Riddle Heights Hearts and Minds

After finding Tinley's body the former bloodbreaker had hesitated returning to the heights. He had remained by her grave for days afterward questioning if there was anything left for him in the heights or even the lore. In the end he had made the trek back to his mountain home leaving his friend and partner behind. It was the first time that he had ever left her behind and it was the hardest thing he had ever had to do.

No matter how many fights he'd been in or wolves he'd killed nothing was as hard as losing her.

His progress as he made his way back up the mountain and through the paths that would lead him to his pack was slow. It was only made slower by the snow and by the time he finally reached the border he had been gone much longer than he had thought he was going to be.

He stopped before reaching the border. The whole way back he'd still wasn't sure he was making the right decision. Should he return to the pack she had chosen? Should he return home to the bloodbreakers? Pyriel just couldn't be sure for the first time in his life he was unsure of what he should do next. None of his training had prepared him for the day he would lose Tinley.

The green eyed male plopped himself in the snow starting at the place he knew the invisible line that separated him from the heights to lie.

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His absence hadn't gone unnoticed. Abaddon had made note of his fading scent but without any signs of struggle, she figured that perhaps he had left on his own discord. It was beyond foolish to wander off in the winter but hell, if Smalls wanted to die she'd let him. If he wasn't apart of the Heights it wasn't her concern.

Yet she couldn't help herself from moving towards his crumpled form on the borders. "You're on the wrong side of the borders." She stated flatly. From her understanding, despite his absence, he wasn't marked off as being a member of the rugged mountain pack. Which fully meant he belonged on the side she was standing on. "Come on." Her head motioned at its low held level. He wasn't a stranger which meant he wasn't being greeted by her usual defensive self. Abaddon had hung around this place long enough for these wolves to at least be somewhat friends.

He'd stared at that invisible line for a long time never coming to any conclusion. Should he stay or should he go? Did he belong there beyond or not? He had lived months without Tinley in his life, since she'd disappeared. He'd gone in with his life working for the pack. It had for all intents and purposes become home so what did it matter if he returned? He was sure there wouldn't be a difference in the way he went about his life. The only change would be that he now had the knowledge that she was gone for good.

The dark paws of a familiar wolves came into his vision and for a moment he didn't look up at her. Then she spoke something about him being on the wrong side of the border. “And what if I'm not?” He asked her a sad note to his tone as he finally looked up to her eyes. He doubted highly that she would have any advice, she didn't seem the type to give it freely but maybe she would surprise him. “And why is it your always the one there when I'm not at my best?” He asked. The sight of her did cheer him up some, the fact she'd come did help. He rose from his sitting position after the told him to 'come on’ and took the last few steps that would bring him to stand next to Abaddon. “I hope Kyna and Greer aren't too upset I took longer than expected.”

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"And what if I'm not?"

She huffed, not entirely in the mood to deal with his sappiness but she grit her teeth. "If you think you're not on the wrong side than I'm gonna treat you like an outsider. So which side are you on?" Abba was here to make sure he wasn't dying but hell she might punt him off the side of the mountain if he was gonna be like this.

The dark second received her answer when he moved into the Heights territory. Her head motioned for him to follow her. "I'm not sure why. I just am." Maybe some naive wolf would have jabbered about fate or destiny. Abba just liked to think she had uncanny timing. "And you might have to ask them for yourselves. Avoid any dropoffs or edges in case they are upset." She said with a rough smirk.

"Where did you run off to, anyway?"

He was feeling sorry for himself, yes indeed he was. He had just lost his partner, best friend and whatever else she had been to him. He was questioning everything but Abaddon would have none of it. She was quick to let him know what it was. He met her gaze with a slight glare at her words but his expression softened when he reminded himself that she had no idea that had happened, what he'd been doing. “I haven't quite figured it out yet,” he told her matter-of-factly.

He hadn't but that didn't mean he couldn't come back until he had figured things out. So he rose to his feet and crossed the border to come and stand next to her. “You might want to be careful someone might start thinking you actually care,” he teased nudging her cheek with his nose. He was sure she wouldn't like the gesture but that was what made it fun. Perhaps he'd needed to find the woman waiting for him at the border. “I shall bare that in mind but I did warn them that I didn't know how long I would be.” So he didn't think the could he too angry with him and he'd returned despite all his hesitation.

Where had he time off to? He regarded her for a moment before he finally answered, “I went to find Tinley,” he stated. Sometimes it felt like Abaddon was almost like.a friend. He had told her a lot he might have told others.

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