Wolf pack

Forgive and Forget

The brothers followed the trail at a slower pace, still trying to comprehend the other was there. They both had so many questions, and no idea how to ask them.
It was Lokan who finally broke the silence.
"Listen, brother, its been so long-"
"Far too long." Nate grumbled loudly.
The Halera sighed to himself. "I know, I know. I made a mistake."
Nate clenched his teeth but did not respond.
Lokan let the silence sit, bringing himself to speak again. "I never meant to push you out the way I did. I was too young to truly understand what I was doing."
"You never stood up for me." Nate folded his ears back, quickening his pace. "You let them bully me until I was forced to leave. I was left on my own, I had to survive as a pup entirely by myself while you received royal treatment and became a king. I had nearly died with all the haleras after me and after that I learned to defend myself. I didn't want anyone to feel the way I did and even made an underdog pack of my own. What did you do? You let them come after me, you enjoyed your luxury and the comfort of friends at your side. I was forced into upbreeding and dangerous experiments, I'm sure you were never forced into anything. My pack was captured and committed mutiny, your tribe basically worships you." Nate turned to face his brother in the eyes, yellow flickering red for only a split moment and disappearing again. "I had a life of cruelty and darkness, and all this time you were a royal. Of course you made a mistake, and you clearly did not understand it at all."
Lokan's eyes softened. "I -I never knew that."
Nate sharply turned and resumed his pace. "Now you know."
The wolves walked silently again. "I know you are angry with me, and rightly so. However I know you must be willing to forgive me to welcome me into a pack. I would never leave my tribe if I didn't feel the need to make it up to you."
"Your presence does not immediately make it up to me. It does not reverse what you did."
"I am sorry, but you seem to be taking this unreasonably hard, if you just listen-"
Nate felt the back of his eyes flicker a bright red and anger pumping through his blood. The ringing in his ears barely let Lokan's words through, and even then he could not listen any longer. A deep growl build up in his chest and Nate tried to push it back, only making it louder. The condensed anger pushed itself against his lungs and built up pressure that began to hurt if he refused to let it out.
Unable to keep it in any longer, Nate swung his heavy paw over against a growing tree, a loud roar sounding from his lungs, louder than he had let himself before. So loud it hurt his own ears and wildlife appeared just to run away from the deafening sound. "LISTEN?"
He kept his eyes shut, feeling the red burning painfully through his lids. His voice came through as a threatening growl. "You must have a good explanation for what you did." Nate opened his eyes, seeing the world tinted with red as his brother gasped. Nate's mane stood up as he stepped dangerously towards Lokan. "I've had enough experience to know what I am doing, I've lived my entire life without a brother. This would not change much." Nate shook his head, eyes still locked on his twin who was wincing at the hot cuts. "You better explain yourself, and you better make it good."
Lokan wanted to look away, the burns went right through his eyes and down his back. It hurt so badly he was certain he would go blind. It was like looking directly into a laser, the red pushing through his eyes into his mind. His instincts told him to look away, avoid the pain. Another part of him wanted to fight back, apply his own vision. No, he had hurt his brother enough. This would not help.
Lokan stood tall, trying not to wince as his headache throbbed. "I will explain myself, I will tell you everything but you must listen."
Nate's red eyes searched his own for another excruciating minute before fading to orange and back to harmless yellow. His growl was not gone but with his eyes disengaged Lokan was grateful. "Fine. I will let you explain yourself. I'll try to listen."
Lokan was noticeably relieved, even if he was not off the hook yet. "I suppose I'll start when we were on better terms, back with our parents, before any of this mess started-"
Nate started them walking again. Lokan was always one for monologuing, in a way it was comforting to hear him again.
Both wolves let their minds flashback to their long lost memories.