DotW RP: You Remember

The long journey north had been taking its toll on Tristan. It had been a long time since he'd left the territory of Aryn, and traveling alone once again hadn't been anything he was looking forward to. Niels' trail had gone cold long before now, and yet still Tristan was driven to find him. He wanted to give up, honestly. He wished so badly that he could just lie down on the cool rocks to sleep and never wake up again. The guilt and loneliness was agonizing... But he couldn't give up. Everything he'd ever wanted in life had been handed to him on a silver platter by his parents, but now he just wanted Niels, and no one was going to just hand that over. For the first time in his life, Tristan had to work for something, and he wasn't about to give up on that.

So, he kept walking. And walking. And walking... Until his feet bled and he had to grudgingly stop for a rest.

Looking around, Tristan saw no one. He was alone, per usual, and idly he wondered if Niels was the same. He didn't know how his brother could live like this for so long... He missed home. His family. With a long sigh, Tristan settled down in the grass and looked down at his bloody paws. His stomach rumbled, begging for food. Maybe he could find some rabbits or something, after his rest.

-----


Isolde ran across the fields, her long slender legs carrying her slim frame far as she followed the scent of a lone ebony wolf she had met only once before. She hardly said goodbye to her former alpha and packmates when she departed Aryn before adrenaline filled her veins and she was off. The trek was long and soon everything was blooming with spring. However, she hardly noticed the green grass or the swaying trees in the warm winds of the day. She was focused and driven.

Part of her was conflicted; should she really be chasing after some stranger? But then again, what else did she have? She couldn't remember anything, so why not? Perhaps this was her purpose after all, bringing these brothers together. Isolde didn't know for certain, but she wanted dearly to feel needed, to feel like she was more than this wolf with no memories or past. And so there she was, running with desperation in her eyes and an ache in her chest as she heaved out breath and pushed herself to keep running after this wolf's scent.

Finally after miles of sprinting, Isolde slowed atop a hill covered in daisies. The wind played at her fur and danced through the petals of the flowers around her feet as she took a moment to catch her breath. The sun glared in her face, so she squinted. Tristan's scent was overwhelming; he must be close. If only she could catch her breath faster, she could call to him and maybe he would answer. "Where are you?" She heaved out between breaths.

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The longer Tristan lay there in the sun, the less he wanted to get up. It felt nice and warm out here in the field, and for a moment he forgot all about the ache in his paws and the nagging loneliness. For a while, Tristan just laid there, half-dozing as he contemplated what he was doing and where he would go next. Honestly, what would his brother even do when he found him? Maybe he'd just be angry.

Sighing, Tristan stretched out his long legs and lifted his head, deciding it was time to move on. As he rose to his feet, he glanced behind him, spotting a figure way off in the distance. Another loner, perhaps? He was upwind of whomever it was, so he couldn't identify them right away. Had he not been such an extrovert, Tristan would have turned tail and ran, but he was lonely... It'd been so long since he'd talked to anyone. So, cautiously, he began to approach.

"Hello?" he called once he was closer. As he approached, he suddenly recognized the loner. "Isolde?!"

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The golden shewolf took a step forward, readying herself to run again when movement caught her eye. Someone was approaching. At first, she couldn't see who it was; the sun was so bright and this wolf was so white that the rays of sun bouncing off their coat nearly blinded Isolde. But when they opened their mouth to speak, she knew who it was instantly. It was as if the heavens opened up and placed him right in front of her- and the cherry on top? He remembered her. Since she woke up under that mountain, she had been "that new wolf" or "that stranger." She hadn't been someone to remember, or perhaps she was someone that no one bothered to remember.

Suddenly, Isolde felt as though she needed to catch her breath again and before she knew it, she was jumping down the hill, her legs moving without her permission. She slid and hopped the last bit of distance until she was before the ebony wolf, her mouth agape as she sucked in air. She didn't even try not to smile; there it was, a grin from ear to ear. For the first time that she could remember, she felt joy.

"You remember." She said after she caught her breath once again. It was more of a statement, but there was obvious disbelief in her voice, that perhaps she was imagining it.

-----


Tristan's eyes were wide as he stared up at the golden female, his expression one of shock. A thousand questions raced through his mind at once. What was she doing here? Had she followed him? Why? He didn't get his answers, nor was he able to really articulate them in the first place. Instead he was stuck just staring at her, with what was probably a really dumb look on his face.

As she came down the hill, sliding to a stop in front of him, Tristan couldn't help the smile that came over him. Here she was, grinning at him so joyfully that he couldn't even resist beaming back. He couldn't believe how happy he was to see her. Here he was, on the brink of losing all hope, eaten away by loneliness and suddenly she appeared. Tristan didn't know if it was divine intervention or fate or what but honestly, he didn't care. He was just glad she was here.

"You're not one I could easily forget, my lady." Tristan replied, the smile never leaving him.

-----


The sun was still in her eyes, but Isolde could see that silly charming smile on his face. When he spoke, she didn't know if her smile could get any bigger and her insides might burst with happiness. His manners had been cute before but now they were...warm, refreshing. Like coming home after a long time away- something she couldn't ever remember feeling.

For a moment, the two just stood staring at one another, but finally Isolde's demeanor shifted. Her smile faded, though it was still there, tugging at the corners of her mouth as she tilted her nose downward just slightly to look more regal. She only now realized how silly she must've looked grinning like that.

"This is no chance meeting, Tristan." She said, as if she could almost read his mind. She took a breath before she spoke again. "I've come to tell you: I know which way Niels is headed."

-----


Opening his mouth to speak, Tristan was left dumbfounded and unable to make a sound when Isolde told him why she was here. Niels... His brother... She knew? How had she found out? Had she seen him?

Excitement coursed through his veins like an adrenaline rush, his entire body trembling with the overwhelming energy. This was unbelievable... Tristan could hardly contain himself. All at once, Tristan found himself overwhelmed with emotion, unable to do much more than stare with his mouth hanging open.

"You... Niels..." Was all he managed to say at first, blinking a few times as he tried to focus on speaking. "You've seen him? Was he alright?" The concern, not to mention the excitement, was clear in his tone despite him attempting to hide it. This was the closest he had come to his brother in a long time.

-----


The smile broke over Isolde's face again when she saw how happy the news made Tristan. If he was trying to hide his excitement, he was doing a horrible job at it. He was trembling and she was waiting for the moment that he would begin jumping in place with glee. She let out a chuckle and pretended to think back to the meeting between herself and Niels; she had to admit, she didn't like him at all, but she wasn't doing this for Niels, she was doing it for Tristan. And if it made Niels squirm, then she do it for that as well.

"For the most part I assume." She said with a nonchalant shrug. "It was a brief meeting. Nothing more than our names exchanged, really, but he seemed...healthy." She gave him a moment to soak that in; no doubt this whole meeting was overwhelming for him, it was overwhelming for her too, but definitely in a different way.

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Tristan was practically vibrating at this point, bouncing on his paws while he waited for her to answer him. He kept shifting his weight from each paw, resisting the urge to jump around for joy.

"I'm so glad..." Tristan said, smiling wide and wagging his tail. "You came a long way to tell me this... I don't know how I'll ever repay you." She'd saved his life before, given him a place to stay, now here she was again to help him. Tristan couldn't believe it... He was so grateful. He was forever in her debt.

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Isolde suddenly felt embarrassed, even self-conscious. Yes, she had traveled quite a long way now that she thought about it. They were nearly to the border of another pack; she could smell the strong scent of the markers blowing toward her. It woke her up out of her thinking and she turned her gaze back to the ebony wolf in front of her.

She smiled again as she spoke, flicking her tail. "Oh, don't worry about it now, dear." She paused and trotted toward the hill again. "Besides, you have the rest of your life to come up with something." She chuckled, but took on a more serious tone suddenly. "I must emphasize haste though, Tristan. Niel's scent was fresh when I departed, but now it could very well be wasting away. We must go quickly and-" She cut off suddenly, noticing his bloody paws. "Dear Lord, must I always be saving you?" She shook her head and trotted back over to him. "I am quite surprised that your toes have not fallen off yet from your neglect. Follow me, there is a lake nearby."

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Tristan chuckled a bit, shaking his head. "Well, yeah, I suppose I do... I'll think of something." he said, trailing after her. When she cut herself off, he looked at her in confusion, following her gaze to his feet. Ah, right... That again. He looked at her sheepishly and laughed. "Perhaps that's why you're here. To protect me." he joked. She was half his size and yet it seemed she was more capable than he was at most things. But he didn't mind... He was surprised to find he actually rather enjoyed her company.

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Isolde shook her head again, leading him toward the lake. "Your debt may never be repaid if that is the case. You and your tender feet seem to find themselves on the path of trouble quite often." She said it almost patronizingly, but she was smiling again. She glanced back at him. "We'll get you cleaned," She looked toward his sides where his ribs were slightly visible. She continued with a disappointed look. "And fed, then we must be on our way. Do take care of yourself better, Tristan. You don't want to see your brother looking like a gutterpup now, do you?"

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Tristan chuckled a bit, ears going back as he followed behind her. He shook his head in response to her question. "No, ma'am," he said without hesitation. He wanted to look decent when he finally saw his brother again after so many years. If he showed up looking half-starved and bloody, it probably wouldn't make a very good impression.