The sun was "going to bed," and while Borden knew better than to deviate from the routine his loved ones had so dutifully 'trained' him to follow day in and day out, something - or so he felt tonight - was different. For the most part, he did well in keeping close to the pack den, walking around the open glen just beyond the cavern's mouth, but when his son Rook did not appear back before sunset to "tuck him in" he began to wonder what he thought he had not wondered before.

Just the other day, he had seen @Jaysyek, where was she now? And... hadn't Rook had a twin sister? Where was she? What about Kade? Shouldn't they have all been within the Cedarwood instead of here if Kade had still remained there with the old bear den?

His paws dared to slowly wander along a worn path that was obviously well-used by the Cavern wolves; so long as he remembered to use his nose, he swore to himself that he wouldn't go too far and keep the sight of the cave just at his back. Exhaling slowly and letting his breath lift from his open mouth like a cloud into the darkening autumn sky, Borden sniffed. So much had changed since he had last been here - or, at least, it all felt so new because his views had changed. Or perhaps it had been because he was in a part of Relic Lore that he had never actually been before apart from forging a path from the Mountain of Dire into the heart of the Cedarwood Forest.

He lowered his gaze to look down at the most recent set of discernible tracks that had been set only hours before his arrival there. His right off-white paw lifted to carefully fit within another paw print; regardless of whether it was Rook's or Bishop's or not, it reminded him that he was not alone. It should have brought him comfort but for the time being it only highlighted the fact that the wolves here were not his family and these trails they had made were highways that possibly led the way towards home and beyond.

The Lyall cleared his throat and, even if he did not know just how far Grizzly Hollow actually laid from his very location, he lifted his head and let loose a haunting call for his loved ones to return to him.

Since meeting with Narime, Rook's mind had been all over the place. Apart from still fretting over his sister Bishop he was distracted and no amount of Hail Mary's or Our Father's could have soothed him. For the whole of the afternoon, he aggressively lashed out at the dying plants, ridding the nearby trees of a few inches of bark, and uprooting several plants wherever he was able to pull them from the ground. By sunset he was exhausted, and to top it all off, there was a lonely, familiar call in the distance while he was making his way back towards the heart of the pack lands. For a split-second he stopped in his tracks, closing his eyes and rolling them to the back of his skull in exasperation. Of course... In the light of all his revelations and realizations in what he needed to do with his life - for his family's, his mother's, and his own sake - of course, Borden, too, had to be upset.

If this was to become an echo of what had happened the last time he had forgotten to tend to his father, sometime ago when they were both residing within Renegades Reach, time only knew just how long it would take to retrain the Lyall patriarch and get him to stick to his day-to-day routine again.

With a lope that ate up the ground, Rook practically flew across the meadow and through the towering trees that covered the Caverns from view. He did not bother to announce himself; he knew better. As it was, there was no telling in whether Borden would recognize him or not. Instead, when he came upon his singular parent in a slow trot with his head and tail low, he let a small whimper introduce himself.

Then in a low whine he voiced, "Hello, is everything okay? Can I be of assistance to you?"

It was startling to discover just how quickly someone had come by. After so many minutes of standing in one place, a soft and most welcoming sound came to his ears. He turned about to see a yearling just about his size... with a mask-like marking like his. And, those eyes, he knew that familiar pair of eyes anywhere. His tail came up in genial wag and he smiled. He smiled because he knew who this boy was; he smiled because just remembering this particular face was something he had been looking forward too all day.

A small bark was given in response and, after becoming unable to contain himself, he staggered forward to bury his face into the nook between Rook's neck and shoulder. Even his olfactory senses did well in confirming that this boy before him was son. He sighed into the long pile of fur that tickled his leathery nose. "Of course you can," he murmured without further hesitance. "I missed you... Please don't- please don't leave me again."

He slowly withdrew himself from the yearling, his brows touching one another as he searched Rook's face for something that would promise him such a thing. "I waited for you, I thought... I thought you'd gotten lost or maybe that I'd ended up somewhere where I wasn't supposed to be." His tail gradually stopped wagging and he grit his teeth in obvious distress. "Why aren't we at home? Where is your mother?"

For Borden Lyall, moments of clarity like this one was slowly becoming a rarity, but so long as he had a really good, hard grasp on it, he was going to utilize it and try as hard as he might to the answers for the next time he came to. "And why are you by yourself, Rook? Where is Bishop?"

The look that his father had given him was unmistakable. It seemed that Rook wouldn't have to give up everything - at least for today - just to have Borden recognize him when he needed him most. The light behind his eyes returned and as the older Lyall drew close to nuzzle his face into his fur, Rook reciprocated the gesture, leaning his head against his father's neck and releasing a few whistled whines in reply. Oh, how he had craved this, needed this... But then the heartbreaking statement came in so many different words. Predicted, expected, anticipated: "I missed you... Please don't- please don't leave me again."

For the time being, Rook forced himself to believe Borden had said these select sentiments after realizing he had been away from him for most of the day instead of coming to discover that he had been accidentally forgotten. Rook bit his tongue to keep his usual thoughts - "I've been here all along, Dad. It's okay." and "I didn't leave. You must've forgotten again..." - from ruining it all. He was already guilty of doing something so stupid as to inadvertently push his sister away from him; to have Borden feeling guilt-tripped over something as touchy as dealing with his bouts of forgetfulness could only mean a sense of neediness from the both of them without truly having one another for comfort. Rook was the caretaker now and, as time saw it, he was due to return the favor to his dad when no one else was there to look after him.

"I won't," he declared into the elder's nape. "Don't you worry; and, I know... I'm sorry I kept you waiting." When Borden drew away from him Rook stared into those pastel yellow eyes, anxious now to see the worry that plagued their depths. Another bomb was set off: "Why aren't we at home? Where is your mother?"

"Dad," he began, a grimace distorting his own face. "I don't know." A shake of his head followed the next set of questions, "Bishop... Bishop left. I don't know where she is either." His lip quivered and his eyes glossed over where he could have openly cried had it been possible. "Dad," he made sure to reiterate Borden's given name and title in hopes of keeping his attention, "we're not at home because Grizzly Hollow doesn't exist. Kade is gone."

His throat tightened and it felt like a lump was forming at the base of his tongue. In the day's last light he tried to discern what might have been going on in Borden's mind by just looking at his face and scenting the air, waiting for the very moment where fear or confusion might have crept up between them, "There's no one there. I checked." He thought to mention Taima, but Rook was much too selfish to even think about having her take away what little joy could be had in the beginning of what could have been a long overdue heart-to-heart talk since they had last seen one another in the Greying Glades.

"I won't," Rook had assured him. "Don't you worry; and, I know... I'm sorry I kept you waiting." Borden made sure to mentally play those two sentence back to himself in his mind. This was what he had needed this son for; where Prosper and Theo had taught him about the dangers of fatherhood, Hocus had taught him the perils of being the absent father (just as his own father had practically done to Borden's younger brothers and sister), and where Renier and Ryvet had reminded him of his own childhood, Rook had been needed for Borden's peace of mind. He (and his sister Bishop) might have initially been his and Jaysyek's last hope for raising and grooming a set of proper Leaders to take their places within Renegades Reach, but the both of them had each proved that they were so much more. Even more so when they were apart from one another, something Borden had failed to see.

The answers came with what looked like a truly pained wince as Rook admitted that he did not know were Jaysyek was; additionally, Bishop had left him and she, too, had evaded her brother. They were not within the Cedarwood because their pack lands had been abandoned; the younger Lyall had even gone so far as to check on the place and confirm that it stood unclaimed and empty.

Borden did his best to try and smile, to attempt to pick up Rook's spirits to tell him that they would return to it soon, but before he could take his turn to verbally comfort the youth, the scent of another reached his nostrils. A kind and genial salutation was quick to follow, addressing Rook directly with a simple "hello." The Lyall patriarch took a step back to just barely see the outline or silhouette of a dark-furred yearling with his good eye. As was expected, especially of those who were strangers that had one friend in common, Borden quirked a brow. The other boy was courteous, however, which prompted a nod from the older man upon being introduced.

"Pleased to meet you Titan. Borden, Rook's dad," he actually smiled now, looking to his son briefly before returning his eyes to Rook's friend. If Rook had wanted to go ahead and cut in, he was welcome to but one thing was just begging to be asked (before he plainly forgot to inquire about it), "How is Willow Ridge? Is the Lady Elettra still there?"

Borden's smile did little to soothe him but, even then, Rook was still very grateful to have his father back - one that didn't thrash about in a fit, didn't destroy things out of frustration, or reduce his mother to whimpers and whines. He had just touched his nose to the underside of the older Lyall's jaw when a familiar voice flit into their midst. Rook's face lit up; he knew just who had found him. His tail wagged while Borden stepped back and, soon enough, they were both gazing into Titan Thorben's dark face.

"Titan... Hi," he simpered, much like a bashful cub. Had he been younger, he might have actually bounded up to the Thorben with his tail in the air like a banner for all to see his elation expressed in a grand, sweeping gesture. Now that he was a little older, though, and there were feelings (and his father) to account for, Rook stood in place while Borden took hold of the situation at hand. As the two of them exchanged names, the masked youth remained quiet. In his head, however, he was already counting down the seconds and minutes until his father broke down and the three of them would probably have to start this all over again.

He held his tongue, pressing the tip of it against the ridges of the roof of his mouth. As Borden asked about Willow Ridge and Elettra, Rook's head tilted in his own sense of curiosity, all while praying in his head that nothing sour or bitter would arise from it. And, if something did, releasing the rest of Borden's "cooped up" memories, Rook could only hope that he could be both quick and casual enough to handle his father as well as Jaysyek usually did in the event of a breakdown.

His agouti fur stood up apprehensively along his spine, but apart from a brief, slight shake of his head directed to his age-mate, he did nothing else to keep Titan from answering his old man's questions.