When the world sleeps, secrets rise.

 Sometimes, one had to be alone.

 Silence took on the forest when it was this late. Yet, even when there was silence, it was not complete. Frogs croaked within the freedom of the riverbed, crickets making their song not far beyond. Crux sat at the edge of the island, his back to the forest that surrounded their camp. Sand softened his paw pads, pebbles causing indentations in the thickened flesh though they were not sharp enough to pierce. His eyes rested on the ripples of the water as it slid past, rushing gently over near-exposed stone, flowing out in what appeared from a distance a pillowy softness though he knew the blackness within could hold danger. The reflection of the crescent moon high above shifted and he sighed, mist trailing from his lips.

 Starting a pack was serving to be a time-exhaustive venture. He knew it wasn't something to rush, but he felt anxious. He had yet to build the trust with his cohorts that he knew was essential. Mordecai he believed to be by his side, but the rest? Even with Tiras returned, it felt strangely lonely. Like the more wolves that they had in their group, the more isolated he was. The less he could be himself. He remembered burying a sleeping stranger in leaves, back only weeks ago when he had full freedom.

 He wasn't catching nerves about the whole pack thing, he just... felt lonely, surrounded by a crowd.

 He heard a splash and looked up, tired eyes following the moving shadow in the water. A beaver, he'd learned since making camp here. Those flat-tailed creatures who build magnificent... stick piles. His lips curled into a smirk as he watched the shadow break the moon's reflection, moving on to... to what exactly? Did beavers hunt or did they feed on plants? He'd not had a whole lot of time to inspect them, having put his focus lately on scouring the land and hunting down newcomers to join their ranks. Nevertheless, the thing was far too far in the dark for a proper study. He looked away with a sigh, turning his attention back towards the wood that concealed his camp.

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Palace still felt new to it all. For some reason he had hoped that going with someone like him, he would find his family or any semblance of what he had forgotten, but nothing had clicked. Eventually, he would warm up to everybody, but he felt that special pull towards Crux. They both felt that connection and Palace was not about to ignore it.

He had been working on his den, but when he had paused, looking out for his friend, he saw them sitting further away, through the trees. The wolf looked down, and decided right now was a good time for a break. With soft steps, he made his way through the red trees, but also purposely stepped on a leaf as he got closer to Crux. Didn’t want to accidentally sneak upon him, he had decided.

Sitting beside Crux, Palace looked out onto the water. He followed Crux’s eye line to the beavers, and for a few heartbeats, he just sat there quietly, enjoying the wind rustling his fur and the scent of the clear water. “Why do they make those piles?” He could feel some tension from his leader, but he wouldn’t dive right into it all. Let them have a soft chat.

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@Palace

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 Crux watched leaves drift down the river from upstream, wondering if they would eventually start building up in front of the growing dam. Would this place then look like a continuation of the forest floor beyond, covered in leaves? He smiled at himself at the thought, imagining a warring party making their way in and then diving nose-first into water unseen, where they'd promptly get swept away to be harassed by the sharp-toothed creatures beyond. Then again, perhaps the water would slow and not be strong enough of a current to lead them in. He eyed the water darkly, considering what dangers could be placed within to protect their land.

 And then a branch cracked and Palace was sitting by his side, peering out into the water as well.

 Crux blinked at him, chastising himself for not paying attention to his rear. Any wolf might have snuck up on him, like the girl Kei who so believed that wolves could not be trusted. Thankfully, that didn't seem to be the case, as Palace made some comment on the beavers. The prince followed his new friend's eyes, focusing on the dark moving shape, making its way back to its den. “That's where they den,” he answered with a sigh, “If you approach carefully, you might be able to hear the squeaks of their young from within. I believe... they swim down and then up into them, though I haven't gone too close.” He didn't want to scare off a potential prey source just yet. Not until they at least could observe whether the beavers decided to leave or not. If they did leave, he wanted to make sure to have a hunting party large enough to gather up the most of them for the pack instead of letting them all flee...

 ...Unless, of course, they followed them. Captured them, perhaps. Held them captive and bred them so that they could have more to feed his pack in times of need. How would one do that, he wondered. Dig a pit? No, they needed water and trees to eat, probably. Bring them to the island? No, they lived in water. Ach, it was probably impossible. “How are you tonight, Palace? Settling in, I hope?”

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In truth, Palace was not putting much thought behind the beavers. For some reason, he felt like they wouldn’t taste that well, and the idea of his tongue running along that flat bill of their tail could send shivers down his spine. But he did actually find it interesting that this large pile of sticks was actually being used as a home. It was creative, inventive. If he thought like a true leader, he might think strategic.

“Yes, my den is almost done.” He had been digging some more out of it. The fresh, damper soil was nice. Plus, he was too big for the den at its current state and needed to make it deeper and wider. But that was not what he wanted to really talk about, not really a true focus, he guessed, of either of them. It was a filler thought.

“There are a lot of wolves here. You’ve found so many.” Maybe they had all been lost like Palace had been. Crux came in and took them under their wing, offering a home and family. It wasn’t a bad deal. In his head, he mulled over how to tell Crux to take it easier. It felt like Crux’s pawprints were stamped into the ground with how much he worked around camp and went around the territory he was trying to claim. But he wasn’t sure how to say it, at least yet.

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 “That's good to hear. If you need any help, let me know.” Crux couldn't help it. He had developed a kind of... inability to let things just happen. He had to involve himself, make them happen. Because if he didn't... the world would go away again. Unless he was constantly making himself known, his face would fade into obscurity.

 Crux chuckled at the statement, nodding. He wasn't sure if it was a compliment or what, but he was pleased. “Yes, and we'll only grow.” There were plenty of wolves, definitely enough to have structure. He was sure of it now, now that it wasn't just him and Mordecai and the two sibling pups. Sure, there were more pups, but there were also adults. Those pups would become adults soon enough. Most of them were already old enough to come on hunts. “I hope you're getting on well with everyone. It can be tough, we're all coming from such different backgrounds.” Barely any of them had any sort of connection beyond simply being lost in a new world.

 It was time to start making true connections.

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The offer of helping with the den felt genuine, but Palace also knew it was also a part of Crux’s need to have a paw in everything. The brown wolf could tell it wasn’t a form of jealousy, or fear of missing out; he seemed more like he was worried if he didn’t take part in everything, then everything would simply fall apart. Palace wanted to try and take some of the load off his leader’s shoulders, but wasn’t sure how.

They moved onto the subject of the others Crux had gathered for this new pack. Palace felt a bit bad that he himself hadn’t been socializing yet, but he also he literally just moved in. “I think we’re all getting along well.” Even if it was just in passing, everyone had been kind. No snapping at someone for getting too close, or even over pieces of prey.

After a few heartbeats, Palace licked his lips and spoke. “Can I...help? In some way?” While others had connections through only finding themselves here, Palace and Crux shared some kind of bloodline together (Not exactly related, but it has influenced them to appear how they do now). Maybe it was foolish for Palace to think this set them up together closer than other wolves, but he couldn’t stop his feelings.

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 He was glad to have this conversation. Since Palace had arrived, he had wanted to have more than simple small-talk with him, but had found it increasingly difficult to actually get around to having a good conversation.

 “Oh, that is good to hear!” Crux smiled at that, excitement growing in his heart. How lovely it was to hear about pack members getting along - it was always hit-or-miss whether wolves would get along. He knew there were some conflicting personalities in the midst, such as the sullen Kei with the hyperactive Kore and the easily-startled Blackbeard. They all had stories of their own to tell, given time, but he hoped they would all stay long enough to tell them and to feel comfortable here.

 Palace offered to help and the starry male thought about this for a long moment. What was there that he could help with?

 Perhaps... “Marking the borders can make for raw paws... perhaps you could assist me with some of the patrols?” While he was setting up camp he also had to keep busy filling up the borders. He also wanted to go on a short trip to the east for a few days to see if there was more beyond the mountain range that way. He'd wandered south what felt like several weeks ago and had met with an Empyrean male, but he hadn't made his way towards the rising sun yet. “I'll be taking a short trip East soon and won't be here to greet any visitors - or chase away any interlopers.”

 If Palace could help with border-checking and meeting any strangers on their borders, it would take a load off of his shoulders. In fact, he pondered to himself as he peered over at Palace. If the male did it well, there was a rank he considered that might suit him well. One that would require a sense of self and confidence that he knew Palace would soon be able to convey well enough.

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Palace needed to meet more of his new packmates, for sure, but from what he had seen everyone was kind. It wouldn’t surprise him if everyone put on a happy mask in front of Crux, but no one had reason to be in front of Palace. He knew that he probably got to really see them. Eventually, everyone would settle, and they would all know each other truly.

But his mind went away from his packmates and to what he could do to help Crux. Palace felt like at some point in his life he had transversed a territory regularly. It must have been when he had been a part of a pack; surely it wouldn’t be too much for him to mark the borders. Palace gave a nod to Crux’s suggestion.

“Of course, I can probably do that.” He was joining a family, one worth protecting. He was willing to protect the borders if that meant protecting his new family. “Why are you going to the east?” Palace knew he could watch over the borders while Crux was gone, and hoped nothing went wrong, but he was also a curious lad. What could be east that was worth checking out?

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 It was possible that they all put happy masks on, but even if they didn't, the starred leader would wish to assist them even more. There were a few who were still yet to grow entirely comfortable being in a pack setting, like the girl Kei and the cautious Blackbeard, but he was sure that eventually, given time, they would settle.

 Crux exhaled, a smile on his lips as Palace agreed to patrol. “Thank you.” He was certain that in his past life, before waking here, if such a suggestion were made, no thanks would be given. Instead, obedience was expected... which was fine, mind you, but he wanted them all to be aware of how much they were valued here.

 Why was he going? “I've explored both south and north a bit but I haven't gone beyond the mountain range to the east. I want to make sure any packs that way aren't threats to us and I'd rather find them before they find us.” He already knew of two packs to the south and then that wandering group led by the delightful little woman who was entranced by the red leaves here, but he needed a more complete knowledge of their neighborhood.

 He needed a bird to send out to scout further.

 “Mordecai will be coming with me. We shouldn't be too long, hopefully a week at the latest.” Perhaps in the future, if Palace and he managed to get closer... they could go on a trip together.

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Palace could understand the need for traveling outside of the packlands. They needed to know who else was out there - someone could be bloodthirsty and think Event Horizon was ripe for the killing. But there could also be friends, and it could hurt nobody to have more friends in this strange new world.

A week, Palace felt he could deal with it. Besides, it didn’t feel like Crux was putting him up for temporary leadership, just giving knowledge. Plus, while gone someone did need to check the borders, and Palace was up to the job. He nodded along as Crux spoke, eyes drifting from the starry man to the beaver dam.

“The pack can survive a week without you, I’m sure.” There was a small playful twinkle in his eyes. “Regardless, I’ll help you with patrolling either way; while you’re here and while you’re gone.” He probably didn’t need to make that clear, but he spoke anyway.

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 The starlit man sighed a sigh of relief, thankful that he had followers who were willing to assist in times of need like this. “I'll give it a bit more time before I go, but every moment we wait, the more likely it is that a pack will set up in the land to the east.”

 That wasn't entirely a bad thing.

 New packs meant new potential alliances, but it also meant new potential enemies. He worried that one day, an enemy too great for them to fight back would rise. The days of war would come eventually, but he hoped that until strife rose, he would be able to prepare his family. There were... too many bad wolves out there. Wolves who would devour the pack of Ichorwood without a second thought.

 They had to be ready.

 “Do you remember anything from before waking?” he asked suddenly, blinking suddenly in surprise at his own words that had been meant only for his thoughts. They were out now, so he inhaled and gave Palace a sideward glance, waiting for some sort of response.

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Palace was hoping that maybe there were no dangers outside of the pack lands. It was naive to think that the world was safe, that Event Horizon would be able to frolic freely and everyone could be friends. There was no good without the bad. For every good creature, there was always a bad. Crux was right, smart, to want to know who is out there - at least before they know where Event Horizon was.

But the subject was quickly changed as they had both stewed in thoughts of the future. Instead, the topic was switched around to the past, and Palace felt the air leave his lungs. He chose to be honest. “I don’t exactly remember.” He started, gathering his thoughts. “It isn’t...memories, not really. But there are feelings.” He knew he was making sense, but still felt the anxiety that he might not be.

“I can feel that I wasn’t alone - I think I was in a pack. But it wasn’t just a pack; we were all the same...bloodline? They were like us.” That had been part of what influenced him to follow Crux so easily; his memory-feelings told him that he was with others that had the same features. For a few heartbeats he wasn’t sure if he could look at Crux; if he had no memories, would this be some kind of major shocker? But then he glanced at his leader, eyes questioning if he had also felt such things.

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 What Palace said made sense to the titan. There were... parts of his memory that were trapped in emotion alone. He remembered a good bit of his life, a bittersweet truth that had both its positives and negatives. For instance, he was glad to have the memories of his mothers and the understanding that came with being a child of the Valley, but at the same time... The thoughts of his siblings, as distant as they became. The terrors he had witnessed and had to inflict on the helpless... Armageddon.

 “All of them?” he asked, in awe. Here, they were freaks. To think of a place where they were normal, that five toes and "walrus teeth" and thick coats were normal? Wait. Palace didn't have the teeth, he thought with a blink. Perhaps that was just a him thing. Still, their faces held a similar boxiness that he hadn't recognized among any of the regular wolves here.

 He frowned, eyes wandering to the water again. “I wonder if anyone else like us woke up here...” He had never seen Palace before, but he had heard about his father and knew that the traits were the same. “I remember a lot about my past, though there are parts that are fuzzy.” Faces. He didn't remember faces. He remembered voices and smells but not faces. “Where I grew up... my mom found my sire outside of the pack lands. She came back pregnant and raised me with my other mothers.. but they were all normal, like the other wolves we've met here.”

 Well, normal was relative. Physically, sure, but one of them claimed to be a vessel of the gods... a role his birth mother thirsted for.

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Palace had only ever lived in Bacchus, not that he actually knew that. While their kind was the majority of Bacchus, he knew that some of the other types of wolves had been there. The pair would probably never find out that Crux’s sire and Palace’s alpha were one and the same. If they did, it would be far in the future, if Palace was ever able to remember.

“Most of us, yes.” But his literal blood had changed since coming to this world. Biology had changed inside him, and he wasn’t sure if they were still the same creatures from Before. Part of him also wondered if there were others like them in this new world - surely they would all find one another, eventually. They belonged together for some reason.

“I remember… There was someone I liked. He was calm, determined. I - I think he was of high rank.” He said with a laughing snort. “We liked fire, too. I can’t remember what we did with it, how we tamed it. But the smell of ash and the warmth is so familiar, I’m almost sad I can’t recall anything about it.” He knew his job had been around fire, but he couldn’t remember his job. What had been his purpose? It made his stomach clench.

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 Most of them.

 That was... more than interesting. Perhaps this place that Palace had come from was where his sire, unknown as he was, had originated. Perhaps they truly were related in some way, but at the same time perhaps not. In this world... felt different. Shorter, not quite so different as he had been. While bearlike in appearance, his build was far closer to wolf than it had been when he had fallen asleep, though his mother had been as true wolf as any other he'd met here.

 If they had been related in the past, who knew how much of that relation remained in this new world.

 Crux smiled at that, taking this new information into his mind willingly. So, Palace had liked a male of high rank in the past. When Palace brought up fire, his face stilled and a chill rose into his heart, stopping his breath within him. The starlit male looked out into the water again, thinking deeply. “Do you recall... Did your pack attack another with fire? Did you burn their land and everyone within?” If Palace was one of the beasts, led by the red dragon...

 Crux wasn't sure what he would do. What he could do.

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Palace had barely known the world outside of Bacchus. He knew not of the packs that used fire as real weapons. Now he barely knew Bacchus, and he barely knew fire. But something was still there, and he didn’t think it would ever go away. When Crux asked of a pack, Palace felt his heart skip a beat. Had that been where he was from? If he had no memories, then how could he know?

But even with the hesitation, he tried to rely on his feelings. “No, I don’t think so. Fire was used but...not like that. I think we weren’t the original of our pack, but I don’t think that was in our history.” The person he had liked, they had explained a lot of their history to him. He had learned so much - and now all that knowledge was gone. It could be so useful to him right now, but it was slipping through his paws.

“We were noble, a family. Protective of our own, and...advanced, somehow. But I don’t think we were ruthless, or bloodthirsty.” When they needed to fight, they had, but they did not seek it. But it felt like there was a familiar feeling towards fire, the fear, someone else wielding it. But for him, it didn’t feel like it sat in reality, only in stories and fantasies.

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 It was... moderately reassuring.

 Crux listened intently as the brown-and-white furred male spoke. What he said didn't sound like the monsters who had turned on his kind, but then again... he would not have been surprised if it turned out that in the end, the pack that had fought his own had been a righteous one. After all, the Valley was full of slavery and murder - within the ranks and without. It was not a good place and he was starting to realize that, had he escaped long ago with brothers he'd only heard about, he would likely have felt as much disdain for the Valley as they had.

 His own feelings towards it were conflicted. It had been home, but it had been terrible. He was striving to make a place better than what he had known.

 One that was stronger.

 Advanced... Noble... How much he wanted that to be said for his new home. He wasn't sure how to make it happen, how to make certain that his people would thrive and grow. How to ensure a future for the orphans of the forest. He felt as if he was in a stalemate with fate. That although life was going well, it could easily falter and collapse. “If you remember more, can you tell me?”

 Crux looked at the other wolf, meeting his golden eyes. “I'd like to know more, so we can make Event Horizon the best it can be.” He was showing vulnerability, but it didn't matter here. Not right now. “So it - and we - can survive.” Against all odds.

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Palace could see that despite what he said, Crux was still thinking it all over in his mind. There had been packs out there that would cause such atrocities, and there were possibly some in this new land. But even if Crux had some hints of doubts, Palace knew that where he had been was good, noble. He was somehow putting his faith in others that he couldn’t even remember.

“Of course, Crux.” If he wasn’t asked, he would most likely go to Crux anyways. If he remembered, it would probably interest Crux and then Palace’s ramblings wouldn’t be entirely annoying. It was better to talk to someone with interest than none. Plus, somehow being close to Crux felt like it was close to bringing back memories.

“You’re smart, Crux. We can try to learn from the past, but I know that whatever you do, you’ll keep the pack alive and well.” He hoped that his words came out as a compliment instead of brushing off the worries of his leader. Palace wanted to give reassurance, in case he never got any memories back that they could possibly build upon.

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 Crux smiled, though he still felt a little down. The world ahead was a scary one and he wanted to be the best he could be, but... he was new at it. He still felt like a child, even though he knew that his childhood was long ago. He'd never truly gotten to be a child and live a free life, so perhaps this was just returning to that. He hoped that the wolves who joined him were ready to take on the world and build a strong kingdom that could stand the test of time.

 He hoped he could be a strong prince for them.

 “Thank you,” he said softly, looking to Palace. “I really appreciate that.” A smile. He then... felt the weight of exhaustion finally hit him. Turning his bleary eyes to the now-quiet dam down the way, he sighed. “I think it's time I retire for the night.” He needed a nap.

---

Let's close this up <3

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Palace could feel their chat coming to an end, but there was a genuine smile that he almost felt like he had to hide. Even if the conversation had felt more official or business-like, he enjoyed being around Crux. It almost made him sad that he would be gone for a week, but he felt that Crux knew what he was doing.

It took a moment of pause for Crux to suddenly appear tired as if the conversation had given him permission to finally feel such a way. “Good night, Crux. Sleep well.” Palace nodded towards his Prince, knowing he needed rest the most. Meanwhile, Palace was ready to get back to working on his den.

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