Askan had assumed that the hidden nature of the Shallows would provide the pack with privacy, that there wouldn't be wolves calling for his attention seemingly every-other day. Before he could even bare his teeth in annoyance, his ears flitted back as he realised that this call was different, set apart from the usual. For one, it held resounding purpose and, whilst he wasn't sure if he was misinterpreting it, a sense of sadness clung to the howl. Like something bad had happened. Concern shoved to the forefront of his mind as he quickly buried the half eaten remains of a woodchuck with a kick or two of his paws. Once satisfied it wouldn't be easy pickings for a wandering scavenger, he set out to respond to the call, his head tipping skywards as he galloped along. His howl was short and sharp, he'd be there shortly.

When he arrived on the scene Askan was met by yet another familiar face. First the Rye King, now it's Queen. Who next? If he had thought her howl had been troubling, well it was nothing in comparison to the grim look that adorned her face. She looked haggard, worn, as though the world had given her a real good beating. Yet, she was here, glassy eyed and clearly trying to maintain a cool and calm facade. The fact that she was struggling...Askan had never seen her waver, not even a little in all the time he'd known her. Something was wrong, very wrong.

Askan opened his mouth to speak, only to realise his mouth was dry, parched like the grasslands Reyes spoke of in the south. His ears flicked back, clearly she had something to say but he didn't know if he wanted to hear it, if he wanted to know just how bad things had gotten in the north. In a way he had always anticipated this sort of meeting, the mean smug part of him wanted to shrug and claim he wasn't surprised, that without him the Field was dead in the water. But that wasn't quite true, Askan harboured no ill will towards them, he might be a little stubborn, rude at times but they were allies. Askan still cared, even if he didn't show it.

He sighed and his shoulders sagged under the weight of it all. There was no use in delaying the inevitable was there?

"Is everything-" He snapped his jaws shut. Clearly everything wasn't okay. "What happened?" He said instead, his voice uncharacteristically quiet.

It was strange, almost, that a man who-more than anything- wanted respect, and to some degree reverence, didn't know what to do with it when it was laid at his feet. Perhaps it was because Jessie had once been his superior, that the turning of the tables felt a little weird to him. Off kilter, as though the planet's was spinning off it's axis. But it was more than that, he shouldn't shake the feeling of wrongness . It had slipped through every pore on his skin and was now flowing through his veins and racing towards his heart.

He swallowed thickly and nodded, the motion so slight that it could barely even be called that. He wasn't ready for her next words, he knew that before she even uttered them.

It's Drestig. He passed on just a few days ago.

He barely caught the tail end of her words. His ears pinned back against his skull as he tried and failed to block out the deafeningly loud whooshing sound that rocked around in his head. That wasn't-he had-Drestig had been here not so long ago. He'd looked like shit but- Askan's mouth went dry, as did his throat. For a man's that mind was usually so full of pointed words he had absolutely nothing, it was like trying to reach out into the night sky.

"Oh...shit." Was all he managed. His throat tightened and he quickly turned away, unwilling-and unable to look her in the eye. His own were starting to prick,he wouldn't break, not in front of her. "I'm so sorry Jessie. Percy is....she's here."

Fuck.

Askan blinked, his eyes glassy and sore. In all honesty he didn't know what was worse, his own grief or that of Jessie's. For all the time he'd known her she'd been so strong and resolute, clearly not a stranger to loss. And yet here she was broken and frayed- a woman who had near lost it all. In a sense, Askan was a man of many words. They weren't nice or frilly, but in that moment he wished with all he had that he could say something, anything that would help. He wanted to apologise over and over till he was blue in the face, proclaim that he wished he hadn't left the Feild, that he'd done his duty as a guardian and protected the old man. But that last part would have been a lie.

He was happy here, felt as though all the pieces of the puzzle had fallen into place. Only for Drestig's death to tear away one of the parts on the corner, now it would be forever incomplete.

He swallowed thickly as he stared down at his muddy paws. He couldn't tell where he began, what was him and what was earth. Askan blinked again as he brought his gaze higher, to the pallid woman before him, those eyes of hers used to say so little but now he could almost read it all, like the pages of a faded book.

She wanted to cherish what little family she had left, before the world took that from her too.

"She's not...she said she was going to head north." He left the rest unspoken. That she wanted to see them, to perhaps make amends. "But-stay a while?"

All of his past-and present- grievances seemed irrelevant. In many ways he was still bitter and sore, but it in that moment he shoved it all a side. She had been good to him, for a time, it only seemed fair to show her the same courtesy.  

It was the least Askan could do really. They would never see eye to eye, Askan was slowly coming to terms with that, but at the very least he wanted to provide an inkling of solace to her, if he could. If that's what she wanted. He followed her line of sight to the trees, to the rich brows and greens that surrounded them, kept their conversation hidden from prying eyes and ears. Askan had never stopped to consider what Jessie thought of the Field, he'd always assumed that Jessie had done her part in choosing the location as well. But now that he thought about Jessie did seem more at home between the trees, as though she could slip away at a moments notice.

"Yeah, thanks." He uttered, his ears flicking back a little as his words reached them. His awkwardness wasn't out of disapproval, it was more that he'd never been good at receiving compliments, least of all from such a stern woman. "If you like the woods you'll love the Shallows. Sort of like the pond in the Field with just a little more...spectacle."He allowed the tiniest smile at that. Even then it felt hollow, how was he supposed to pretend everything was fine?

But he had to, he had no other choice. He'd have time to process and deal with it later, for now his attention was on Jessie. He dipped his head, motioning for the Rye Queen to follow.