inadvertent, but he could feel himself anticipating the fact that he was going to have to deal with it sooner or later. The promise that there was a need to come back and look at the demons in the face, the fact that he could find his dreams only so far out of reach.

The panting that came out of him was not from a decent dream, but rather something he would rather forget. Images smeared, the scent of blood rich in his nose. He didn’t know how to deal with it, now that there was no simple solution on his tongue. The impatience was marked by the typical response - the tension in his body had thrown him off the ground into a sharp pace, lumbering. 

Crossing Catrine’s path was a typical thing, once again. The familiarity of her dedication to the grounds and all that encompassed the war that was swimming inside of him. Home. Safety. His pace was rapid, and the rush that seemed to swirl over him was enough, that while he diverted himself, he was acutely aware that he needed time to come down.

He shouldn’t have followed the trace of her steps, because when they drifted off into the open, he followed suit. There was no reasoning that made sense why, but it was enough that he felt the moment stolen.

It was her scent that entered his nose that almost brought him to the ground; his head snapping up. He knew the scent anywhere, it had changed only faintly - maturing. His paced picked up, suddenly oblivious - 

All he could think about was crossing her path, about seeing her pretty face. Yeah. He had fucked up. She would snarl at him, snap at him. He was going to have a lot of explaining to do, to ask forgiveness. Isidore.

His mouth parted, knowing he would have to catch up - Catrine, with evidence, would want to greet her all but blood daughter first. Hell, he could hang back, he could wait.

He’d forgotten. For those moments.

And as he crested the hill close enough to see them in the distance, but not call out, this time he did stumble. The sight alone enough to throw him for a spin, the closeness in which the pair walked together.

He’d forgotten. Perhaps he had hoped it hadn’t been true.

One would hope, after so much time apart, that he would’ve been able to find his way back to some forgiveness. It wasn’t like they had broken down in their relationship, they’d just never seen things the same. Finn had never found a reason to hate, or even disapprove of Sebastian beyond the boy’s thought processes.

He should have been happy to see his brother.

But the ice cold water sensation that tore through his body was truth enough.

Finn wasn’t going to be part of the welcome home committee. Not right now. Not for his own sanity.

exit

“Yeah…” he started, his voice low and muddled with thought. “I just can’t get that kid’s face out of my mind…” He shook his head, a strained and uneasy laugh falling from his lips as he turned to glance in Isidore’s direction. “Sorry, I didn’t—It was just—“ He sighed, “Bad.” The boy, in all honesty, still haunted Sebastian’s dreams some nights. How broken and bloodied he was, lying crippled within the fields of their home. Only a yearling, much like himself and Isi and—god, whoever the kid was definitely did not deserve whatever fucked up treatment he got.

And the reason for his violent death?

Sebastian still could not figure it out. It had made sense for a madman to be out on the loose, it had all made sense before—but with no leads and no idea of what direction to take, Isi was right. Perhaps whatever psychopath had done that was already gone. And rightfully so, seeing as the whole valley would be on their tail the minute word got out.

They didn’t need another Elliot, that was for sure.

However, the boy did his best to shake the thoughts from his mind, seeing as they just weren’t as important as the girl beside him. And quickly, his tail began to softly wag as she rubbed up against him. Sebastian was quick to aim an affectionate lick on Isidore’s ear as they walked.

“Shut up,” he said with a chuckle and a slight nudge of his shoulder against hers, “how many guys can say they got the most intelligent and beautiful girl to be their side kick for some wild goose chase they thought of.” He shook his head, his eyes falling to his paws as they walked. “Just. Yaknow. Thank you.” The boy shrugged as he could feel his own blood run hot within his cheeks.

Feelings were weird man.

A smile was quick to pull at his face at her unexacting lick, and at her words, his tail briefly brushed up against her own body as it swayed.

“You mean a lot too me too, an—“ and though he wanted to say more, Sebastian’s thoughts were cut off by the sound of a bark. A bark that he would always remember. A bark of the mother he and his siblings probably should’ve had. Catrine.

“Looks like we got company, huh?” He said with a slight wave of his tail. He had expected her to want to hear the news, but he truthfully hadn’t expected her to meet them near the borders. But hey, maybe she was just doing her due diligence as a leader and that was all.

(( Rip Finn, Sebastian didn’t see him ): Also SORRY FOR THE WORD SALAD, I WANTED TO GET A REPLY IN BEFORE CLASS ))