Cinder shook her head and Rook's body language changed, crestfallen and dispirited from the words that followed. He had to respect her point of view. He needed to. Perhaps it was the only way for the both of them to both simultaneously exist in this circle, the one that revolved around her sister, Quil. "Of course," he lent, understanding now the depths of her devotion to her sister. It sorely reminded him of his own sister, even if she was long gone by now.

He struggled to procure further sentiments in regards to Cinder not missing her parents or the brothers she and Quil had lost. Truthfully, he was having trouble comprehending what she had said when they had left. He had been under the impression that the whole family had nearly drowned, swept away in different currents and different directions as the storm made the whole of Darkwater Rapids swell and churn. They, namely Kade and Ava, did not seem like the type of wolves to do that to their children, their first litter. He had known from his father's stories that Kade had remained within Grizzly Hollow, even when things got thick in the face of Borden's accidental leave. Kade might have abandoned these old stomping grounds but he did not abandon Jaysyek or the pack that Borden and the rest of the Lyall family had left behind.

Internally, he had drawn to the edge of panic, anxious for words yet afraid to say the wrong thing. "I will take care of it, Cinder," he murmured back, "and I will take care of Quil as I will take care of you." It was a deep promise to make, but if he was going to put his foot in it, he might as well put in all four; become the captain of the ship and, if the time ever came, go down with it in the face of adversity. Failing the Attaya's was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Would you like to help me dig?" he offered, uncertainty in his voice as he invited his sister-in-law to stay. "I'm making a new den. For- for Quil. It was supposed to be a surprise, but she's seen it already." His eyes swept over her, half-convinced that she might explode in his face after misunderstanding the tunnel-like hole in the ground to be some sort of grave rather than a burrow. The smile that came thereafter was nervous and hopeful, but he quickly made a point that he wouldn't be upset if she just excused herself from it all. But, maybe, if she stayed, they could use the opportunity to not just lavish their loved one with a gift but see for themselves just how well they could work together if at all. He added quietly, wanting to make it clear that she wasn't obligated at all to stay if she felt that she had better things to do, "But, if you'd rather not, that's okay, too. I don't mind." A swivel of one of his bear-like ears and a small nod, conveyed his confidence in what he had offered, willing to accept whatever she would like to do.

It would seem as though she agreed and after watching her jump right in, using her paws to scoop away the soft earth, he began to clear away some of the debris. With as much strength as he could muster with his average build, he tugged the fallen branches away from the den site and pushed his paws through the dirt pile behind Cinder. Eventually, he was flattening the excess earth, using most of his shoulder and arm strength to pack it down. Once firmly apart of the ground once more, he gathered a mouthful of pine needles and covered it back up as though it had always been that way. Soon enough, the owlet was back, it's interest renewed after seeing the two wolves at work to build a suitable "nest."

The owlet hopped away to find some other piece to offer up to his 'buddy' and Rook chuckled once before deciding to trade-off with Cinder. For a while he was back at constructing the underground tunnel before she joined him again. Muddied paws, both black and off-white, alternated as the den came into being, the hollowed space becoming large enough to house at least a wolf and a half. He backed away and let her gauge the coziness of the main area, returning to the surface to address the soil that he accumulated at the entrance. With a mouth full of pine and twigs, he began again with smoothing the dirt out.

At that certain point where the Attaya caught that side of him that, up until now, Quil had only seen, Rook had smiled to the little bird, who was still offering bits of forest debris to him. He craned his head down to gently take the small twig from the owlet's beak and placed it atop the bare earth he had finished stamping into somewhat even surface. The fledgling chirped and the boy sniffed back, playfully nudging the owl in the side. It toppled over, rolling about until it was able to right itself and hop back to Rook with another piece of pine need branch.

He just happened to look over his shoulder to meet Cinder's gaze. A wave of heat flashed over his face and warmed the very tips of his ears. Had she seen that gentle, paternal sort of gesture? Noticed how considerate he was of the bothersome owl? He would never know, but when she gave him a nod, he returned it and watched her leave. The owl chick called after her but Rook made it clear by gesture alone that the two of them could continue without her. If this was a sign that she was capable of trusting him, he appreciated it; and, it was in this sort of confidence that he allowed himself to finally believe that everything would be all right. For as long as he could keep the Attaya sisters together and safe from harm, he would continue with his work in building and maintaining his relationship with his newly rebuilt family.