Dead Empress Backwater And the time, she flows so fast

For @Sephrina please <3 Set late morning 10/3

Archer Valle

The months seemed to blur past as tragedy after tragedy struck them, like waves crashing relentlessly over the wolves of the Lore. Archer didn't know what the Chasm was facing, but given everything the Backwater and the Cove had gone through over the summer he could only assume they'd had their own share of suffering. How had so much happened so quickly, only to look back and realize it had been months? How could they have returned from mourning his best friend's father only to lose Inger so violently days later?

It made Archer appreciate the finer moments all the more, wanting to hold his loved ones closer than ever should they one day vanish. His mother and uncle had yet to return, and he'd hardly even said goodbye to them... what a terrible son he was. A terrible nephew - and a terrible brother. He hadn't spent nearly enough time with his younger siblings, especially with the absence of their mother. Sephrina especially was in need of some love, with her apparent disability... he was sure she hadn't ventured far. Even though there was a madman on the loose and they were under a lockdown of sorts, Archer wanted his sister to be able to enjoy her life.

He wandered around her usual haunts until he came upon her. "Sephrina," he called. "What are you up to today, Princess?"

Archer is very haggard and thin; it is obvious he is not doing well.

The Empress pup had been looking for the mouse hole that she had found a few days before. It had been great fun to chase around the rodents once she had figured out where they were coming and going from, but she could not seem to locate it today. Sephrina could have sworn that it was right around here, but could not find hide nor hair of it, and was quickly growing frustrated. With a huff the child let out a snort, stupid little mice.

In truth she was only a couple meters from where she had originally found them, but the mice had abandoned their hole after the debacle the other day. Maybe they were smarter than Sephrina had given them credit for. Leathery nose twitched at the approach of another, and she was pleased that it was just her older brother and not an adult. Technically she wasn’t breaking the rules right now because she was within pack territory, but dad still wouldn’t be happy she was out here alone.

Eyebrows wrinkled slightly at the princess calling card, it felt a little soft to a child who was always trying to prove she was capable but she didn’t spit her usual fire. With all the tension that was going on within the pack recently she had been smart enough to reign it back a little, no use ending up grounded even worse than their lockdown.

Flopping down into the browning grass she answered, ”Hi Archer,” her drawl slow and bored. Looking back around her she expanded, "Looking for some mice I found the other day." Maybe he would know where they went to.