Channah:She missed everything. She missed home, and she missed her mom and dad. She found herself wondering if she even should have left. Though of course, she knew the answer. She had to leave, she had big things waiting for her. That, and she was hoping to find the brothers Samm and Dene. It was unlikely they wouldn't have made it back before she had..Right? Channah was still new. She had only just been accepted and placed in her clan. The Sky Clan was now her home, and she had been directed in the proper route to find it.
She was on her way there now, and she wondered how they would accept her. Would they like her? She didn't have her brother to lead her, and so she felt completely nervous. But she had a feeling she had made the right choice. She just hoped that she could trust those feelings.
Castiel Ansoomse:
Castiel's steps seemed slow as he moved away from his clan's lands. He didn't want to leave, his mother, his brother and sister, a part of him felt they still needed him. But Samm and Dene, they needed him too. At least, that's what he thought.
They'd been gone for so long, what must have happened to them out there in the roguelands? He wasn't getting any more visions, at least not to do with what was happening to Samm and Dene. Sometimes he still heard them calling out to him in his dreams, but nothing more than that. Mostly he just had his usual do-over visions.
He was looking down at the ground as he walked. And that inattention made him run smack-dab into another creature. They tumbled over and he blinked down into a pair of fiery blue eyes while she growled at him.
Cas' head jerked up as his vision passed, his own deeper blue eyes falling on a female a few paces away. His ears flicked back as he frowned just a little bit at her. He didn't know her, she was a stranger, and he wasn't keen on that.
Channah:
The lands really were lovely here. She had been looking as she walked, though she found that the more anxious she became.. The more she started getting distracted in her own thoughts. She couldn't help it, but yet she wasn't sure if she wanted to. It was good to be sane of mind, and to have your own thoughts.
She had to see if she could find anyone related to the brothers. She had to find out where they were, and where his family was. At the very least, she could tell them they were safe. She hadn't seen them yet, and she was hoping she wouldn't have to tell them anything. They'd be sitting there, and welcoming her, and that would be that.
Castiel Ansoomse:Cas cleared his throat when it was obvious she hadn't noticed him. She had this spaced out look on her face, she must have been deep in thought. But that didn't really matter, he needed to know what she was doing here.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice neutral and rather monotone, as it had been ever since he was little. Who was this female and what was she doing here?
Channah:
When he cleared his throat, her thoughts reverted back to reality and she brought her eyes to him. He was a handsome enough male, and his blue eyes were spectacular. She found herself staring for a moment, before she cleared her own throat nervously.
"I'm Channah." She began. "Or, Anna, depending on who you ask." She smiled a little, hoping to maybe ask him about the brothers. She had to know if they had returned, and where to begin. If this guy didn't know, she'd ask someone else. But first she would see if that was even possible with this male.
"Who are you?"
Castiel Ansoomse:
"Castiel Ansoomse. What is your purpose here, Channah?" Was she a new member of the clan? He hadn't thought about that. There had been a Tree ceremony recently, he just hadn't been able to attend. Either way, though, this was growing to be a waste of time. He needed to get out there and try to find his brothers. Samm and Dene never did have a good sense of direction, but he would be able to find his way home if he left, he was sure of it.
Even if it wasn't true.
Channah:
Purpose? Well she wasn't sure what she was doing, or what had brought her here, was a purpose. But she supposed it was similar. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.
"Well, other than living here you mean?" She asked, though it held a friendly tone. SHe wasnt trying to upset others on her first day here. That seemed bad.
"But I'm.. looking for someone." She said, and she wondered if she should even ask him. She didnt want him to shoo her off, or look stupid because he had no idea who she was talking about.
Castiel Ansoomse:
"Oh..."
So she was new here after all. She'd come here to live. Fine, that didn't bother him and it wasn't really something that kept him from his duty. It wasn't like he had to take her into the clan and show her around or anything, he could go on his way to find his-
Oh, but she was looking for someone. That changed things. Cas sighed a little and tilted his head slightly.
"Who are you looking for?" Who in the Ela would she have met? It wasn't often that members of the pride left it. Maybe she had made plans with someone to come here and they'd gotten separated. That would make sense.
Channah:
When he asked who she was looking for, she perked a bit. Her eyes looked questioning, but the curiousity and drive to find the boys made her anxious. She cleared her throat, her paw flying to the back of her neck as she rubbed gently. Then she sighed and decided just to be out with it.
"I'm looking for two brothers. They were supposed to make it back before I did.. Do you know of Samm and Dene?" She asked. Had they ever given her their last name she may have pieced together that Castiel was related. But it didn't strike her at all. They looked so different, after all.
Castiel Ansoomse:
Cas didn't think he'd heard her right. His frown deepened.
"Samm... and Dene?" His little brothers, this lioness had met his brothers? She had found her way here, they said they'd be heading home, they must have. Then why weren't they here?? Why was this girl here and not his brothers?
It took ever ounce of control not to pounce her and demand she answer his questions.
"They aren't here, I would have known... Come, we're not too far from the Sky Clan," he finally said, turning back in the direction he'd come from. But he couldn't take his eyes off her.
"When did you see them? Were they well? Did they say anything?" Clearly he was interested, though you still couldn't really tell from his voice.
Channah:
She watched the frown deepen on his features. She wondered if she had said soemthing wrong, and she felt her heart start beating a little faster. She gulped, and nodded once he spoke.
"Yes. Samm and Dene. Both carry the wings of angels." She said, referring to the color of their pelts. Then she perked.
"So you know them then?" He asked a bunch of questions for someone who didn't. But it had appeared they hadn't returned, and she was beginning to grow slightly worried about them too. Though from what she had learned about Dene, and Sam too, those boys could handle their own. Though Jasira hadn't liked her much.
"They were fine." She said as she started walking with him. His gaze was intense as he asked her the questions.
"They were doing a great. They are strong." She said with a smile. She wasn't sure how much she should tell the male. She wasn't sure what his motives were.
Castiel Ansoomse:
"Of course they're strong, but..." But their sense of direction was abysmal. Why weren't they home?
Her words eased his worries a little, they were fine, nothing bad had happened to them. At that moment, a sneaky thought started making its way into his mind. Did they... not want to come home?
No, no, this Channah girl had expected them to be here, so that meant they'd told her they'd be coming back to the pride.
"So they are trying to come home? How did you meet them? What did they tell you?" Cas couldn't help all of his questions. He wanted his brothers back and this female was suddenly a link, weak as it was.
Channah:
They told her they had been trying to come home. She wasn't sure if maybe they were lying or not. But neither seemed the type to lie. She was sure there was nothing to gain from this situation.
"Yes, they are trying to come home. They still had some things to do, I guess. They are good guys out there. Heroes, if you will." She said, nodding. Anna smiled. She noticed the male ease, if only slightly, and that was enough for her. She wondered how he knew them so well anyway..
"Why does it matter to you anyway, Castiel Ansoomse'?" She asked, cocking her head and looking at him with curiousity.
Castiel Ansoomse:
"Samm and Dene are my younger brothers." Any other creature might have been less blunt about it. Samm and Dene's family name is Ansoomse, I grew up with them, do you not see an resemblance? All of those would have worked. Well, except maybe the last one. Cas was really the odd male out when it came to his brothers and sister. He was the only one with their father's golden pelt and their mother's bright blue eyes.
But then, Cas wasn't one to beat around the bush. If he wanted to say something, he said it. He didn't understand subtlety.
"Our father lost them when we were young." But he blamed himself for it. He should never have trusted his father to look after them. A lesson learned.
Channah:
His next statement surprised her, and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. He was their brother? Well she couldn't say she saw the resemblence much. But she was happy to have found his family. They had talked about having siblings before. She should have remembered his name sooner.
"Oh.. "She said, and her eyes quickly moved to her paws. She stared there for a moment before meeting his gaze again. Then he mentioned their father, and she was feeling a slight bit of tension at the word father. She found herself interested in that story, but perhaps that was for another time.
"Lost them? Dene had said that he had gotten them lost, not his father. Er- Your father." She said, and was curious. She was curious by nature, always thinking for herself.
Castiel Ansoomse:
"Whether Dene did got them lost or not, our father shouldn't have allowed it to happen," Cas replied, a hint of bitterness in his tone. As much as he was civil to his father now, he still didn't trust him much, and he still blamed him for Samm and Dene's disappearance.
He sighed and shook his head.
"I was going to go find them... You said they were heros?" He perked up a little, curious over what they were doing out there. If he was asking her too many questions, he couldn't help it. He wasn't very good with social interactions, it would have been more surprising if he was suave.
Channah:
She supposed he was right, and she shrugged it off. She had found her link to Sam and Dene as well, and she was thankful for it. She decided this guy was kind of blunt, and seemed like he was no nonsense. She wondered if he was ever able to enjoy himself..
"They are heroes." She said with a smile. She liked when he asked her the questions, because she could see hope in his eyes. She liked that. For some reason, it gave her a purpose For now anyway. But even when the boys returned, she would be thankful for their arrival too. She wanted them to be here.
"They are the ghost story the bad guys tell their cubs to keep them behaving." She said with a chuckle. The boys had a way of scaring even the scariest of creatures.
Castiel Ansoomse:
Wow, they'd certainly made a name for themselves, then. It started to make Cas wonder, did they really need him after all? They had certainly been able to take care of themselves, more or less. Maybe... he didn't have to leave...
"How did you meet them, then? Did they help you with something?" It wasn't like he thought she would have needed their help, just that it seemed like the most likely possibility.
They were starting to get close to home now, he had to figure out what was to be done. Present her to Mother? Probably, if Channah was okay with it. Mother would want to hear all about Samm and Dene, and she would probably ask better questions than he was.
Channah:
She thought back on the day she had met them. Dene rushing in to save her from the big bad that was her brother. Though he didn't realize that her brother was only bad to everyone who wasn't family. She managed to keep pace with him, slowly following him where he lead, as she cocked her head.
"They sure make one hell of a first impression." She said, a slight laugh excaping her maw.
"Well, Dene anyway. He came in like a bat out of hell, when I was with my brother. He thought it was some nasty, meant to do me harm. Course.. he wasn't."
Then she shrugged. "They may not have been the smartest individuals out there.." She teased, and winked at him. "But they are good, and they are alive. Which is what you were hoping, I'm sure."
Castiel Ansoomse:
When she told him about how she had met Dene, Cas smiled a bit. Honest to gods, a true smile, no matter how small it was. His heart swelled at the knowledge that his brothers were alive and well, that they were heroes, that they helped other creatures out in the roguelands. Still, it hurt not to have them here, to see the pain in his mother's eyes, but they'd be home soon. He could feel it.
"That does sound like Dene," he replied. His voice had already been somewhat gravelly to begin with, but it had grown rougher, if just a little, with restrained emotion. He shook his head at her final comment.
"I would have known if something had happened. I Saw them get lost, I would have Seen... anything else." He couldn't even give words to that thought. It would never happen, so he should never even consider it.
Channah:
The smile told her that she had said something he had liked. He seemed such a closed, guarded soul. Though he didn't seem unfriendly, which was the only sort of personality trait that she had a hard time with.
She could feel the emotion in his voice, if only just a little. She gulped, hoping she hadn't upset him. She supposed it had been a long time since he had laid eyes on his brothers. That would be hard. She had left her brothers, but not as tragically as being lost. Of her own free will to follow her heart.
"You would have-," But she didn't even have to finish the start of her question. She had met a few that had said they could see things.
"That's a useful trait to have." She said, looking forward again.
Castiel Ansoomse:
"It is... Or, it could be, I hadn't understood it as a cub. Otherwise I would have told my parents what was to come. It is rare, though," Cas replied and paused in his steps. He could see the camp from here and he needed to make her understand what was to come. True, there was nothing wrong, she would be welcomed and maybe even know some of the members. But he needed to warn her about their family.
"Should my mother find out you met Dene, she will want to meet you, to ask you questions. Perhaps our father will too. They should know, but it is your decision if you want that kind of confrontation. Our mother is gentle, our father... gruff. I won't let him upset you if you choose to meet with them." He gave her a firm nod. If she needed one, he'd be her protector, just as he protected his brother and sister, just as he should have protected Samm and Dene. Why he suddenly had the urge, however, was an unknown, but one he easily ignored.
Channah:
She nodded, assuming it had been a rare trait. She felt a tinge of jealousy at the idea that he could see things she couldn't. But Ana had never been the truly envious type. She was happy just being herself for the most part. For that she was thankful. When he stopped walking, she did too, and her ears perked curiously as her eyes began looking over the area. There were a few lions in the nearer distance, and she wastched as they moved, bustling around their daily lives.
"Oh I don't mind. As much as I love my mother, I can only imagine how hard it was for a family to lose such small cubs. I would be glad to help ease their fears." She said, a smile reaching onto her face as her eyes took on a genuine, gentle look.
Though she found herself curious about their father. Why would he upset her? She knew how to handle gruff. Her father was a pretty hard lion to get to know.
"Okay, well.. I trust you then." She said, deciding not to question his father. She'd learn in time, she was sure. She wasn't sure she needed the guarding, but she was in a strange place, and she was welcoming to the idea of having someone there for her
Castiel Ansoomse:
Cas nodded, his smile returning to the impassive line.
"It was hard... In many ways." He gave her another nod and turned back towards the camp. Hopefully his parents were still around. His mother would be so happy, would she cry? What would his brother and sister think? He suddenly realized he owed this female a debt he didn't think he'd really be able to repay.
But that was fine by him.
"This way," he finally said and started towards where his family was currently denned.
