Like a fool, he had waited for Pip to return. A part of him had hoped she might come back... borrow her as a crutch, a buffer between him and his partner. Just in case things got out of hand (if there was ever a possibility that something close to a row might erupt between them). She didn't. Instead of her footsteps, the Lyall was met with more words.

"You’re back." Rook felt Veho's nose press gently to his temple and he winced. Now, he had to move; obviously the Macieo still cared. He lifted his head to peek into Veho's face, eyes remaining there for as long as he dared. It had hurt to hear the Leader relay the rest of his words, to finally come to face what consequences might have awaited him upon his return. I hurt! his expression silently pleaded, emphasized only by the furrow of his brow and the lightning-like line that ran down his muzzle to the tip of his nose. I'm {still} hurting. But, he wouldn't say it. He couldn't. Veho might have been a medic, but Rook was not going to try and hold him hostage beneath his little storm cloud anymore. He had been saying that since they had met that fateful day by the Rocks. It was time the Lyall grew up, matured, a little bit more.

His lips parted to speak, his voice a mere whisper (in fear that Nineva might have kept close just to eavesdrop), "I missed you too. I couldn't--" Rather unluckily, he was interrupted. "Hey dad" Rook's heart dropped; his gaze went directly to where Tomen emerged from the night before them. Then, suddenly, it was all too clear that it was not Rook that the yearling was speaking to. The tone was much too familiar... comfortable even, for Tomen to address Rook in such a way.

For what felt like an eternity, the two stared at one another, frozen - Tomen tall on his four limbs and Rook on the ground. The boy had grown so much over the months Rook had been gone. It hadn't been enough to guilt himself over missing much of the triplets' early milestones; clearly, life had meant for him to never forgive himself for not being there for his first-born son. His breath caught shakily in his chest, the gasp fleeing into his lungs as if he had been caught in some forbidden act that prying eyes were not meant to see.

Rook swallowed and ground his teeth together in order to prompt himself to seal his lips. Another shiver scurried across his pelt, shaking his shoulders and the bony points in his legs that were his knees. More than once in this moment, he wished he had stayed with his mother and his sister Trisden and her cubs... with her quiet mate and his aunts with their twins. He had never meant to do as his father had done; but, at the very least, he had to be glad that Tomen had found himself a new father in his stead. The story of Prosper and Borden's ignorance had not been lost on Rook and it was apparent now just what and how much more he owed Veho. In all fairness, though, Rook knew from their first meeting that he owed the Macieo his life. Anything beyond that, he leveled with himself, ought to be easy. All he had to do was be there... be here. Right now.

As best as he could, Rook sat up. He might not have been as tall or possessed the sort of presence Veho had, but starting now he was going to prove - to @Veho, to Tomen, and the rest of the pack -  that he was worth every bit of his position within Grizzly Hollow. Veho Macieo deserved no less of him. "Tomen," he slightly smiled, despite the initial shock the yearling's presence had brought. "She--" His mind doubled-back on how she had treated him and he struggled to keep a straight face. "She was just here. Shouldn't be-- be far." The wince became apparent as he cleared his throat, wondering now if Veho might spare him this conversation or welcome their son into it so that loose ends could be finally tied up or laid to rest.

Rook only watched as Tomen realized what he had stumbled into, the dawn of realization clearly there for both him and Veho to see, before he excused himself. Well, if Veho couldn't get Tomen to stay, then there was no point in insisting that the boy stay with them. Rook tried to set his eyes on something other than his son's retreating figure in the dark, finding himself unable to look into his Leader's face. He might have sat up nicely, proudly, beside his partner, but it would take time for him to fully feel that way inside through and through.

He scowled at himself for some time, thinking hard about what he had been saying just moments before Tomen's arrival. "U-um," he stuttered. Think, think, think... He stole a glance at Veho's moonlit face, wondering what glimmers of starlight he might find there. Beneath the cedars, there were possibly none. This hadn't been the reunion he had been waiting for after all these months.

"There was... There was a fox," he murmured. "When I... left you that night, a fox came to the den." His ears drew back, shamefaced and fighting hard to swallow back the whine bubbling up in his muzzle. "It... It bit and clawed and chased me away." He made a face. "It hurt; didn't leave me alone until I was far away and I — I got lost."

"I couldn't find you; I called and you didn't answer. I'd gone too far. Then—" His whole body tensed, every fiber of his being repulsively cringing from even remembering her. "There was a woman. Wild, like a tempest. She said she followed the blood, that I was too delirious to see anything beyond the blood on my nose." The lightning-shaped scar on his snout seemed to throb as he recalled how terrible it had been waiting for it to heal. He winced. "I couldn't get away. I tried, and I couldn't. It didn't occur to me until later that she was feeding me these mushrooms. I didn't realize until later that they weren't the kind you collect."

"I had to wait," he further explained. "The winter storms slowed me down and that witch fed me poisonous things, but I came back. I had to come back — for you, for our family."

Here, Rook realized what Veho was doing with his cache of herbs. All this time he had believe that it was all for good when, in fact, the medicine man also collected herbs for hallucinations, boundary-crossing between the living realm and another, perhaps. He wondered now if, maybe, there were poisonous plants also kept in the cache, too (frankly, it made sense, seeing as Willow Ridge had been quite a threat when Veho had first come to the Hollow). "Oh," was all he could muster up in reply to Veho's tidbit of fungi. The shame crept in for good when he heard that all-too-familiar sigh, the ragged one that definitely told Rook that he was at the very least tired and a bit exasperated.

The Leader was glad for Rook's return, though, and for just that Rook was grateful. Will you come into the pack den, please? Lest this happens again?” The question at the end of it all caught the Lyall by surprise. He had been expected to be punished in some form, much like Yvly had done at the borders. He gave a quiet nod; he would obey and do as he was told. If Veho wanted to keep an eye on him in case he wandered off again, then Rook was absolutely fine with it. He had no intentions to leave this time.

Without a word, Rook stood up and stepped to one side. It was late and the both of them could use the rest. Head and ears kept low, he waited for Veho to lead him from his pitiful resting spot and back into the heart of the pack territory where he belonged.

(Fade.)