Eros had attempted to wait longer as his father had wanted, but he hadn't shared entirely in his co-leader's concerns to begin with. Far more pressing for him was the lack of news about his brother and niece, and having already decided on his next course of action, waiting was eating away at him. Better to get it over with, and to not risk that one day more of waiting being the day a window of opportunity closed. What if they were up there? What if Ally was up there without Archer, and something happened to her before he got her back off that damned mountain?

So he told @Viorel and bid goodbye to the rest remainder of his family, and set out for Sanguine Cove.

The last time he'd made the ascent in search of his errant sibling, he had attempted to mask his presence completely. It had been only a matter of personal importance. There were marked differences this time.

Eros approached the edge of the pack's territory, a place that had once been held fondly within childhood memories. Now? He hated being here with every fiber of his being. It took a moment to school his expression, pushing down the emotions these forests caused so that he could be what was needed of him in this moment.

Tilting back his head, he howled strongly, ensuring the sound would travel far and clearly. An alpha of Dead Empress Backwater needed to talk with the Cove's own leadership.

It was Ally herself that appeared first. Eros blinked rapidly, unable to believe his eyes. Never had his luck ever been this good. She shouted out at the sight of him, and without thinking he rushed forward to meet her. As though something might swoop out of the blue sky itself to take her away before he could reach her.

"Ally!"

She was so much bigger now, and it was most clear when he pulled her into a tight embrace. Already, the young girl was almost a yearling. So much time lost to all this drifting when she should have been home from her birth. In the smallest of whispers, myths and history mixed as he murmured, "thank you, Seph..."

Nash's voice pulled him from these thoughts. He'd heard and scented the other coming after, but even with all the friction and judgment between them (and even with the majority of it coming from his side), Eros was not worried about any kind of aggression, especially in front of Ally.

Still, the look he regarded Nash with could only be described as wary. He remained glued to his niece, and was prepared to encourage her to stay with him if the alpha asked that he back up those few yards past the scent marker.

'It's good to see you.'

Eros' eyes narrowed slightly. He couldn't describe the feeling as mutual. Still, he now had exactly what he'd wanted, and they'd clearly managed to keep her safe for however long she'd been here. That was enough, for this moment.

Before he could respond, though, another face appeared between the trees at Nash's back. Kateri's mother toddled to her husband's side with a smile. Their warm greetings were, in all honesty, becoming grating. His own features were flat, nearly neutral yet with a cold edge. Thanks to Archer, they shared Ally as family, but what they meant to Eros had not changed, and it couldn't be forgotten that Ally's own mother hadn't wanted her here with them either.

Hoping someone from the Backwater would come up here, she said. Eros held back a scoff at the words. She fussed on about finding Archer, as though her part in this had not yet ended.

"Nash. Aquene," curt greetings, a forced formality before answering the latter's questions with a succinct, "No."

His brother would of course be the next on his list to track down, but only after Ally was safely home. Eros doubted Archer would want it any other way. His citrus gaze dropped down to his niece when he spoke again, fondness warming their pale color only when they rested on her.

"He'll come right home the moment he knows Ally's there safe, though."

Eros smiled for her, a promise indirectly woven through the words. When he lifted his head again to regard those before him, his expression was once more scrubbed clean of all sentiment.

"This was all-," his voice cut off then with suddenness, eyes spotting something past the couple that caused them to widen subtly and his lungs to lose their air. He recovered only a beat later, continuing as though he hadn't just noticed Leo's presence and that everything inside of him wasn't suddenly ablaze at just seeing his face. Now, he looked fixedly at Nash and Aquene, refusing to allow his attention to drift toward their guardian.

"that I came here for. Thank you for taking care of her."