Kesta

Mikhail (Brother)

Extensive Highvalley Kin

## Application Sheet

Kesta (also known as Heron) was a black and white wolf with pale sky blue eyes. He was born in Highvalley, one of many children of Adela and Cedar (NPC), including Mikhail. There, he fled with his twin sister, prior to living as a loner and then as a Beta Fisherman of Heyl. When Heyl disbanded, he and Kinsley left the Domain together, and haven't been seen since. He was created and RP'd by SaskedieJagerin.

## **Personality**

* ***Skillful and Efficient.*** Kesta is one skilled wolf, having quick reflexes that help him through many activities that he can be into, he doesn’t aim to perfection, he is not a born natural, he just valued and practiced what he learned, mastering quite the level on hunting, stalking, strategy. He’s happy to teach or show what he can do, he does never show off, he’s aware of being good but isn’t the kind of guy who would brag it to feel superior. If put at work, whether that’d be taking down a prey or a more sophisticated task, Kesta will probably do his best to complete it efficiently. He analyzes all the factors and odds that are involved in a given situation and find out a way to make things work positively. Although he only put this to work with simple things, never with something complex that would concern a pack, such as war strategies.
* ***Loyal*.** If Kesta find his belongings, he will be a loyal subject until he will die. He will give full support and will be faithful to what he believes and to who he trusts. Kesta may not be the happiest of all but never doubt his loyalty, loyalty is not where blood lies but where the heart and the mind do. If he has to turn his back on you, means you really deserved it by doing something he highly disapproves.
* ***Blunt*.** Don’t get him wrong, Kesta might say things that sound harsh or mean but it isn’t that his intent, he is simply being honest, and he doesn’t have problems about speaking his mind. Why should he lie? Because someone might get hurt about a little bit of honesty? Sometimes this is what someone needs, a clear and fair opinion, so if you’re seeking for one, free to talk to him, Kesta won't hold back.
* ***Lonely*.** Finding himself alone without his sister, unable to return to his birth family, with a horrid burden on his shoulders, Kesta feels he has no bonds, completely alone and longs for some company. He will never admit that, just to be clear. He will act rather grumpy or absent minded, not really the heart of the party but he would never decline some company at all. Even though he’ll feel conflicted, as he fears that, because of him, he will have to witness the loss of someone else. It’s a complicated and frustrating situation.
* ***Remorseful*.** He keeps blaming himself for his sister gone missing and for another fall to the death. Not a day passes with him thinking about how he could have avoided both accidents. He maniacally overthinks and over-analyzes how he could have prevented them, the wet rocks, the ground crumbling, the pheasants flying, he could have told them to stop, he could have warned them, grabbed them by the tail, the scruff, a paw, he could have jumped after her, and so on. He feels miserable and guilty and he cannot tell this to anyone, too ashamed.
* ***Pessimistic*.** The war, all the danger, his sister’s fall, another death, everything he went through gave Kesta a pretty pessimistic view of the surroundings, he doesn’t believe something good will ever happen and he will most likely try to crush anyone’s positive view or plans, not because he’s mean, but simply because he doesn’t believe that. Why should he? There can be a threat or a problem around every corner, one day you’re there and the other you’re gone, he witnessed too many of those situations.

## Pre-Group History

Kesta was born from the High Council member Adela and the Seeker Cedar (NPC) of Highvalley, their fourth and last litter, alongside a twin sister, Nelja. It was not a pleasant moment as war was drawn upon Highvalley and the pack was overworking with strategies and counter attacks. There was no time to spend too much time congratulating for the newborns, everyone just dropped a quick glance and some nice words to Adela but everyone did notice something odd regarding Kesta: he did not share his parents, or Highbloods of Highvalley’s creamy white coat. Not even the shade of brown of some cousins or a purple hue, like one of the older brothers: Kesta’s coat was mostly black.

Suspicion of Adela’s unfaithfulness rumored around but slowly died down as all the Highvallian knew that she was no wolf to breath the oath of marriage to lay with another wolf, despite Cedar not being exactly the caring and loving husband. These rumors, however, reached Cedar too but he had no time elaborating them and eventually confronting Adela on the matter as he was killed in action. If only he, and those who kept spreading the bastardy suspicious about Kesta, actually took the time to look at him, they could have seen that, despite his dark coat, he did look like the perfect mix of his parents.

Not that Kesta was ever bothered by this, he was embraced by his mother’s love and he was sure to be her and Cedar’s son, because this is what she said. Those rumors came from some venomous lowbloods and bastards who were jealous of his unique look. And not that he ever missed his father as he was too busy being a warlord alongside King Eadric and probably visited his younger offsprings once, not caring too much about the twins. Kesta had no idea how to feel about Cedar, too young to even remember that one time he visited.

But something did stick within him and it sure affected Nelja too, when Cedar perished, their older brother August was close in line to follow their father’s fate. When Adela was informed that the dead body of Cedar and the mauled one of August were being brought back, she told the twins not to leave the den but, once she turned the corner, the two disobeyed and followed her anyway, out of curiosity perhaps. Father and son were not a view suitable for two youngsters like them. Cedar was almost bearable to look upon, a bloody figure that seemed asleep, while August was a mess. He was screaming, agonizing under the pain of the wounds, especially a major one as one of his legs had been severed and it later been announced that, with the leg, he lost an eye too.

After witnessing that butchery, Kesta paid more attention to the surroundings, the war sounded like a monster that would never reach them, something that was far outside their den’s walls. But it wasn’t. Of course, they were living in a bubble, how could you tell two pups that violence and hell were rampaging around them? Kesta and Nelja were no fools, once the view of their father and older brother opened their eyes, how could they unseen the reality?

Kesta noticed the stained blood on the ground, the scars, old or new, on the Highvallians, the mutilations that some received, just like August. All the faces that were there for one day and the day after, they were gone, with wolves mourning their violent departure. His young brain sucked in all of this like a sponge. Every step in Highvalley could lead to death and despair.

He developed severe anxiety and some sporadic panic attacks, thought he kept them a secrecy and shared his burden only with his twin sister.

With the ultimate fall of King Eadric, the war reached its end and Rodwen took the throne. Finally, peace seemed to fall on the land. There was a new and fresh air in Highvalley, the pack was healing but so was not Kesta. Adela tried to reassure him that the war was ended, that they must not live in fear for the loved ones anymore, there was no reason to. But he couldn’t grasp her words that flew through him, unheard. Nelja felt the same, he was not alone.

All this thriving, all this new life sounded strange and suspicious, Highvalley felt tight, suffocating almost. The ultimate blow arrived when Kesta overheard a conversation his mother had, about the idea of betrothing him to the daughter of another High Blood because, after all the fatalities they had during the war, they needed their line to be preserved and brought on. Kesta fled before hearing the end of the conversation. He didn’t hear the name of the chosen girl, he didn’t hear if the betrothal was definitive and soon to be announced or if it was just a suggestion, but he knew that the idea was brought up and could be made real. He wanted no betrothal, he didn’t want a fiancée, he wanted his freedom, he wanted to become a Seeker and roam around their lands, like the birds that soared their sky.

Kesta felt under pressure. Caged.

Adela never brought up the betrothal matter, but he feared that every day now, his fate would be set in stone and he could do nothing to change it. That’s when Nelja came up with a plan.

Leave.

Leave Highvalley? For some reasons, Kesta never actually thought about it. The thought was tempting, very tempting. He took some days to examine the idea but in the end his decision was final. They would leave Highvalley and never return. The loner life was appealing, it was filled with freedom, not rules, not ranks, not betrothals, freedom. And so, they did, they left Highvalley behind, careful to cover their tracks, sure that their disappearance wouldn’t go unnoticed and that wolves would be sent on their search. The only regret he had about leaving was Adela. He loved his mother dearly, she always tried to get the best for them, to cheer them up, he couldn’t imagine having another mother but her. Still, leaving was something that had to be done, she wouldn’t understand but he hoped she somehow felt that he and Nelja were together, safe and finally happy. He even thought about leaving her some kind of clue, some little trinket on the paths that he knew only she padded, to let her know they were alive.

The freedom the twins had finally obtained was just as they had imagined it, they could roam a very large land, careful to not entwine paths with another pack or loner, enjoying their time. Kesta was a very skilled hunter thanks to his quick reflexes and, although they did suffer hunger, he was always able to provide something for their bellies.

His anxiety and panic attacks calmed down, this new life was having benefits on him.

It was during one hunt that their idyllic life took an unexpected and drastic turn.

They were hunting after a couple of pheasants, Kesta was after the female while Nelja was chasing the male, nearby a river. Kesta's hunt failed, as the pheasant was able to escape but he watched as his sister was about to succeed and he could almost taste that sweet meat. But then, something happened. The rocks were Nelja was were slippery for the river and she fell into it. Kesta immediately ran after her, trying to find a way to catch her, maybe if he sped up, he could reach a branch or something and get his twin out. But the river was way faster than him, he tried with all his might to keep up but the river won and he lost sight of Nelja, collapsing on the ground with his legs burning. Once he rested enough to walk, he followed the river, searching for signs of her. He found none but the river kept going for miles before him and he never lost hope. He knew Nelja was alive, he knew it. He decided to go on, search and scan every inch of the lands around the river.

This is when he met her.

She was no more than a pup and claimed to have lost her family. They were after a herd, she said, she got kicked and broke a leg, she said, the noise and the frenzy made it impossible for her weak voice to gather their attentions, she said and then, she was alone. Kesta tried to make up excuses but how could he leave and injured pup on her own? When he mentioned that he too was searching for family, she jumped around, or tried to, saying that they would have found her family and Nelja and everyone would go home happy. Kesta couldn't really grasp all her positivity but he ended up roaming around with this lousy pup.

She loved his skills at hunting and demanded to be taught once she recovered from her injury, so that no more accidents like the one she lost her family could happen. And Kesta taught her. She was not really good, she was impatient, impulsive and loud but he appreciated her efforts and stubbornness, she lost a hare? Eh, back luck, look there's another, maybe with this one it will be better! Kesta always shook his head smiling.

While she seemed to have forgotten about her family, Kesta never stopped thinking about Nelja and where she could be. The pup wanted to explore around but he never dared to go too much further from the river, fearing to lose it and so, his chances to find his sister. He had to admit, though, that he was having a good time with her. He was still young and never thought about having children of his own, he didn't even know if he'd ever find a mate and have pups but he thought that this was the feeling of having a daughter. He would be saddened a lot when their moment to part would arrive, when they would find her family.

Sadly that moment arrived sooner than he expected. And it didn't involve her family.
They were following some pheasants, enduring the climb while running on a rocky side that the birds flew and run to try to escape. Arrived at the top, Kesta, with a quick move, snatched one of the pheasants while the pup, now almost a juvenile, kept pursuing the rest of the group and, with a jump, she was able to catch one too before it flew away. She landed back on her feet, right at the border of the cliff, proudly showing her catch to her mentor. She was shining, this was officially her first catch! Kesta smiled back at her, or at least he tried, having his own catch well secured on his mouth. He was proud of her. But the pheasant fell as his jaw dropped when he saw the girl falling down the cliff.

It all happened in a moment. When she landed back, the ground under her feet gave in and crumbled, giving her no time to process what was happening, she couldn’t even try to leap that she was already falling. Kesta jumped and tried to reach for her but it was too late. He could only watch as she plummeted down into the river, first screaming then in silence, as she hit some rocks.

Kesta was frozen in stone, he couldn’t move from that spot, he kept looking down at the river, unable to believe what had just happened. Hours passed, and he was finally able to move. He whispered her name, hoping to see her surfacing from the water, splashing around trying to swim and telling him to jump down, that the water was warm and it was all so nice. But she didn’t. No matter how much he called her name, at first only whispers then, screams broken by hiccups and tears. He called for Nelja, hoping that she might be nearby, helping him to rescue the pup. Nelja survived, right? Nelja would know what to do to save her. Then, he called for his mother, he wanted her to come and tell him that all was fine, that Nelja was fine, alive and she was coming back to him, as the pup, she would be on the shore a few miles down the rocky wall, wearing the pheasant's tail feathers as a crown.
He passed out sure to have actually heard his mother telling him that.

When he woke up, the sun was high, and, once again, he decided to follow the river, hoping to find Nelja with the pup, comforting her. He stopped only when he passed out again, pads bleeding, legs burning, head spinning from the hunger, when the river dived into a tremendously high waterfall. This is when he realized that she was gone. Unlike Nelja, he found the body. At the feet of the waterfall there was something floating and he knew it was her. He climbed down and jumped in the water, hoping with all his might to see that she was just passed out. But he had no such luck. There was a bloody gash in her forehead and at the back of her head, her eyes were white.

Kesta buried her and wandered around, almost ghostly, always nearby the river and the spot where she was resting. It never occurred to him that all of this would happen. He thought to be free from the horrors of the war but the loner's life had been even worse. Kelja was missing. The pup was dead.

And he was alone.

There was no point going on. He regretted agreeing to leave Highvalley, maybe he had to think better about his decision, a forced life with his sister in it and no children's lives on his conscience would have been better than one where Nelja wasn’t next to him and where he had to carry around the burden of having killed a child. It was all his fault, he should have been more careful, more responsible. He saw that Nelja was padding on wet rocks and the pup was jumping off the cliff to catch the pheasant, he should have warned both of them, he should have known the possibilities of the danger. But he didn’t. And now one was lost and the other was dead.

He wanted to get back to his mother, wishing for some comfort but Kesta knew it was impossible, how could he get back to Highvalley? He left those lands, fleeing, he was a traitor. And how could he face his mother when he was supposed to protect Nelja, but didn’t? What would she think, that his unwary self killed a pup? There was nothing for him anymore. Not in Highvalley, not anywhere else.

He laid down with his muzzle on the shallow waters of the river. Doing what? Waiting for what? He didn’t know. When was it the last time he ate? He didn’t know.

That’s when his nose caught something. Wolf’s scent.

He looked up at the forest in front of him on the other side of the river. Mountains grew high. He was at the borders of a pack’s territory. The pack was rather familiar, he heard about it during his lessons. Heyl. He slowly rose his head as he remembered something that he knew about Heyl. It was a refuge for those in need of mending and healing. He looked at his reflection in the water: he looked horrible. Maybe he did need help, so desperately, before hunger, guilt and sorrow would worn him out completely.

With all his last strengths, he got up and padded into the water to wade the shallow river but then he stopped. With those longs locks of cheek fur he was too recognizable, even if probably no one knew what he looked like outside Highvalley but still, he didn’t want to be recognized, fearing that the news of his apparition could reach his homeland. He took a lot of pride into his cheek fur, but he knew it had to go. He found a bush of brambles and somehow tied his fur to it and then…he pulled. And pulled. The fur ripped, leaving chunks behind and leaving his cheeks with much shorter and messier fur. He dug a hole in the water and placed with rocks, his cut fur there, to try to cover his tracks.

Then, breathing slowly, he took his first steps into Heyl.

## Group History

Upon his arrival, Kesta - going by the moniker "Heron" - met with Fitu, and was permitted to stay. He was enormously fatigued, and quickly sought the help of a Medicine Keeper. The first he saw was named Kinsley, a fresh trainee full of hope and brightness. She tended to him and the two would continue to be friends as time passed. She encouraged walks while he recovered, in order to prevent his body from cramping up.

As he made his way around the territory, learning about it, he stumbled upon one of Asterion and Samhradh's pups: Sarin. Kesta was crafty, and rather than turn Sarin in to his parents, he suggested that he would be interested in going *with* Sarin, wherever he wanted to go. Sarin was willing to do so, as Kesta hinted that he might turn Sarin in to his parents, to show them how independent he was (they would surely be so proud!) Sarin didn't want his adventure to end early, so he permitted Kesta to accompany him.

Other pups got along much more easily with Kesta. Barbosa learned a bit about fishing from the dark male, and admitted that she was afraid he'd disappear. He assured her that he had disappeared once before, but no more - Heyl was his home. He also puppy-sat Makenna, who had been sleeping when her parents and siblings decided to go for a walk. Sarin interrupted his pup-sitting duties looking for Makenna's father Navindru, and Kesta quietly shared the younger wolf's misgivings about having five more mouths to feed in Heyl.

Still, he liked Makenna, and he gave her some comforting words of wisdom when she started to have doubts about her raspy voice and the white fur on her hindquarters. He assured her that her markings and voice might seem like weaknesses, but she could turn them into strengths.

Time passed, and Sarin decided to leave Heyl. It was Kesta who spotted the youngster leaving at night, and asked what he was doing. Sarin snapped that Kesta was a hypocrite for judging him for leaving, and they parted on poor terms.

Kesta was also attacked at the border by a loner, Scout, who stole a plump salmon which Kesta had caught for his packmates.

At the borders, Kesta spotted a loner, who introduced himself as Fornax. He was curious about the packs in the area, and Kesta told him of where they were located. Fornax seemed particularly interested in the swampy marshland, where wolves worshipped shadow gods. Kesta didn't know much about them, but wished Fornax well in finding whatever he was looking for. Fornax, in exchange, implied that there had been a flood in Highvalley, for he had passed through that general area.

Kesta was distressed to hear this news, and immediately approached the alpha female, Kestrel, to inform her of this. He wanted to send Envoys to Highvalley to check on them, and Kestrel thought that might be a good idea...only, he admitted his true identity to her while making his plea, causing her to be very disappointed in him for abusing their trust. They went to speak to Fitu, who agreed to send Envoys to check on Highvalley, and told Kesta that he could remain in the pack, after hearing his story, but warning him not to go to Highvalley himself.

He did anyways. He was impatient for Kestrel to return, and made the journey himself, spotting his brother Mikhail at the border. He assured his brother that he was alright, but he wanted his freedom and privacy, and, he asked Mikhail to tell their mother Adela that he was alright, that he was happy. Mikhail agreed, and let Kesta return to Heyl.

Back in Heyl, Kesta found himself sheltering in a cave with Ruzan, discussing the demons of their own minds.

Barbosa grew older, and wanted to leave Heyl, but went to Kesta to speak to him first. He told her that he hoped she'd find the place that made her happy, and he told her that he was disappointed to have not been the one to find her on the borders instead of Crow - he would have loved to have a daughter like her. Barbosa wanted to tell him she saw him like a dad, but never did. They parted ways fondly.

Moons passed. He grew closer to Kinsley, and received terrible news from home - Highvalley had left. His mother Adela had remained behind, too ill to leave her beloved homeland. Kesta went to be at her side as she died, before returning to Heyl.

Life in Heyl would be forever changed, when Heyl was shattered. Samhradh and Asterion were killed by Fitu and Kestrel's son, Eir, who'd tried to kill Fitu's chosen successor, Poppy. The pack disbanded without a leader, and Kinsley told Kesta she wasn't going to stay with the little band of loners left in the pack's wake.

Kesta didn't know what to do, but ultimately, looking at Kinsley, and feeling the warmth and butterflies she gave him, he decided to go with her. The two wolves left the Domain, never to be seen again.

## Trivia

* Despite witnessing his sister falling into a river and the pup having the same fate but much worse, Kesta is not afraid of water as he blames the pheasants for what happened both times. Needless to say, he hates pheasants with a passion.
* He still calls and refers at himself as Kesta and has a hard time trying to not give away his real name out of habit, still needing to get used to his under-cover name.
* Yes, I wanted his new name to be a bird related to the water.
* Probably due to the trauma, Kesta can't remember the pup's name.
* He can't say to love pups but he's apparently great with them, although he has a veil of sadness and nostalgia whenever one interacts with him.
* Due to the inbreeding in his family, Kesta is very much likely infertile.

## Quotes

* “Those who have disappeared from you, allowed you to be here in Heyl and same for me, if I hadn’t disappeared, I would have never ended up as a Heylian.” (to Barbosa, *Fishin' Deep*)
* “Sometimes you have to make a choice to achieve your happiness." (to Makenna, *Listen to the Heron*)

## External Links

* Official Application Sheet
* SaskedieJagerin's deviantART Gallery