They had made it back to the foothills, before the sun had risen in full and it became time to rest. Even if sleep felt impossible. When the moon was again high, its light strong and full, Eros ceased pretending to be asleep. He stretched his limbs and sat up on his stomach, fully believing himself ready to stand until the moment to actually do so came and not a single one of his muscles moved.

For hours he had felt restless, as though he'd been den-bound for days. Now that some kind of action was available, all at once his body quieted. Even his bones felt deeply, deeply tired. His salmon eyes blinked slowly at the ground, unfocused and emotionless. It was time to go. The others were waiting, and it already would take nearly a week to cross the mountain and return. And still... he could not move.

Eros was not as attune with what was around him in that moment. It was Achille's voice that cut through, causing his staring eyes to shift onto his familiar face. A steady, dutiful presence. He was immensely grateful for his taking on the mission, even if it was an obligation, and for the space he'd afforded him as he'd needed. Especially the day before...

He wanted to return the greeting, but he couldn't get his jaw to work just yet. It took effort and a bit more time for Eros to manage the softest of "hey,"s, brows furrowing ever so slightly. There was a level of irritation with himself and this... incapacitation, but it was incredibly faint, lost at the bottom of that great chasm his brother's death had violently opened.

Eros missed his pack, his family: in this moment specifically, waking with them pressed around him, safe, secure, routine. Not still feeling the way his brother's lifeless body had felt beneath his paws and smelling it in every breath and physically hurting somewhere in his chest as though his heart were literally broken.

His eyes had squeezed shut tight at some point. He stared into the pit and now he was wanting to walk right off into it but they were waiting on him. Achille was waiting on him...

Eros took a long, deep breath in, and then took equal care in letting it back out. His lungs quivered, but at least they didn't falter through the exercise. When he opened his eyes again, he was a touch more present in them. He looked to his partner again, and while his voice was still quiet, it was at least a bit firmer when he spoke next.

"Thank you, Ash. For being here."