Our New Home

They arrived in the familiar land that once held his original pack, the family he once had, the remains of the Blood Moon Clan consisting of him and his mate. Now the future of his Clan looked bright, as several new members were helping him resurrect his clan, as well as several new members being developed in his pregnant Life Mate's womb. He smiled, so very happy that he has finally resurrected his once mighty clan, knowing now it would be as powerful as it was before, no, more powerful. He smiled as he remembered everything, then his ears drooped as he thought about his old pack. He would have to move on, be strong for his new pack, as he loved them all so very much.

Temo followed his brother to the new pack lands with his life mate, Jace, by his side, the sadness of leaving the old pack beginning to fade away as the excitement of looking forward to new beginnings and new adventures, a new land to explore and being a founding member of a new pack.

After a good night sleep, he padded out into the cool morning and stretched lightly, taking in the sights and sounds which were exactly as he remembered. He smiled as the familiar mountains sat against the blue sunny sky, the miles and miles of untouched forest and meadows, the lakes, rivers, and thousands of trees, the seemingly never ending supply of game. He was so happy to finally be able to return home, but suddenly remembered something. He would be on the constant lookout for that human, the so called Evil One. No harm will ever come to this pack so long as Kemo breathed. He padded out into the forest, taking off in a sprint to jog his memory of the layouts of this territory, but there was no need. No one knew this land better than he, except for his Father of course. Temo had been born here that was true, but Kemo had grown up here, spent most of his life here, but wished that his brother could have shared it with him. Now however, they had returned to their rightful home. Kemo and Temo, reunited in their place of birth, along with their life mates and what's left of the Full Moon Rising pack. How right it was for his pack to be here, he knew this day would come, he knew one day the Blood Moon Clan would be resurrected again, and he was so proud and happy to have lived to see that day. He went around the large territory, picking up scents of coyotes and old scents from wolves who had traveled through here in days long past. He even caught the scent of his Father, where he had been keeping up the markers before Kemo had taken over as Alpha. He smiled as he heard his voice in his mind. "We are so proud of you my son. Welcome home, we will be watching over you. We love you so much." A tear fell from his eye and landed on the ground at his paws. A tear of happiness, as well as sadness. He refreshed the markers around the pack's territory, then returned to the main den area to sit and bask in the memories of his home.

He sat up and padded toward an area where he knew his own Mother had visited to get the softest bedding for her pups, Him and Temo. He set to work gathering the softest grasses for his pups, remembering the happy times he had spent with his family. After he was satisfied with the amount he would need, he padded back inside his den, carrying the soft grasses in his muzzle. He padded back outside and sat down, wondering where the rest of the pack was at the moment, but thinking they were prolly still asleep after the long journey.

Temo woke up and carefully uncurled from around Jace, not waking her, and quietly padded out of his den and looked around at the new forest. Chuckles to himself, new forest, it has been here for centuries, but it was new to him. Sniffing the air, he walks of in a random direction to do some exploring.

Meandering through the trees, checking out the smells and sights. Learning the area. Where the natural dangers are and the best places to hunt. He could detect the spoor from wolves that had passed through the area. He eventually came to the perimeter of the land and found a scent he recognized. It was Kemo. He had been through earlier letting other wolves know that the Blood Moon Clan has returned to reclaim their lands.

He detected a wolf scent that was old. almost as old as he was. Although he didn't recognize it, somehow, his subconscious must have. A voice spoke in his head. At first he didn't recognize it, then realized that it was his father's voice. It said "Welcome home, my long lost, but now found son. We love you so much and will be watching over you and your mate." Temo stops for a moment. A tear of happiness rolls off his muzzle to the ground at his paw. He quietly says "Thanks dad, I am happy to finally be home."

After a few more moments of quiet but happy reflections, Temo heads back into the forest, slowly heading back to the dens.

He smiled, seeing Temo returning to the dens after a walk in the forest. "Good morning my brother. I heard your message from our Father, and I trust you heard mine as well. It feels so right to finally be home. The Ancients smile down upon us, and our parents are watching over us. Do you remember this territory at all? I have so many memories..." He trailed off in thought.

Temo smiles back to Kemo and sits down by him. "No, I do not remember as there is nothing to remember. I was taken away long before we would have emerged from the birthing den together." A bit of sadness flashes through Temo's eye's, quickly replaced by happiness. "Yes, we are well watched over."

Remembering an old fable he had heard in his travels about a bird called a phoenix. "From the ashes of the old pack arises two clans to reclaim what was once theirs."

His ears drooped as he remembered Temo had been taken before he even knew he had a brother. "You are back home my brother, I am so glad to see you here." His tail wagged then his ears perked as he suddenly thought of something. "Temo would you like to see something? It might still be there and I was going to check myself but you are welcome to join me as I'm sure you would love to see it." He stood and waited for Temo's decision.

Curiosity getting the best of him, Temo says "Sure." He stands up and follows Kemo.

He yips then sets off in a direction away from the pack's new dens, heading through the forest in a way so familiar to him, yet he knew unfamiliar to Temo. He smiled as he looked around at the familiar trees, seemingly untouched regardless of the years of neglect. It's as if he never left. He led Temo along a winding path through the forest, gradually sloping upward until he knew they were close. "It's a bit farther ahead, if it is still there. I will be surprised if it is." He smiled as he thought of what Temo was about to see.

Following Kemo winding through the tree. happy to see the joy that has filled his brother's heart now that they are home. Paths so different, yet both now have come full circle and have returned to their true birth lands. The joy also filling his heart. Wondering what Kemo has to show him.

"We're here." He said simply. He watched as Temo looked around at the trees. "Well?" He laughed, "Just beyond these trees brother." He padded through them and emerged into a large meadow seated at the top of a large mountain. In the middle of the meadow, located right at the very top of the mountain, sat a large and magnificent building, still standing but clearly showing signs of abuse and neglect, abandoned for years after that fateful day. A rush of emotions came over Kemo as they padded close to the building. Sadness, happiness, loneliness, fulfillment, anger, more emotions than he had ever experienced in his life. "Temo, welcome to my palace...Our entire Alpha line ruled from and lived in this palace, our father was its last owner before me, and I was the last Alpha to live in it. It's strange how I am the only one besides you in our family that is immortal, but it just proves how tough our Father really is. He was a mortal, survived everything that was thrown at him, and in the end it was love that made him give up his life. He couldn't be happier however." He paused for a moment. "The last time I was here, I was forced to watch my entire pack wiped from the face of the Earth.." A tear fell from his eye as he tried to suppress the memories that were trying to resurface.

Temo looks around at the trees questioningly and then smiles as his brother explains "just beyond the trees" and follows him out onto the meadow. Temo's eyes grew big at the wonder and splendor of the palace. Thinking how grand it must have been in it's day.

Feeling the emotions flow over kemo as he tells of the last to rule from the palace. And how kemo had to endure watching his enire pack killed before his very eyes.

Temo pads over next to his brother and quietly says, "You are not alone. It occurs to me that your entire pack was not killed. Besides you, there is one other survivor."

"This I know brother. Forgive me if I forget you were born into my pack as well. Most of my life I was convinced I was alone and the last remaining member. In correction, most of the pack was slaughtered here in this very meadow and on these very steps, no mercy was given, and I could do nothing to stop it...it haunts me to this day, even knowing that it wasn't my fault." He padded toward the door, laying a paw on it as it opened with a creak, revealing the interior of the palace entryway. Everywhere they looked, signs of neglect and abuse was evident. Large black spots littered the once sparkling marble walls and floor, remains of bones were littered everywhere. He padded into his Great Hall, the last place he had been before the pack had been attacked. It was a wreck, the throne chipped, the once beautiful marble walls and paintings ransacked and destroyed. Once he took everything in, It hit hard, and it showed. His ears and tail dropped, tears fell from his eyes, his once beautiful palace, destroyed, ransacked, and neglected. He had been left this wonderful place, it was his responsibility to take care of it, and now here it was, a shell of its former self.

He sighed as he looked around the wrecked building that used to be his palace. The depression was eating at him, but he masked it. "I have one more thing to show you Temo." He led him outside, padding around the back of the large palace, following the broken walls toward the trees behind it. He led the way through the trees, arriving at a clump of trees and passing through them, the feeling of the barrier no surprise to him but he wasn't sure about Temo. "This clearing is very special to me Temo, and from this day forth it will be special to you as well. It is protected by a magic that can not be broken." He padded over to a mini graveyard located in the middle of the clearing. "These graves belong to every Alpha Male and Female that ever ruled over the Clan. These," He laid his paws on two gravestones, "Belong to our Mother and Father." He stood in front of the graves, bowing his head and closing his eyes.

Following Kemo into the palace and seeing how entropy had taken it's toll on it. Noticing the depression set into his brother, Temo doesn't know what to say that would help.

Wondering what else there was, he follows his brother outside through the rear palace entrance. Following a broken wall to some trees. Raising an eyebrow as he feels a magic barrier flow over him has he passes between the trees.

Walking behind Kemo, thinking about the palace and the graveyard they were approaching, he could feel the history. Looking over the graves of the alphas that had ruled the lands and watching Kemo go over to the last pair, explaining that they contained their parents.

Temo knew that his parents were dead, but now that he has arrived to his birth home, a great sadness washed over him as he realized that he never had or will have the chance his brother had to know his parents in life. Never knowing his brother as a pup growing up and learning the ways of life and of being an alpha. Even in death, he would not be reunited with his parents in this special place for the alphas. Tears rolled off his muzzle watering the grass at his paws.

He opened his eyes suddenly as he heard his brother's thoughts, turning around and seeing the tears. "My brother, in the event of your death, you will be buried here with Mom and Dad, as you are my twin brother. You are allowed to meet our parents any time you wish, all you have to do is tell me and I will ask them to visit, or take you to their realm if you wish." He patted Temo's back with his paw, "Don't worry Temo, you will meet them again. You are home, you are Beta Male of the most powerful wolf pack on Earth. Your brother is the Alpha, and you have a loving life mate waiting for you at your den. Be happy brother, let me worry about everything else." He picked some flowers from nearby and laid them on each grave. "Temo, I know you have an idea of how happy I am to be back, but it's so hard to be here with all the memories that are trying to resurface. So much pain was experienced here, but a lot more love and good times were experienced here to outweigh the sadness and pain, and that's what keeps me going. I am happy I made the choice to come home. Do you need more time?"

Temo looks up at his brother, "It's not that. I know I can meet them. It's not having to get to know them as a pup growing up. not having them to care for me, looking out for me as I grew up. Not growing up with you. Not getting to know you as a pup growing up next to me." He thinks for a moment. "I too feel the joy of being home. To finally see that lands that I was born to." Pauses for a couple of moments looking at the flowers that Kemo had laid on their parents grave. "You have memories that bring you sadness, I have the lack of memories that bring mine."

He looked at his brother for a few moments. "I understand your pain brother, but we are both here now. We have the rest of eternity to spend with each other and get to know each other as it always should have been. Now that we are home, we have the rest of eternity to make new memories, happy memories that we will never forget. We both had a rough start Temo, but now we have a chance to enjoy our lives and be happy, to live in peace as it always should be, with our family."

Temo stares at the graves lost in thought for a few minutes. Looks up and around him, spotting an apple tree in full bloom. Walks over and snaps off a couple of short branches with blossoms on them and returns to the graves and lays them down next to Kemo's flowers. Pauses there for a few moments and turns to his brother. "Lets go and start making some of those new, happy memories."

He barks happily, "Let's get back to the dens before our mates start worrying." He smiles at the graves, knowing those flowers that he and Temo placed would never wilt while the barrier was still up. "See you soon Dad and Mom, I love you." He padded back toward the dens, Temo following close behind. His mind full of the depression that came with the thoughts and events that had happened today, but also happiness that he had returned to his homeland.

Spirits lifting at the thought of returning to Jace and watching Kemo say his good byes to their parents. As Kemo started back to the dens, Temo turned back to the graves for one last look and say "I love you both, too." Turning, he gets a feeling of being watched over and looks up to the sky and smiles. Jumping to catch up to Kemo and follows him back to the dens. Thinking about the possibilities that the future will bring.

Feeling some of Kemo's depression, says "Not only have you returned to your homeland, but you brought one back that was long lost to the homelands."

Looking around the forest as they walked. "It's interesting. It seems that the forest is much happier now than when we first arrived. Like we are happy to have returned, the lands and forest are also happy that the clan has returned."

"You're right Temo, it does seem as though this land has been waiting." As they padded back to the dens, he stopped and turned around, staring back at the once beautiful palace that he had ruled from, a tear falling from his eye. "Someday I will restore my Palace back to its former glory, I owe the pack that much." He turned and padded toward the dens, lost in thought and suddenly jumped as two foxes stepped out in front of them on the path ahead. He stopped and growled low, hackles raised as he watched the foxes, but they both rolled over and submitted to Kemo, which surprised him. He passed a glance to Temo, then looked back at the two foxes. "It is true then!" The first fox said. "King Kemo has returned to us, and has brought the Clan back from the ashes!" The second fox said. He stared at the foxes, then realized they must have been born here when he was King. "Yes, tell all the creatures I have returned, your King has claimed his throne once again, the Blood Moon Clan is resurrected. This is Temo, my Beta, the rest of the pack is back at the dens." They bowed to Kemo and Temo. "Long live King Kemo and His Life Mate, Long Live Beta Temo and his Life Mate." They bowed deeply again and each said in unison. "We will tell everyone of your return my King. Your wish is our command." They left to spread the news. "Well Temo, looks like the forest knows of our return now. Won't be long before we get admirers. Keep an eye out." He led the way back to the dens.

Temo raises a questioning eyebrow at Kemo.
"What was that all about? Are foxes part of the clan too?"

Looking back at where the foxes disappeared into the forest.
"That was ... unusual. I never had any one bow to me before."

He laughs. "No they're not part of the clan. They're just foxes who were born in our territory. Dad was a kind Alpha, allowing all animals to live in our territory, so long as they didn't interfere in pack affairs and stayed out of our way. I figure we might as well tell the entire forest that the Blood Moon Clan has returned. Maybe we will get new members wanting to join our ranks, or maybe, just maybe, there could be a member or two that survived and wants to return to their Alpha King. I'm hoping for either one or both. Get used to getting bowed to, you will recieve a lot of respect here."