Cyril spent most of his time exploring the nearby territories and avoiding unwanted encounters with the locals. There were a few packs nearby, but not many, which made slipping through the trees unnoticed a lot easier than it had been in the north. Pre-death the boy never imagined living anywhere but the monadnock, for it was the highest point in the lowlands. He could see for miles atop the towering rock, which made tracking prey and their neighbours much easier. After-death Cyril wanted nothing to do with the north. Even the thought of it made his stomach churn and his lips fall into a scowl.

The mountain base wasn’t so bad, but it wasn’t anything special. The change of scenery, although it hadn’t been by choice, it was nice. He still wished @Adeltra had stayed with them, but he knew that her family was important to her… especially since her mother was now missing and her father had fallen ill. Cyril couldn’t help but worry about her even though he knew he did not need to. It made him want to venture south once more, to check in on her, but he had just returned from a visit to the willows. He couldn’t keep leaving his mother. Cheedo was keeping her company but it wasn’t enough. Now that his father was no longer in the picture Cyril felt responsible for his mother.

He spotted her pale figure from between the trees and quickened his pace, his tail swaying absently behind him as he approached his scarred mother. As he sidled up beside her Cyril pressed his nose to her cheek in greeting, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

The mother and son team had switched roles. He had kept close to the mountain and she had gone south, toward the willows. A warm smile tugged at his lips as she nipped at his cheek, his long tail sweeping slowly behind him as he matched her pace stride for stride. Missed you, too, he responded in a soft tone, his yellow eyes glancing over at her as he spoke. The death of his father had turned the ebony Kael into a bit of a momma’s boy, but he did not mind. She was the only family he had left and he intended to cherish every moment they had together. As long as she needed him, and he needed her, Cyril would remain with her.

And he was in no hurry to leave her side.

At her question his head fell to the side, the corners of his mouth tightening as he considered her words. Slowly, he shook his head and rolled his shoulders into a soft shrug. Not really. He felt as though he was disappointing her by staying out of trouble in her absence. An amused smile rolled onto his dark features at the thought. I saw Everly, he added after a brief pause, his ears sweeping back against his crown.

His brows pinched together as his mother confessed that she, too, had encountered the scrawny agouti before her departure to the south. He wanted his former teacher to join them, wherever it was they were planning to settle, but he did not know if she would. Something had happened to her in her absence… perhaps it was Wraith’s death, or something more, but she was no longer the same wolf he had followed around atop the monadnock.

But he wasn’t the same either.

By the way, his ears cupped toward his mother, his mustard gaze resting on her pale figure as she spoke, it’s actually Lenae. Huh. He blinked as he stored the name away in the back of his head. Lenae, he repeated, testing the name out for himself. Suits her. He was a little upset that his teacher had not shared her real name with him during their meeting but there had been little time for that. It was mostly Cyril consoling her and trying to keep her from freezing to death, so he could not fault her for holding onto her secret a little longer.

How was the willows? Did you see Adeltra? Did she ask about me? But those questions didn’t come. He missed his friend but he didn’t want to sound obsessive or weird. He was just curious about her wellbeing… that’s all. Totally.

Lenae. He smiled as he repeated the name once mentally. It was much softer sounding than Everly; prettier. He hoped that she accepted his mother’s offer and stayed with them. It was almost like being back at the monadnock but better. Without all the haunting memories and the blood. He gave his head a small shake at the thought, dismissing the image of his father’s broken body. Cyril was tired of his thoughts always returning to the past—it wasn’t going to do anything for him, except make him sulk even more. And Adeltra wouldn’t be pleased to hear about how much he’d been sulking since his last visit.

I hope she stays, he hummed in response, his brows pinched together in concern. I don’t think being on her own is good for her. Or for the rest of the former Whitestone wolves. They needed her just as much as she needed them. Cyril especially. He nodded at his mother’s words and returned the soft bump to his chin with one of his own.

He chuckled at her comment and rolled his eyes in response, a lopsided grin unfolding across his dark maw. From his visits to the willows Cyril had become familiar with the scents of the surrounding territories. Lucky guess, he answered with a sharp wink. His expression softened as she mentioned she had encountered a friend in the Grove, one that used to call Whitestone home. He. His tail twitched. Where is he now?