Dig 'em up.

Noel had barely begun to get rooted there in Glorall. For all the bad that came from Silvertongue and Ravenwing's demise, the one good thing the disaster had brought was a sense of belonging to the young boy. Where once he had made himself as scarce as a shadow on the sunbathed beaches, Noel had found purpose in being there for his surrogate Rhoedias. He was not keen to step into Ravenwing's place, but for the woman's comfort and peace of mind he had accepted her wish that he be her son. And then Mother went off to battle.

He was going to lose her too; he was almost sure of it. Why would he think anything else? His near single year of life had done little to suggest the world was a kind place. He had lost whatever family he had before Glorall to an angry, steel sea, deposited unknown miles away to a new shore without even a memory to get him back home. Glorall had taken him in, Rhoedias had taken him in, but he was wary of the companionship. He could not expect a family to care for him; he wasn't theirs to care for. But they had... and then soon after, the alpha and heir he had barely come to know were swept off the face of the Earth by an angry bear. He had not felt the loss as Rhoe had, but he experienced her pain and grief second hand and in this way had come to know the feeling of loss. At the time the strange wolf howled his challenge to the newly ascended queen, he felt such loss again. Why? Because that was the way of the world. He had no memory of much else besides displacement.

Imagine the shock, then, when Noel woke to the gentle nudge of his bleeding Mother. She had not come back victorious, but she had at least come back in one piece. He could do nothing but thank whatever mercy of the Universe had taken pity on Rhoedias, even if it meant he was still leaving the only home he had ever come to know.

It was a short reunion. When Mother told him it was time to leave, he did not question it. Noel followed behind the black female silently, his charcoal dusted, white form but a phantom in the fresh winter snow as she led him away from anything and everything he had come to know. He did not care where they were headed, only that they were together still, small miracles being what they were. Only one thought had him glancing over his shoulder... Alana. He would miss her, even if he never really knew her. The girl who pulled him out of the water. His savior. Her shadow.

Rhoedias halted, what seemed like suddenly to the boy, and he jerked to a stop himself, ears perked with interest as the black female let loose a howl. Noel took notice of a strong, musky scent and contemplated it curiously. They had come upon another pack, one with which his Mother regarded with some form a familiarity. Were they, then, here for sanctuary? He met the woman's cool blue gaze with a small amount of question in his heterochromatic amber yellow and, right, half icy blue eyes. He rested his cheek on the side of her face as she nuzzled into his fur, but they were not alone long enough for conversation.

First, an older gray male. He approached with some sort of bundle clutched in his jaws and Noel couldn't help but set an inquisitive set of eyes on it as it was set down. He ventured to sniff in its general direction, but made no effort to remove himself from behind Rhoedias. The male greeted them friendly enough and confirmed his Mother's association with the pack by addressing her by name once he made the connection.

Then came another male, the scent of fresh blood clinging to the same musky smell of the borders, who spoke a condolence to Rhoe and welcomed her into the pack lands. The glance the male cast toward Noel told him this wolf, presumably alpha, had been expecting someone else: Ravenwing. A twinge of guilt shot through the boy instantly and, for a moment, it felt as if he were once again being shoved into a life that was not meant for him. But the alpha's tone was pleasant and inviting, still, as he introduced himself.

"Noel, Sir," the charcoal dusted boy answered politely, dropping his mismatched eyes down to the ground after he spoke. As exhausted as the alpha was from his fight, Noel was just as fatigued, mentally, from the recent stress of life and it showed in the crestfallen posture and humbled disposition.

Another joined the quickly growing group, yet again male, and the boy could not help but look up to see who was approaching them this time. His nerves were beginning to build uncomfortably as he and his Mother were practically overwhelmed by several unfamiliar strange wolves - unfamiliar to him at the very least - an a small blaze of charcoal tipped fur raised just slightly between his shoulder blades in caution. Again, this male greeted them with only kindness, going so far as to flash the boy a warm sort of smile. Noel's reply was to cast his eyes back to the frosted earth.

These wolves of Spirane, as the first had welcomed them to, seemed akin to the Glorall he had come to know. Their kindness was something he could appreciate and he was thankful that they offered their healing skills toward his mother, but Noel could not pretend that he felt any measure of security. After all, he had let himself grow accustomed to the fair treatment of Glorall only to have it ripped out from beneath his paws by, what was in his opinion, a land vulture.

soul and sky are magnetizing