Private Would you mind sitting down for a minute?

[Declan Durinson]

Declan sat on the cold hard floor of the empty cargo hold with his back against the wall, a cigarette between his teeth and the instrument he had stolen from The Summerlight Gathering in his lap. This part of the ship was supposed to be where they would come and go through The Change, to become wolf so as to keep the madness at bay, though Declan found it cruel to subject his wolf to such a small unnatural place for more than an hour or so. He also had been using this place to hide himself from the others, he was still unwilling to face most of them after the events on Coruscant. If it had only been the situation with the boy Declan would have no issue going about business as usual. Those things happened. It was his shaming at the hands of Gerwald that kept Declan on the outside of the pack. Gerwald had taken his dignity, his wolfhood and what Declan done about it? Nothing, sulked off with his tail between his legs.

They had been on Eliad for nearly three days chasing down leads with our rest or shifting, the pack had grown weary and irritable and so he had removed himself again.

He strummed at the instrument trying to tune it to his liking, he had always been a good singer and found music as enjoyable as training with swords and shields. He played a few strings and then sang to himself a song from his youth.


Mighty warrior before you leave home remember this song.

The lone wolf dies but the pack is strong.

Take up your ax and your shield. Loose a howl loud and long.

The lone wolf dies but the pack is strong

Do not weep, rejoice for those who are gone.

The lone wolf dies but the pack is strong

Aelin Erevos

 

[Aelin Erevos]

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Outfit | XoXo
Location | Eliad
Tag | Declan Durinson


Morale on the ship was at an all time low. Between the incident on Coruscant and the lack of new leads on Eliad, it was only a matter of time before the pressure valve keeping them all in check exceeded its limits.

Wolves who barely knew each other, thrust into a position of expectations… It was no wonder they’d found themselves in this predicament.

But perhaps it could be salvaged.

Aelin planned to make rounds with the crew, build bonds and attachments that would help make them stronger as a team, but there was one particular member that she wanted to visit first.

Bleeding together in the pits had helped ease some of the initial strain between them, while Summerlight had built a small semblance of camaraderie… but Declan was as unknown to her as the lands of her ancestors and she wondered if bringing him along had been a mistake.

She was more than a little green around the gills when it came to leading, faced with the knowledge that a seasoned Alpha would have taken their subordinates strengths and weaknesses into account before ever placing them in the kind of situation that would leave them exposed to their own vulnerabilities.

That misstep almost cost her Elias- the first lead she’d had on her sisters in over three years. She should have been angry- had tried to be, but knew that part of the blame lay within herself and couldn’t completely fault him for things going sideways.

Perhaps they’d been doomed before ever stepping out on this quest- but Aelin knew for certain that her sisters would be doomed if they turned back. The only path now was forward marching.

Her knuckles rapped lightly against the walls of the cargo bay, echoing throughout the enclosed area to alert him of her presence before approaching.

With a heavy sigh she came to sit near his feet, placing a cup of caf by his side, should he desire it.

“I’ve never heard that song before,” she casually mentioned, slowly relaxing back. “Where’d you learn it?”

 

[Declan Durinson]

"I've never heard that song before," she casually mentioned, slowly relaxing back. "Where'd you learn it?"

"Hello, Ellen." He greeted.

My father taught it to me and my brothers." He told her through a cloud of cigarette smoke and a smile.

It was more than a song his father had always said. It was a lesson, one that he and brothers had been expected to learn and live. That was the life of a Durinson of Clan Kanaka. They must always be a pack an impenetrable shield for one another if they were to survive all The North held. The cold, the scarcity of resources, and most importantly the Cailleadh; The Wild Wolves. Murderous raiders who emerged from the black Yronwood forests to slaughter the men of Kanaka lands, steal the women, and eat their children. When his father stepped down as Alpha it would've been up to Declan and his brothers to stand between the raiders and their people.

Declan lifted the cup and sniffed at the caf before setting it back on the floor of the cargo bay.

"Stuff makes me sick." He explained to her to not seem rude. "Did your father sing you no songs?"

Aelin Erevos

 

[Aelin Erevos]

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Outfit | XoXo
Location | Eliad
Tag | Declan Durinson


“Aelin,” she interjected with a bemused grin as she met his steady gaze through an upturn of lashes, “Although, I admit that ‘Ellen’ has begun to grow on me.” she tilted her head slightly, growing quiet as she listened to his words.

“My father taught it to me and my brothers." He told her through a cloud of cigarette smoke and a smile, setting aside the caf and explaining that it made him sick. She made a mental note of it for future reference before he asked his next question. "Did your father sing you no songs?"

And there it was.

Her throat tightened, unbidden memories forcing their way to the forefront. “No,” she answered after several moments, her thoughts marinating over how much she wanted to reveal. “He wasn’t much of a father, truth be told. He and my mother shared a mating bond and his mind followed her to the grave when she’d gone,” after she had me, Aelin left unsaid.

“Afterwards, Jhann became a wraith beset by rage and sorrow as his only calls to daily action.” Saying the words out loud made her loss feel more real than it had when it was happening. It hurt, unlocking that part of herself which she tried to keep buried deep inside.

“My older sisters kept him subdued for a while, tried to teach me a few things before they too were taken from me. Mostly children’s stories and lullabies, but it’s been so long that I don’t even remember those.” For a moment it looked like she might say something else, but faltered, attempting a half-hearted shrug instead and trying to shift the conversation from its dispirited tone.

"However, I did learn a few from the Drage brothers. Alf in particular loved belting out ballads, especially if he'd had one too many.” a genuine smile warmed her lips, softening her sharp features, “I really loved hearing them, even though I didn't always understand what all of the words meant. They were always so beautiful to listen to."

 

[Declan Durinson]

"Aelin," she interjected with a bemused grin as she met his steady gaze through an upturn of lashes, "Although, I admit that 'Ellen' has begun to grow on me."

"How long would the others let me keep calling you the wrong name?" He asked with a laugh. "My apologies Aelin. A pleasure to meet you proper." He extended his arm to her to take in the traditional warrior way, gripping each other at the inside of the elbow.

"Although, I admit that 'Ellen' has begun to grow on me." She admitted.

"Surely, I have a chance to as well then." He said taking another drag from his cigarette, tilting his head back and blowing the smoke toward the ceiling.

He listened to her story about her father and her home life. It sounded about as far from Declan's childhood as possible. His father had been a caring man who only loved one thing more than laughing and that was his family. Declan supposed he very easily could've been like Aelin's father though. Years before Declan was born, Declan's father Durin IV lost both his wife and his daughter to the cailleahd, which could've easily drawn Durin IV alpha of Kanaka to a dark place.

"I won't pretend to have had the same hardships as you and I would not presume to preach but when you look back on that pain on those memories that you do not deserve to have. Smile. Smile as you remember the dark and see just how far into the light you have come, Aelin."

"Your father who let his pain consume him and his duty to his family is as far away from who you are as possible, he lost himself and his children, you will be the one to find them."

He took another pull off his cigarette and began to strum his instrument again, plucking at random cords making his own music.

"Do you remember any of these songs of Clan Drage? Did they fill you with the sounds of the Wolf Wood or the smell of the northern sea? Did they fill your heart with longing for your home? Because mine is full to burst."

Declan grew quiet and thoughtful for a moment. He stabbed out his cigarette and surprised even himself with what he said next

"if you would like a new father, mine has always wanted a daughter and I have plenty enough brothers, a sister would suit me nicely I think."

Aelin Erevos

 

[Aelin Erevos]

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Outfit | XoXo
Location | Eliad
Tag | Declan Durinson

”Some bets were laid,” she admitted with a lazy drawl and grin, reciprocating the same grip of camaraderie, though considerably lighter by comparison - his hands alone the size of dinner plates compared to hers. “Elias guessed you’d figure it out before we made it back to Bellassa, the others were gunning for the opposite. I’ll let you decide if you want to keep up the ruse or not.” she gave a mischievous, playful wink, her lips curling up on one side.

"Surely, I have a chance to as well then." He said taking another drag from his cigarette, tilting his head back and blowing the smoke toward the ceiling.

Her brows lifted and she gave a soft laugh that followed a breathy sigh, glad that the tensions of the last week seemed to be non-existent in the easy flow of their conversation. “I wouldn’t have brought you along if you hadn’t already.” the she-wolf answered as plainly and truthfully as she knew how. Her early experiences had never allowed her to open herself easily to others, especially without some form of established trust, but with Declan there was something that put her at ease in his presence. An unexplainable phenomenon that she knew was tied to something deeper, something ancient. She wanted him around, and found herself wanting him to feel the same.

"I won't pretend to have had the same hardships as you and I would not presume to preach but when you look back on that pain on those memories that you do not deserve to have. Smile. Smile as you remember the dark and see just how far into the light you have come, Aelin. Your father who let his pain consume him and his duty to his family is as far away from who you are as possible, he lost himself and his children, you will be the one to find them."

She'd yet to find anyone who'd ever been as desperate or hungry as she'd been, who'd experienced the same hardships she'd faced - though, as she listened to Declan and watched the winter wolf, there was a reflection in his eyes that carried a different sort of pain that bore a semblance of understanding- one that had left its own mark. The mark of what it was to be starved of joy and life. One could only imagine what kind of life might have left those scars. Perhaps one day he would be comfortable enough to tell her, but until then, Aelin allowed Declan's words to resonate deeply within her heart, finding herself yielding to the ache of her loss and welcoming it. She'd been strong for so long, keeping the pain all to herself, locked tightly inside. But for just one moment - for just this one blessed moment - she allowed herself to feel comforted, allowed the weight that pressed heavy on her shoulders to leave her. “Thank you,” she intoned softly, “and you’re right. I am going to do just that. They’re out there somewhere, and I’m going to find them. When I do, well… I can’t say what will be waiting for us, but whatever comes next, at least we’ll finally be together. I only hope they understand why it’s taken me so long.”

In truth, she wasn’t sure what to expect from her sisters. Would there be joy after all this time, or would she find them less than benevolent for not coming sooner? The fear of their rejection was set aside as the sounds of Declan’s strumming filled the air. "Do you remember any of these songs of Clan Drage? Did they fill you with the sounds of the Wolf Wood or the smell of the northern sea? Did they fill your heart with longing for your home? Because mine is full to burst."

Her lips pursed, brows drawing together as she considered. It was difficult to describe how the words had made her feel. Islimore was foreign to her, but she drew on the experiences of Bellassa to fill in the gaps of what she could only imagine. “There was one, called ‘The Dawn’ that I particularly loved. Are you familiar with it?” she asked, before proceeding to recite the words. A light pink stained her cheeks, unused to hearing her voice unencumbered by the more masculine voices of the Drage men who typically overpowered her softer notes.

“The dawn breaks through the trees
It brings me to my knees
Pink and purple, golden beams
Such light I've never seen

The gloom lifts its hold on me
Freedom, is this freedom?
The birds are singing in the trees
Listen, I can hear them,”

The refrains of her voice spun, gentle as a brushing feather, entwining with the notes of the instrument he plucked - only dimly aware of her own voice now, falling so deeply into the music that it would have been impossible to say where it stopped and her blood began. But it did stop, the last two verses drifting off and rousing her from the waking dream that’d been woven out of strands of song.

In the silence she felt it all, embedded deeply in her soul. Her wolf knew what she did not and longed for a home it’d never known. In the quiet, Declan stabbed out his cigarette, trying to hide the surprise from her features by what he said next.

"If you would like a new father, mine has always wanted a daughter and I have plenty enough brothers, a sister would suit me nicely I think."

"Declan-" she started, caught between the urge to smile and the sudden stab of worry that crept into her mind, the fear that such an offer only came not because he cared, but because he felt sorry for her. Pitied her. Aelin did her best to bury the notion. "I would be honored to call you brother."

 

[Declan Durinson]

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“Elias guessed you’d figure it out before we made it back to Bellassa, the others were gunning for the opposite. I’ll let you decide if you want to keep up the ruse or not.” she gave a mischievous, playful wink, her lips curling up on one side.

The boy should be more careful where he places his faith He thought to himself but did not voice it aloud for fear that she would think he was speaking ill of her. He would not speak poorly of this Wolf not in her hearing or anyone else’s. She was so young to take on the burden she had and were it not for camp gossip she may have even taken it on alone. Her faith in herself and her faith in those she brought with her should be repaid in kind.

Her faith in you.

“Thank you,” she intoned softly, “and you’re right. I am going to do just that. They’re out there somewhere, and I’m going to find them. When I do, well… I can’t say what will be waiting for us, but whatever comes next, at least we’ll finally be together. I only hope they understand why it’s taken me so long.”

“They will. If you trust nothing else trust that the moment they see you, whatever time passed without you will evaporate and the only thing they will see is the time you have going forward. Together.”

Declan had spent many years in the same position as Aelin’s sisters, lost. Stolen from his family and held captive. Had his brothers come bursting through his cell doors to return him home, Declan would have forgotten every morning he’d woken up away from them.

Declan smiled softly as Aelin began to sing. Her song was not one of The North but he could follow along well enough. He listened through his God Gift. Felt the missing notes through the connection between the two wolves and filled them in with soft strums on the strings of his instrument. Aelin pushed through her discomfort. As their connection strengthened so did her voice and so did her spirit. He could feel the wolf inside her, the same as he felt his own. They longed to breathe the air of their ancestors.

"Declan-" she started, caught between the urge to smile and the sudden stab of worry that crept into her mind, the fear that such an offer only came not because he cared, but because he felt sorry for her. Pitied her. Aelin did her best to bury the notion. "I would be honored to call you brother."


“It is no great honor to have me for a brother let me assure you.”

I’ll be right back, Dorry.

He never forgot the look of pain on his brother’s face, pain Declan had caused.

Blood covered his hands, dripping through his fingers, sticky red drops stained the porcelain features of her face. Her blood, who he had sworn to protect.

No. there was no honor in it at all.

“Are you to return to Bellassa once you have recovered your sisters?”

Aelin Erevos

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[Aelin Erevos]

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Outfit | XoXo
Location | Eliad
Tag | Declan Durinson


“They will. If you trust nothing else trust that the moment they see you, whatever time passed without you will evaporate and the only thing they will see is the time you have going forward. Together.”

“I hope you’re right.” Was all she replied, settling into a quiet that came after his words and the music had died off, unable to help herself in imagining what that surreal moment might be like - and all of the future moments after. A strange inner warmth filled her up in an instant, driving out the frigid chill of space until his voice broke the silence of her reverie.

“It is no great honor to have me for a brother let me assure you.”

At this, Aelin’s face fell, following a pattern of eyebrows and lips. She could tell from his tone that there was something in his past that greatly pained him and wanted to inquire more, but he changed the subject quickly before she had the chance to interject.

“Are you to return to Bellassa once you have recovered your sisters?”

“To stay?” she questioned, becoming quiet and thoughtful. “No. I don’t believe so.” A large part of her wanted to, and perhaps would always long for what it represented. But Aelin realized from the moment she set out to find Miera and Rana that Bellassa would never be her destiny. Only, she had never allowed herself to say the words, not even in whisper. Afraid to accept what she’d already known for quite a while; that it was not the Drage Clan’s homeworld that demanded her - though she’d still not unraveled the puzzle of where she was meant to go next. “I imagine that we’ll return to Seoul 5 and rebuild, but who's to say what the future holds?”

Her lips pulled into a thin curve of a smile, hushed and almost pained, taking a long sip from the cup of caf that warmed her chill hands and savoring the soft notes of vanilla that slid across her tongue and down her throat.

“What about you? Where will you go when our adventure is over? Is there a place for you to return to?”

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[Declan Durinson]

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“What about you? Where will you go when our adventure is over? Is there a place for you to return to?”

“There are a thousand.” He told her lightly. “What was it you called me the first time we met? A ‘Den rat’? Well, this rat has many a place to scurry off to. None would welcome me with open arms but a couple may open something else if I may be so bold to say.” He told her with a grin.

There were still parts of the galaxy where the name Declan Osbourne would mean a warm bed and a meal. Granted most of those places also included barred windows, beatings, and a hole in the floor to chit in. Though he was sure there was work to be found. Bloody soul-crushing work. Nothing half so honorable as rescuing stolen girls. Work more suited to him.

As was his way he ignored the part of him that longed for Islimore. For the summer snows of The North or the magic of the hot springs. He forgot his longing for the sour burn of Kove’s blueberry mead and the sweet spice of crackling honeyed boar skin. He pushed away memories of the smell of scented smoke in his father’s hall, the softness of Malinda’s hair, and the sweetness of her tongue. He banished the idea of his mother’s singing or his father’s laugh. He longed desperately for it all and yet…

“All this talk of fathers and songs of home has reminded me of something.” Declan leaned over and began rummaging through the collection of things he had brought with him in the hanger. After a small moment, he straightened himself back up, and in his hands was a leather-bound book. He held the book out to Aelin.

“This is a collection of stories, songs, and legends of our people.” He explained to her. “It is mostly northern stories. I wrote this myself. It had belonged to…” he trailed off “I wrote it and seeing as I remember the stories, this book isn’t much use to me but I think you’d like it. Consider it my first step in making up for Coruscant.”

Aelin Erevos

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[Aelin Erevos]

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Outfit | XoXo
Location | Eliad
Tag | Declan Durinson


"There are a thousand." He told her lightly. "What was it you called me the first time we met? A 'Den rat'? Well, this rat has many a place to scurry off to. None would welcome me with open arms but a couple may open something else if I may be so bold to say." He told her with a grin.

Aelin nearly choked on her caf and tried to cough as lady like as possible, her cheeks rosing at his implications, but only temporarily as she mulled on the other part of his words. "I'm... sorry," she said at last, her expression set as stone. "I never should have called you... that. It was unnecessarily harsh and I don't see you that way at all. I hope you know that." A small smile crept over her lips and she held his gaze for a moment, considering. "You should come with us," she found herself saying, not giving it any real thought. "There's a lot of work to be done in our small village, but, if you want it, then... you'll always have a place at our hearth."

A rumble of conversation and a few moments later, Aelin's attention was brought to stare at Declan as he rummaged through his pack and produced a small, carefully bound leather book, placing it into her hands.

"This is a collection of stories, songs, and legends of our people." He explained to her. "It is mostly northern stories. I wrote this myself. It had belonged to…" he trailed off "I wrote it and seeing as I remember the stories, this book isn't much use to me but I think you'd like it. Consider it my first step in making up for Coruscant."

"I... you don't have anything to make up for, it was my mistake... If I knew how to lead then I would have better anticipated the issues that sprouted and," she sighed softly, "I failed you...I know that." her voice trailed off, her slender fingers delicately running over the cover and down the spine as if it were the most beautiful thing in the Galaxy to her. Its surface looked worn, as if it'd been well loved before. "But... if you truly want me to take this, then I will... and thank you, truly." she said in earnest, clutching it to her chest. "I will surely treasure it."

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[Declan Durinson]

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"I'm... sorry," she said at last, her expression set as stone. "I never should have called you... that. It was unnecessarily harsh and I don't see you that way at all. I hope you know that."

“Fear not little sister.” He told her with a wave of his hand a smile. “I do not hold your words against you, they are just words after all and I have called far worse.” Coruscant flashed in his mind. A purple blade at his throat; the blood of one of his own on his hands. “You don’t hold Nal Hutta against me. Why should I hold it against you?” Declan had not been at his best the first time he had met Aelin. Underground placing bets on the lives of those that fought in the pits, reeking of spice, liquor and apathy. Either The Gods played some cruel trick by having her find him there or they had allowed her to save him. It was too early to tell really.

"You should come with us," she said to him absentmindedly. "There's a lot of work to be done in our small village, but, if you want it, then... you'll always have a place at our hearth."

He was struck speechless. Could he do that? Could he go to Seoul 5 and live once again as a Wolf? Is that what this was all for? A new home? A new family? Did he deserve that? Did they?

Blood for Blood. A voice snarled in the back of his head. Nothing less.

He should say something. She would want him to say something. This was no small thing she offered. She was Alpha and offered him a place with her and her sisters. A chance to rebuild and redeem for them both and yet no words would come from him. No words would come to him. Only visions. The wrinkle around his father’s eyes as he laughed. The great snow long house he and his brother’s had built. His callused hands and the salt spray of the sea as he pulled ropes on a Ylva longship.

Say something you fool.

“Having a place in your home brings me a joy that I do not have words for. I hope to earn the honor you show me.”

An artful dodge if ever there was one.

"I... you don't have anything to make up for, it was my mistake... If I knew how to lead then I would have better anticipated the issues that sprouted and," she sighed softly, "I failed you...I know that."

He frowned at her.

“It was not you that was covered in that boy's blood. Taking on other people's failures is not leadership, Ellen. You shall have plenty of your own before your life is done and it does me no service to be absolved of responsibility. You placed us in the right space to succeed and it was me who failed to reign in The Wolf. It was me who almost cost us a chance at your sisters and for that I will continue to try and make it right but do not think to take every burden as your own. It was my failure and mine alone.” He smiled.

"I will surely treasure it." She said of the book of fables he had handed her.

And I you, little sister

“Perhaps one day we will go to Islimore and I can show you the places written about in that book. You could meet my brothers. They would like you.”

Aelin Erevos

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