Charred Ash Draw there's nowhere left to fall

For @Treyah. Leaving dates and such vague but whenever she gets home if that's alright? || Night, Mostly Cloudy, 57°F, 14°C

kerberos rigel

You're gonna be okay come morning,
find your legs and find your horns.
Everybody's gotta be reborn.

It was a bit late but he had no doubt that the Tainn would be awake. He had kissed the head of Maera and Lacey before he slipped away. Kerberos had been looking a little ragged lately but he kept swearing he was fine. Things weren't going as planned but they never did, did they? No one was allowed a pristine life. Not even those that he could see deserved it the most. It hurt him but what was he supposed to do? Try and play God? The idea was absurd in all ways.

He neared the den where most of the Tainns rested. "Treyah?" The leader whispered with a rather hoarse voice. He sounded awful but that was beside the point. He had been meaning to snag a moment with the yearling but the kids kept them both on their toes and perhaps when they were sleeping would be his best bet to have a more peaceful moment with her. Kerberos felt as though he was slacking awfully in his attempt to keep up with everyone. Which was pathetic considering how small and tight knit the Draw was.

Carefully he moved a few steps back from the den in order to not pry too much and give the female room if she came out. He settled down on his rear underneath the patchy moonlight.

have you checked out my player preferences?

CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THIS THREAD

'Cause nobody can save me

Treyah Tainn

She was bone tired after her attempt to find her mother resulted in naught, but there were children to chase and feed, borders to mark and leaders to bump against in passing whenever the opportunity was presented, so it was a bit of a surprise when the quite whisper of her name came so soon after the three (now quite large) children had finally gone to sleep, after the fourth or fifth story about all the scary monsters that might eat them if they thought to leave the den after dark. She smirked to herself as she rose, "Is that the yeth hound calling my name?"

She knew full well it wasn't, quickly moving to push her muzzle under Kerberos's chin with a low grumble that was bordering on a whine. "I followed her all the way to the mountain, but I couldn't find her," she offered with a worried pull at the edge of her mouth. It wasn't worth the resources to follow her any further, they simply didn't have the numbers, but it still left a gaping hole in the middle of the pack. "Maybe she'll find her own way back this time?" Her tone was hopeful, but the sigh that followed it was not.

kerberos rigel

You're gonna be okay come morning,
find your legs and find your horns.
Everybody's gotta be reborn.

Yeth Hound. For a split moment, a smile tugged on his features. It must have been some sort of bedtime story creature, one that his own mother had not told him because she had been too busy filling his head with pure thoughts. She hadn't warned him of the bad out there that waited for him the moment he left home. "No yeth hound tonight, I'm afraid." He rested his head against hers for a moment in a warm welcome. She had certainly been missed around here on her trip after her fading mother. Fading. Kerberos didn't think he'd be calling the great Tainn such a thing months ago.

He stood up and rested his head against her neck as she explained the situation. Just because the yearling couldn't see his face, he frowned and his brows furrowed. Perhaps she was more than fading now. "We can only hope so." He cooed softly. His tones weren't reassuring because surely they both knew that anything might take away the life of Naira Tainn with the condition she was in. Kerberos still kept them soft and if anything perhaps fatherly (for Lacey was giving him a certain father tone to things now). But perhaps they would get lucky. Maybe she was crossing the mountains to go to the Bend or maybe she would get turned around and wander right back to the Draw.

The tawny lead pulled back and motioned softly. "Would you walk with me? Not very far from the den." For he did not want to drag the yearling away in case her siblings awoke or something happened. If anything, he was just trying to be out of reach of the young ones hearing anything. He had faith that Treyah had successfully put them to sleep but that did not mean they would stay that way.

have you checked out my player preferences?

'Cause nobody can save me

Treyah Tainn

That Kerb might think her lamenting the absence of the yeth hound had her smirking, for as tempting as it was to let herself be drawn away in the dark of the night, she just couldn't bring herself to foist the burden of her siblings onto Maera and Kerberos. They were already shouldering so much. She had been certain she had scented her mother in the den under the tree she had shared with Odin, but there was no trail that led from there, and had there been before the storm broke out, it was well and truly washed away by morning. "I picked up her scent at one point, but the storm washed it away before I could follow any further." it was like she had fallen through a window to somewhere else and despite all her wishful thinking, Treyah felt it was almost certain she wouldn't see her again.

She wouldn't mind if they even went past the borders. Her siblings were growing by the day and while she was terrified of things to come, like their first hunt (wouldn't that be a nightmare if they didn't get some more adults in their ranks), she trusted at least two of them not to stray too far. "Sure." She followed the leader with a wave of her tail, wondering what else he may wish to discuss.

kerberos rigel

I'm barely breathing anymore
Ask me how did I let this get worse?
How many wounds can you nurse?

She didn't deserve what was happening around them. Kerberos sighed as his ear twitched softly, feeling just as remorseful for the words it had caught him. He found himself at a crossroad of things to say. On one hand, if Naira had made it that far surely she could keep trudging on. On another hand, what if she exhausted herself even getting up there.

"I can go look again if she doesn't return soon?" A brow raised ever so slightly. If Treyah thought he would just be chasing ghosts than he would heed her words. But surely they all wanted closure, especially those who had been directly related to the former leader. Besides, Treyah shouldn't be the only one running around outside of their borders conducting a search and hopeful rescue.

As they shifted away from the den his tail hung limp and his brows furrowed together. Feelings were something Kerberos had a lot of but putting them into words was the really messy part. "Treyah, I just wanted to apologize for -" Everything. Not helping more. Not being there enough for you. Any was a good pick in his mind. "For everything that's happening around here. You shouldn't have to shoulder these burdens. We appreciate everything you do already." He spoke sincerely as his tones softened, feeling almost exposed. "Maera and me are always here for you. No matter what happens." His pale yellow gaze settled on the large yearling. He felt that it was important she knew there were still wolves on her side even if the world seemed to be rooting against the small family in the Wildwood.

"Please." He whispered softly. "Don't wear yourself thin." The leader's voice a small plead that was perhaps asking for too much.

have you checked out my player preferences?

There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the mud. Hunt Opportunity

'Cause nobody can save me

Treyah Tainn

Deep down, she wanted to think that her mother was alright, wherever she had landed, and she even managed a smile when Kerb offered to go after her. "I-it wasn't just mother's scent. Reiko had been there too." She was sure of it. Which had just made it all that much harder for her to turn back to home. "I'm sure he's looking after her, wherever they got to." It should be enough to put them all at ease. At least now, she wouldn't be spending valuable hunting or border marking time trying to track down a wolf that didn't remember where she was meant to be.

When he apologised she shook her head, "You've got nothing to apologise for. We'll get through this." Sincerity was clear in her tone, she very much believed that they would all be just fine. She bumped her shoulder into his as he begun to get all mushy on her, her skin was burning beneath her fur at the unanticipated praise. "Naw, we're family, I'm here for you guys too." As to wearing herself thin, well, he was doing the same wasn't he? "Once we get a few more bodies around here things will ease up," she didn't for a moment think that this might be it for them. "We just have to find where all the loners are hiding."