Homecomings [MadEmperor] [M]

[DragonSong]

Two of the children--Minna and Sorren, Rain's twin--returned the wave, Callum, evidently ever-tactful, pointed to him again and said, "You're stuck."

"Callum!" Both River and Ash frowned at him.

"He is!" Callum pouted at his aunt and uncle. "You're supposed to change all the way. He's stuck."

[MadEmperor]

Kahroan shot River a look of shock. How could the little tyke know that? What was even happening here? Was he really just... stuck? Would he suddenly become unstuck without warning?

"What--what do you mean... stuck? Do you know how to get unstuck, so I can not do that? I very much like being this size."

[DragonSong]

Both River and Ash looked just as befuddled as Kahroan, and the she-wolf shrugged at him, shaking her head and mouthing, I've no idea what he's on about.

"I mean you're stuck," Callum repeated, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world and they were all incredibly dull for not understanding. "You go all the way animal-shaped, or all the way human-shaped, we can't just stay like that."

"Alright, Cali." River stood, placing Minna and Forest back on the ground. "Maybe we can chat about this with your mum and dad?"

"Speaking of." Ash jerked his head back toward the front entrance of the cabin, where a cluster of the adult, human-shaped wolves were standing about and murmuring to each other. Then one, a young woman with silvery gray hair and bright gold eyes, broke from the cluster and waved, grinning at them all.

"Bout time you showed back up, Ree!"

River laughed and waved back to her sister. "Oi, no lecturing until you come and collect your little urchins!"

[MadEmperor]

The dragonman chuckled awkwardly as he realized he had read too much into the boy's statement. There was no magical insight, just a child's understanding of how changing forms worked. He shrugged at River, embarrassed.

He straightened up when the first adult started towards them. With some relief he returned to River's side and awaited the inevitable questions.

"Ree?" he teased gently.

[DragonSong]

River crinkled her nose at him. "My siblings couldn't always say my full name correctly," she explained just as Sky reached them and pulled her sister into a smothering hug.

"Sky--can't breathe--" River gasped dramatically.

"Deal with it," the other wolf play-growled, squeezing tighter. "You stay away so long and this is what happens when you come home."

River chuckled, finally wriggling free to hold the other woman at arm's length. She waved as the others began approaching more sedately, all smiling, clearly thrilled to see her, but casting her companion looks that ranged from curious to wary. The pups scampered back to hang onto the nearest adult's leg as the pack gathered around them, passing greetings and hugs and hair ruffles around before finally River disentangled herself from her family and took a step back.

"So who is this, then?" Nora, her brother Shadow's mate, gave Kahroan a slightly puzzled but friendly enough smile.

"Right." River dragged her fingers back through her hair. "Everyone, this is Kahroan. Kah, this is Nora, she's those three's mum--" she gestured to the triplets--"My brother Shadow, he's her mate. This is Sky, that's her mate Elwyn, they're Sorren and Rain's parents--" she pointed out the twins.

Sky piped up, "We've got another pair, but they're only two, they're down for a nap."

[MadEmperor]

Kahroan had kept to himself for so long, that being the center of attention for so many was more than a little intimidating. Though it was, at least, easier to speak to adults. He understood adults; they were largely rational beings.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet all of you." He nodded to them politely, but there was an unmistakable anxiety in his body language. If they rejected him, he could never ask River to choose him over her family. The pack was everything to a wolf.

[DragonSong]

Shadow laughed. "Wish we could say the same, but someone--" he mock glared at River-- "didn't see fit to tell us that apparently she was bringing a new lad home."

River rolled her eyes at him. "Well, it all happened rather quickly--it's sort of a long story, we should wait until Storm and Akina are back. And where's Mum and Dad?"

"Waiting for a proper greeting from their eldest."

The pack matriarch's voice was light, and the smile she gave both her daughter and their guest was wide and friendly, but her gold eyes were clearly evaluating as they flickered between the two. River's siblings and their mates immediately made room for Elise, who looked shockingly like a version of River with fine white hair that didn't seem entirely due to her additional three decades of life.

River beamed at her and stepped into her arms. "Hiya, Mum."

"Hello, darling." Elise nuzzled against her head and kissed her cheek--a gesture that Kahroan might recognize from River herself, as it had tended to be her preferred casual form of affection when they first began traveling together.

"Your father's in by the hearth," her mother added as they broke apart. "Perhaps we'd best moved this introduction inside? I'm sure you're both hungry." She gave Kahroan another welcoming smile, the softness of her expression replaced with something a little cooler, more considering, but not hostile.

[MadEmperor]

Before he could keep it in, an excited rumble escaped him at the prospect of food. With an embarrassed groan, he said, "Yes... food would be wonderful."

He noticed the gesture that meant he was being judged for worthiness. It was something he had reasonably expected but was still nervous about. He needed to be on his best behavior while also just being himself. This was easier said than done for someone who doubted his own worth, but he was in a good place mentally, so he thought he could manage.

He quietly followed the family inside, shooting River a nervous smile as he paused at the door to shake off the snow. Then, he exhaled and stepped inside.

[DragonSong]

River returned his smile and mouth quickly, You're doing fine, before she followed him into the house.

It was instantly warmer; the "great room"--what had once been the actual cabin that Elise and her mate Lake had built to start their life together--sported an absolutely massive hearth, large enough for their entire pack and then some to gather in around the fire. Provided everyone squeezed in a bit.

Lake was lounging in front of the fire in wolf form, though when his mate and children spilled into the room, he heaved himself to his paws and gave himself a brisk shake.

River grinned at the massive gray and tan wolf, quickly kneeling to accept a greeting sniff and nuzzle, then wrapping her arms around his neck. "Hey, Dad."

Welcome home. Her father used beastspeech, eyeing Kahroan curiously over her shoulder, showing that he was assuming the dragonman could understand him. I take it you've brought a guest.

"Right, yeah." River stood and held a hand out to her mate with an encouraging smile. "This is Kahroan."

[MadEmperor]

"It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Longfang." He gave a small, slightly-too-formal bow. Next to what happened on the mountain, this was the scariest moment of his life. And wolves can smell fear, which did nothing to help his nerves. He had to focus on her assurances that his love for her would be all he needed. 

[DragonSong]

The wolf sniffed at him, not getting too close, then took a step back and reared up onto his hind legs and then into a human form. Like his wife, the salt-and-pepper of his hair and bear seemed to reflect the coat of his wolf shape more than it did his age, though there were also deep crow's feet around his eyes and laugh lines at the corners of his mouth.

"Relax, lad, I'm not going to eat you," he told Kahroan with an amused huff. Smirking a bit, he added, "Not if you don't give me a reason."

"Dad," River protested, frowning at him.

Lake chuckled and reached out to sling an arm around her shoulders, tugging her into a sideways hug and ruffling her hair. "Ah, I'm just giving him a hard time. Well met, Kahroan, and welcome."

[MadEmperor]

The dragonman's relief at having his head still attached came off of him in waves. He exhaled, smiling at his mate. Chuckling, he said, "I've got to admit, for a moment there, I thought you just might. I don't think I've ever been so nervous in my life."

"Now... I believe someone mentioned food?" He looked hopeful and very hungry. "We had to burn most of what rations we had left to keep warm in that snowstorm."

[DragonSong]

"You did what?"

Elisa looked absolutely horrified, but she was looking to her daughter, not Kahroan. "You see? You see? This is what happens when you don't tell us you're visiting, we could've come and met you--"

"Well, the rockslide would've stopped you just as much as us--" River started, then snapped her mouth shut. Oh hells.

"The rockslide?!"

"We're fine! It's fine!" River waved her hands at her now overly concerned family. Her father seemed to be restraining himself from sniffing at her like a proper wolf, and her sister-in-law had her hands over her mouth, wide-eyed. "See, look? We're both fine, right, Kah?" She looked over to him a tad desperately.

"Oh don't you drag him into this, young lady, I know exactly how reckless you can be," her mother huffed, to which River couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Mum, I'm twenty-eight years old, are you really trying to young lady me?"

"You bet your ass I am, and I will do it until the day I'm in the ground," Elise seethed. "Now you sit, and I will get you some proper food and then you can explain this rockslide."

River sat; she knew better than to argue further.

[MadEmperor]

I'm sorry, he mouthed to her. He knew better than to butt in, but it was hard not to jump in and defend them. The rockslide had already happened by the time they reached the pass. It wasn't like they could have predicted that! Though, he supposed they could have prepared better.

Then he smelled the food, and his worries were forgotten. He was that hungry.

[DragonSong]

Still muttering about how River should've known better gods damnit, Elise bustled off to the kitchen with her second-eldest son in tow. Shadow looked absolutely delighted, winking at his sister as he went, which earned him a rude gesture in return.

River scooched to the side on the pile of furs that she'd plopped into, gesturing for Kahroan to join her. Sky settled close by, murmuring to her mate to ask him to fetch the twins; he nodded, giving her a quick parting kiss. The rest of the pups were sprawled out in front of the fire, Ash playing with two of the triplets, now both in wolf form.

"Well." Lake settled himself into one of the few actual chairs, then leaned forward over his knees. "So. This is serious, between the two of you?"

...No one could claim the man wasn't direct.

River sighed and let her head fall back so she was addressing the ceiling. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."

[MadEmperor]

Kahroan settled in next to River and laced his fingers between hers. A little of his nervousness returned along with Lake's directness, but he powered through.

"Yes, sir. I..." he said, pausing to look into her eyes before again addressing her father, "I love her very much. I... know it all happened very fast, but I feel it with every fiber of my being."

[DragonSong]

River smiled and squeezed his hand gently in encouragement.

Lake nodded, looking at them both consideringly. "Aye, it can happen that way. It's more common for folk like us, I suppose, I'm not sure about...dragons?" He cocked his head, and River nodded in confirmation. "I suppose there's a story there," he chuckled.

"A story you can tell over tea." Elise reappeared with Shadow at her elbow, passing around cups of tea and warm bowls of some sort of stew that smelled of mountain herbs and venison. River took hers gratefully and dug in. Gods, she was starving.

[MadEmperor]

Kahroan gladly accepted the food and the tea with thanks. Even with his comfort in the cold, the warmth of his first bite renewed his spirits. He practically inhaled it and had nearly emptied the bowl before speaking.

The dragonman explained how he was at a low point and made a bad deal, which triggered his body to transform into what it is now. Then, in the middle of that, how River found him and helped him through it. He relayed their travels, and how working side by side opened his heart until that bright, sunny day when it became undeniable how he felt about her.

He nodded for her to continue the story.

[DragonSong]

River picked up easily where he left off, explaining how they had thought that since Kahroan's dragon side seemed to be more of an icy influence, they had figured he might be able to better acclimate to the changes in an environment like the mountains. Of course, that meant she had to tell them about the rockslide, and her near-fall.

She tried to downplay that as much as possible, but it wasn't like she could hide her bandaged palms. Still, other than a hard look from her mother, and a few comments about hear near a thing it must've been, there wasn't too much of a fuss.

"So...now we're here." She shrugged, adding a little guiltily, "I know I haven't been home in a while, and this is all a lot to take in at once."

[MadEmperor]

"And I know I'm a complete stranger, but I feel like I've known her my whole life." Kahroan did his best to come across with the sincerity that he felt. He almost promised that he'd never hurt her in any way, but all relationships had ups and downs and hurtful words would always be spoken in the heat of the moment. He could only do his best to be understanding and forgiving.

"Though we come from vastly different worlds, I can't imagine one without River in it. If you'll have me, I know I can make her happy."