#stellarorion \ 001

[lionguarded]

He was just arriving into Athos when he saw him. The omega was standing guard by the gates and he knew he wouldn't be recognized because Silas had never seen his face but he must have heard of him. The packmasters had met with him, assigned him a job, a pack, and a cabin to share wirh other alphas.

He had returned to the gates then, to meet with Silas. Bothering him during work ours didn't seem like the wisest thing to do but he couldn't wait. He wanted to know how this town was, if he needed another escape, or if all was well. He didn't ask anyone about the guard, he would get the information from the horses mouth.

"Silas." His way of greeting was still too formal so he tried relaxing a bit into it. "I'm Armand Orion. I helped Taj and your other kids get you out of Egrain and, yes, they're fine. I took the fall for it." He let the info sink into the other's mind before speaking further. "Are you okay here? Do they treat you right?" He got the most important question out first, wanting to know how should he proceed.

He was wearing a loose shirt, his mating mark visible but he had arrived alone. Orion felt awkward, vivid and horrible visions of what they had done to Silas still at the back of his head. "I...I'm sorry I didn't get you out sooner. I didn't know."

the whispers were always fast when new arrivals made their way into athos - this time he could hear them clearly, someone from egrain. like silas hadn’t seen enough of those in athos yet. every new person from the city bore a risk. he didn’t get out of the house, but there had been festivities & other celebrations or meetings at the house quite often & he’d only missed few of them. if word got back to egrain about his whereabouts.. he wouldn’t be safe anymore.

but he couldn’t dwell on that while at work, he did take his position as a guard seriously, even if he wanted some of athos inhabitants dead rather than alive & breathing down his neck. today’s shift was calm though, so he was stood with his spear on his back by the gate, just .. watching the outside when someone approached him.

someone who knew his name. he spun around almost instantly, reaching behind him to wrap a hand loosely around the shaft of his spear - ready to strike should he feel the need to. athos was supposedly safe, but who could tell, really? he was about to ask how he knew, but the explanation followed swiftly & while his shoulders lost some of the tension drawing them upwards, he was still watching, waiting.

orion. of course he knew orion. his pups rambled about the alpha who trained them every single minute of every single day. they’d worshipped the man & promised he could be trusted. silas would have to see for himself, but … hearing his kids were okay.. did calm him. hand returning to rest against his side, he eyed the other closely. “why? what was in it for you?” nobody went out of their way to help someone they didn’t know. so why? without the assistance of a high ranked knight, silas would most likely still be in egrain, but it still didn’t make sense to him.

he was grateful, even if he sucked at showing it. or expressing it. “it was none of your business. you couldn’t know.” shouldn’t know. silas hadn’t wanted more people to know the horrors he saw every day. he’d felt guilty enough putting his pups through it, but strangers? no. “it’s .. good here. it’s safe, i guess. for now.” deep breath, feet shuffled, he was struggling to find the words he wanted. “thank you.”

[mysteryxsolved]

Wyatt looked up from his newspaper when he saw that Orion was walking towards the table. He gave his coworker a smile as he set the paper down and motioned to the free seat across from himself. "I don't mind. I'm here for the same reason." A hand reached up to gently remove the earbuds from his ears while another grabbed the charging case. Ghostly voices hissed as they rushed in, all of them vying for Wyatt's attention. Attention that he may provide later - just not right now. While he kept to himself, the last thing he wanted to do was come across as rude.

The case was flicked open and snapped shut as Wyatt readjusted to all of the surrounding noise. "Doing alright this morning?"

Armand had been here for over a week already and he didn't know how to drive yet, but he was getting the hang of technology and life in the future. He had learned his way around showers, grocery shopping, handling money, cellphones, television, and other basic stuff thanks to his co-workers and their quick classes. Coffee had always been an addiction of his but now more than ever with its different flavors so he had a coffee maker at home and was trying different brands and different ways of making coffee, yet, his coffee still came out terrible and he ended up throwing it away and buying a good one from the café.

The place was full this morning so he looked around for a table with a free spot and once located, he walked toward it and smiled at the person occupying it with his arms behind his back. "Excuse me, the place is rather busy and I wondered if you wouldn't mind sharing your table with me? I promise I won't disturb you, I'm just here for coffee and some breakfast."

[wolfguarded]

proof? what did he mean? what proof had taj shown him? what possibly could he have shown this guy to believe him? "...they shouldn't have." nobody was supposed to know.

well, it didn't matter now - it had worked. he was free, finally. he was quite sure there were more like him caught in egrain, but they had to find their own saviors, like silas had found his in his sons & their knight apparently. although.. he couldn't deny hearing his pups were alright... that did bring a feeling of calm with it. he worried every day, of course he did. they went back to agrain to do whatever, when they could be framed for helping him escape at any point in time.

if they were hurt because of him, he'd never forgive himself. part of him still hoped that he'd wake up one morning & his now-adult kids decided to join him in athos after all. it wasn't bad here. they'd be happy, he was sure, but who was he to tell them what to do? he would forever be in their debt for saving him. "i wish you didn't sacrifice your family for mine." he didn't want anybody involved, he'd told taj, but apparently his son had ignored his request & ruined another man's life. for him. "sorry." guilt weighed heavy on his shoulders, he knew he'd never be able to make amends for that. he couldn't. fucking ..shit. maybe he should go back. no, fuck that.

it helped when silas wasn't beaten into. a bloody pulp every day. his wounds were healing.. .slowly. inside & out. "i'm.. fine." it wasn't easy. life wasn't easy when trust was an insult & everybody that wasn't himself was potential danger. but he was alive, he was free.

"..we should talk, properly. later. meet me at the tavern tonight?" he had so much he wanted to ask, still. so many things he wanted to know. it had been a month now, right? two? two ...of not seeing his pups.

Orion noticed the man tensing, his hand going to his back in reflex, and he understood. Had he gone through the same he would be acting the same as well. He didn't hold it against him, Silas had every right to be defensive and not to believe him but he wasn't lying and had just wanted to make sure the place was treating him right. Which it seemed like it was. He had heard plenty good things about Athos and had gone through the effort of leaving the name of village out of the papers, Silas should be safe here unless his kids talked and he doubted they would.

He forced a smile and looked away. "Despite how dark Egrain might be...I was never like that. I believe in justice and doing the rightful thing. Values I was taught by my father, values I tried to pass down to those I trained or even my kids. I tried to do good by the crown, by everyone...in fact, I didn't believe Taj at first. I thought he was making it all up because otherwise it meant everything I knew was wrong. I demanded proof and... and I got it. Horrifying truth that pushed me to act quickly, maybe too quickly but necessary. Taj opened my eyes to how things really were and I'm thankful to him for that. Protecting them was the least I could do."

He interlocked his fingers behind his back and lowered his head a bit trying to seem a bit smaller. "But there was nothing in it for me, just a clean conscience that I did what was right. At least I got away with my life, just worried about the family I left behind. I took the full fall for it after all." He was worried for his family, for what they might go through in Egrain after he was branded a traitor. He wished they had come with him but they had refused to even meet his eye.

"I didn't come for a thank you, Silas, just to make sure you were alright here. That things were good for you. I'm satisfied with knowing as much. You look healthier too, that's good." Orion raised his eyes to look at him properly. Now that he was done with asking, he should be going. "I should be on my way. I have what I came for, you're perfectly alright, so I should look around the village and get familiar with the other lumberjacks maybe."

[wolfguarded]

the whispers were always fast when new arrivals made their way into athos - this time he could hear them clearly, someone from egrain. like silas hadn't seen enough of those in athos yet. every new person from the city bore a risk. he didn't get out of the house, but there had been festivities & other celebrations or meetings at the house quite often & he'd only missed few of them. if word got back to egrain about his whereabouts.. he wouldn't be safe anymore.

but he couldn't dwell on that while at work, he did take his position as a guard seriously, even if he wanted some of athos inhabitants dead rather than alive & breathing down his neck. today's shift was calm though, so he was stood with his spear on his back by the gate, just .. watching the outside when someone approached him.

someone who knew his name. he spun around almost instantly, reaching behind him to wrap a hand loosely around the shaft of his spear - ready to strike should he feel the need to. athos was supposedly safe, but who could tell, really? he was about to ask how he knew, but the explanation followed swiftly & while his shoulders lost some of the tension drawing them upwards, he was still watching, waiting.

orion. of course he knew orion. his pups rambled about the alpha who trained them every single minute of every single day. they'd worshipped the man & promised he could be trusted. silas would have to see for himself, but ... hearing his kids were okay.. did calm him. hand returning to rest against his side, he eyed the other closely. "why? what was in it for you?" nobody went out of their way to help someone they didn't know. so why? without the assistance of a high ranked knight, silas would most likely still be in egrain, but it still didn't make sense to him.

he was grateful, even if he sucked at showing it. or expressing it. "it was none of your business. you couldn't know." shouldn't know. silas hadn't wanted more people to know the horrors he saw every day. he'd felt guilty enough putting his pups through it, but strangers? no. "it's .. good here. it's safe, i guess. for now." deep breath, feet shuffled, he was struggling to find the words he wanted. "thank you."

@wolfguarded our starter

He was just arriving into Athos when he saw him. The omega was standing guard by the gates and he knew he wouldn't be recognized because Silas had never seen his face but he must have heard of him. The packmasters had met with him, assigned him a job, a pack, and a cabin to share wirh other alphas.

He had returned to the gates then, to meet with Silas. Bothering him during work ours didn't seem like the wisest thing to do but he couldn't wait. He wanted to know how this town was, if he needed another escape, or if all was well. He didn't ask anyone about the guard, he would get the information from the horses mouth.

"Silas." His way of greeting was still too formal so he tried relaxing a bit into it. "I'm Armand Orion. I helped Taj and your other kids get you out of Egrain and, yes, they're fine. I took the fall for it." He let the info sink into the other's mind before speaking further. "Are you okay here? Do they treat you right?" He got the most important question out first, wanting to know how should he proceed.

He was wearing a loose shirt, his mating mark visible but he had arrived alone. Orion felt awkward, vivid and horrible visions of what they had done to Silas still at the back of his head. "I...I'm sorry I didn't get you out sooner. I didn't know."

[lionguarded]

Orion noticed the man tensing, his hand going to his back in reflex, and he understood. Had he gone through the same he would be acting the same as well. He didn't hold it against him, Silas had every right to be defensive and not to believe him but he wasn't lying and had just wanted to make sure the place was treating him right. Which it seemed like it was. He had heard plenty good things about Athos and had gone through the effort of leaving the name of village out of the papers, Silas should be safe here unless his kids talked and he doubted they would.

He forced a smile and looked away. "Despite how dark Egrain might be...I was never like that. I believe in justice and doing the rightful thing. Values I was taught by my father, values I tried to pass down to those I trained or even my kids. I tried to do good by the crown, by everyone...in fact, I didn't believe Taj at first. I thought he was making it all up because otherwise it meant everything I knew was wrong. I demanded proof and... and I got it. Horrifying truth that pushed me to act quickly, maybe too quickly but necessary. Taj opened my eyes to how things really were and I'm thankful to him for that. Protecting them was the least I could do."

He interlocked his fingers behind his back and lowered his head a bit trying to seem a bit smaller. "But there was nothing in it for me, just a clean conscience that I did what was right. At least I got away with my life, just worried about the family I left behind. I took the full fall for it after all." He was worried for his family, for what they might go through in Egrain after he was branded a traitor. He wished they had come with him but they had refused to even meet his eye.

"I didn't come for a thank you, Silas, just to make sure you were alright here. That things were good for you. I'm satisfied with knowing as much. You look healthier too, that's good." Orion raised his eyes to look at him properly. Now that he was done with asking, he should be going. "I should be on my way. I have what I came for, you're perfectly alright, so I should look around the village and get familiar with the other lumberjacks maybe."

proof? what did he mean? what proof had taj shown him? what possibly could he have shown this guy to believe him? “…they shouldn’t have.” nobody was supposed to know.

well, it didn’t matter now - it had worked. he was free, finally. he was quite sure there were more like him caught in egrain, but they had to find their own saviors, like silas had found his in his sons & their knight apparently. although.. he couldn’t deny hearing his pups were alright… that did bring a feeling of calm with it. he worried every day, of course he did. they went back to agrain to do whatever, when they could be framed for helping him escape at any point in time.

if they were hurt because of him, he’d never forgive himself. part of him still hoped that he’d wake up one morning & his now-adult kids decided to join him in athos after all. it wasn’t bad here. they’d be happy, he was sure, but who was he to tell them what to do? he would forever be in their debt for saving him. “i wish you didn’t sacrifice your family for mine.” he didn’t want anybody involved, he’d told taj, but apparently his son had ignored his request & ruined another man’s life. for him. “sorry.” guilt weighed heavy on his shoulders, he knew he’d never be able to make amends for that. he couldn’t. fucking ..shit. maybe he should go back. no, fuck that.

it helped when silas wasn’t beaten into. a bloody pulp every day. his wounds were healing.. .slowly. inside & out. “i’m.. fine.” it wasn’t easy. life wasn’t easy when trust was an insult & everybody that wasn’t himself was potential danger. but he was alive, he was free.

“..we should talk, properly. later. meet me at the tavern tonight?” he had so much he wanted to ask, still. so many things he wanted to know. it had been a month now, right? two? two …of not seeing his pups.