Winter shall howl at the walls.

@Haruki

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Quicksilver pressed on swiftly into the fog and through the night, keen to cover as much ground as his muscles would allow. He paused regularly to send his voice skyward to keep the stranger on the right track, having almost accidentally crossed into territory that belonged to unfamiliar pack. There was no time to pause and investigate, for not only did someone need help but he absolutely did not want to be caught loitering around lands belonging to someone else. So on the druid went, and as he paused at the edge of a lake to look out over its moonlit surface, he realised he'd never come this far South from Vanderfell before.

He swept his tongue nervously across an upper lip, and emitted a soft 'woof'. The boy would be close enough to acknowledge it, surely, by now, and Quicksilver's pallid eyes scanned his surroundings for any sign of movement.


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^^Haruki wasted very little time; he ran as fast and as quickly as his little legs would carry him. Running through the fog, which was - let’s face it - not the best of ideas, when he couldn’t even fully see where he was going and blindly following a voice that responded to his calls of help.

He didn’t really know where he was going, but the voice was getting louder and louder as he went, so surely, he must be going in the right direction. He paused a few times to check out local wildlife and plants, having never seen them before, when he heard the sounds of a soft ‘woof.’

Was that his caller? Haruki slowed his roll, approaching gently as to not startle anyone, giving out his own little ‘woof,’ before speaking. “Hello?”

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A biting Autumn breeze swept over the lake surface, rippling the trail of moonlight reflected there. Quicksilver shivered as it worked its way through the thinner areas of his coat where Winter furs were only just beginning to thicken. A sterling ear swept sideways toward the hoot of a tawny owl that watched him curiously from the strong branches of a proud oak tree not far off, but his attention was drawn away once more at the bark of the wolf he'd come n search of.

His heart skipped a beat, nervous, yet he pushed through the anxiety and strode forward toward the tentative, questioning greeting. “Hey,” he called back, and blinked at the sight of alabaster furs . He moved in closer, feathered tail swaying to communicate that he meant no harm, “are you alright?”


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^^It was silent for some time, until the hoot of an owl caught his attention, causing the lost prince to glance up from his footing for a moment. He had always enjoyed owls; always thought them to be majestic and elegant. Even as this one wanted the two wolves with curious eyes, from the branch of an oak tree.

Haruki would have already been home, if he’d been an owl with the ability of flight. Instead, he was stuck meeting with strangers, though he was not hopeful that this one would be able to lead him anyway, but a lead was a lead. Haruki, too, moved in close; the fog made it hard to see anything.

“I’m alright, just tired of searching and coming up with nothing, y’know?” Haruki’s stormy blue eyes lingered over the other for a moment. “Thank you for meeting with me.”

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“Oh, yeah, I... I get that,” Quicksilver smiled knowingly, pausing close by though not close enough to invade any personal boundary that his newest acquaintance may have set. He canted his muzzle, powder blue gaze eyeing him curiously. The pale wolf was smaller than he imagined him to be, with a slim face and tufted ears that hinted at youth. There was something oddly familiar about him and he was silent for a moment as he considered what that might be.

He blinked, and twitched a whisker; “you're welcome. My name is Quicksilver. What's yours?”
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^^Haruki settled not too far away from Quicksilver. Just enough that he could see who he was talking to and not quite get in his face, especially when Quicksilver had been kind enough to go out of his way to help him. The man was taller than he was, though that was to be expected; he came from a line of short, white wolves.

The other man smiled and seemed to understand the frustration in not getting answers, which made Haruki feel slightly better. Haruki offered a gentle smile in return as he slowly came to sit down, tail curling at his side. “Quicksilver, my name is Haruki Izuka. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

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"My name is Haruki Izuka."

The druid sucked in a breath, pale eyes widening; fireworks went off in his head. “H-Har...uki?” Quicksilver blinked, struck dumb by the shock of this very unexpected encounter, and he gawked at the boy. Now that a name had been shared, now that he knew, he could easily see the yearling's mother in the contours of his young face. They had the same nose, he acknowledged, and those eyes! Not quite the same colour, but the shape and glimmer matched.

“Your mother, she... Reiko,” he stammered, tail stirring to life in long sweeps as the puzzle pieces fell together with ease, “she has looked for you, for-for a long time! I know where she is!”


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^^And then, suddenly, it was like the entire atmosphere shifted. The other man sucked in a breath and his eyes widened and Haruki was almost certain that they’d pop out! He’d never seen a wolf’s eyes go so wide. He repeated his name, and Haruki slowly narrowed his eyes. Why...why was he looking at him like that? It was like he was seeing a ghost, almost. And perhaps, Haruki pondered, that's exactly what he was. “I.. yes? Are.. are you alright?”

And then Quicksilver spilled like a tall glass of water, revealing that he actually knew his mother! Not only knew her, but knew where she was, too. Haruki blinked, ears back for a moment, unsure of what he’d just heard. He knew her? She looked for him? Ah, there was a pain of guilt in his chest. His poor mother searched for him for the last ten months? He wondered for a moment what their reunion would be like. His deep blue eyes focused on the man’s tail that came to life behind him, and Haruki let out a giant sigh of relief. He would silent for a time, and then he smiled and turned to the other.

“Would… it be too much to ask for you to take me to her?”

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His heart rate quickened, thrumming powerfully within his chest to know how Reiko would finally be reunited by the son she'd tried to locate for so long. “Yes,” he exclaimed with an enthusiastic bob of his head, and beamed, “of course, right away, I-”

He turned away, eager suddenly to be on the move, to cross the mountains and deliver the boy safely to his mother, his sister, to all who ached for him in his absence. “Come,” he druid beckoned and lifted his head, pointed his muzzle Northward. The great owl perched on the oaken branch followed the wolf's movements with round yellow eyes as he moved away into the mist, then shot one last look at the younger of the duo. It took flight in the opposite direction, swooping low over the rippling surface of the territory's namesake lake, and off into the forest beyond.


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