Sanguine Cove Got a pain in my chest

Dated 7/18. Archer has arrived at the border to look for Kateri. Special call to @Aquene @Nash and @Ally but any pack members welcome. Winter might not post for a bit, but it's safe to assume she's with Archer unless she says otherwise.

Archer

He'd taken it slowly up the mountain, each day the air growing thicker and harder to swallow. Archer began to wonder if it was the mountain itself on fire, and he was leading his daughter steadily closer to the danger. Still it wasn't far to the Cove, and as much as he didn't want to be here he needed to know if Kat had come back. He had to know. He didn't know what he'd do if she was here. Why hadn't she come home? Why had she left them in the first place, to travel so far? If she'd said something, Archer wouldn't be so panicked.

It seemed so long and yet all too soon before he smelled the boundary and stopped. "Stay close, Ally," he said to his daughter. "We can't cross the border without permission." And your aunt died here, he didn't say, not wanting to scare her. They weren't likely to go in; he'd promised to meet Eros at Bramble Falls in four days time. They couldn't afford a long visit. Not wanting to waste time, Archer tipped back his head and called for the Cove.

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

Aquene had been busy fretting on everyone’s health, running herself ragged collecting herbs before they were polluted by the smoke and ensuring her daughter and her mother-in-law both remained in good health all the same. Others had told her that she needed to rest, but she was far too stubborn a doctor to make much of a good patient.

What she hadn’t been expecting in that moment was a call from a familiar voice, a voice she associated with the Backwater and with the Valle clan… a voice she associated with any news of her daughter who to her knowledge was still in the Backwater.

Immediately, she would run, arriving to the borders after having paused for a coughing fit from the way the smoke caused her lungs to tighten… to see Archer, and a child, as young as her youngest. Immediately her eyes softened. “Archer.” There was a kind timbre to her voice. “And who is this little one?” She asked as her eyes softened. She had always had the largest of soft spots for children. “Is everything okay?”

Aquene Slayer

Archer

They didn't have to wait long for an answer. To Archer's great relief it was Aquene who answered. She'd always been level-headed, and although he held a grudge for Sephrina's death, he still held the shaman in high regard. Especially now that she was his daughter's grandmother - the presence of whom she was quick to notice.

"Aquene," he greeted, a litter stiffer than her own greeting but kinder than he would have been with anyone else to have answered his call. He glanced at his daughter. "This is Ally," he said, gently touching his nose to the girl's crown. "Ally, say hi to your grandmother."

After giving her the opportunity to do so, Archer looked back up to the Cove's leader. He may as well cut to the chase; he had a rendezvous to get to, after all. "Is Kateri here? I haven't seen her in over a month and I thought she might have come here for medicine for our son."

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

It was a kinder greeting than perhaps anyone in Sanguine Cove deserved from the boy after what had happened to his sister, her eyes softening. “Hi Ally.” The words caught in her throat for a moment, choked with emotions… her grandchild. Her grandchild. It was as if generational cycles continued.

And then he asked if Kateri was there, and she paused, confusion on her features, followed by worry when she mentioned medicine and a son. A sick child was every mother’s worst nightmare. “No… I haven’t seen her, I thought she was with you.” There was fear, even panic in her voice. “Your son… what ails him? Perhaps I can help I’ve ensured my stores remain as stocked as possible.”

If it was enough for Kateri to wander from Archer and her children then surely it was not good. She was certainly a little behind on the news, and hadn’t had a real chance to talk to Leo about what he had learned, trying to balance healing and leadership and raising her youngest.

Aquene Slayer

The girl kept close, but tried to hide herself as best she could they waited, melting into his shadow and watching her father carefully for signs of how to react. His words repeated in her mind again and again, they needed permission. Her belly was low against the dry earth, laying low close by each sound threatening to overwhelm her senses as she poised tensed and on high alert. She was tired and scared.

The familiar touch on her crown brought her back to center, for a moment, just in time for the other to arrive. She wanted to run, but her dad was here and so here she'd stay.

He seemed confident, reassuring, and from this she took her cue to stand and regard the dark-furred woman. Her grandmother? She tried her best not to gape at the woman wide-eyed. Curiosity tinged with a million other feelings.  "Hi," she did as she was told, letting the adults lead the way as she listened and tried to understand. Was this mom's mom? Hope hung on her words, fluttered and fell.

Ally's head hung and a sigh escaped her. They'd come so far. Now what?

Archer

His daughter was shy, a trait Archer couldn't bring himself to try to encourage her to overcome. It was selfish, he knew, but it might also keep her safer if she was wary of strangers. Especially here, where there was so much heartache for his family - for him. But Aquene was kind and looked upon her granddaughter with affection even as the girl stared up at her. He couldn't help but mirror her disappointment, though he managed not to hang his head. His ears dropped. "She was," he said, then gave a forced, wan smile. "I don't think you can help him," he said. "Andy died some weeks ago." It still hurt to say it, the words sticking in his throat. A voice in the back of his head continued chanting failure failure failure when he thought about his son.

He took a deep breath. "We have to get to Bramble Falls, but if you see her..." he didn't even know what to say. He was so confused, so torn between all his emotions. He wanted to be angry with her, but couldn't. "Tell her we miss her."

Archer didn't know where they would end up after this. In failing to find Kat here, his hope of ever seeing her again dwindled.

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

While they talked, she tried to keep her eyes on Archer, but her eyes kept drifting to her granddaughter… a thought that filled her heart with joy… that was until Archer revealed the fate of her grandson, her eyes snapping back to him, a sense of horror and pain immediately filling her as her chest tightened uncomfortably in her chest. It reminded her of Peyter… though Peyter had never drawn breath, and it was clear in front of her that Andy had. A part of her wanted to be furious… furious with Kateri for not coming home where Aquene could have helped, furious with them for having children so young and not knowing how to manage… fury at her daughter for apparently taking off on her daughter and… mate?

And yet it all died in her throat, and in the pain behind her eyes. “I… I will…” She stammered out, sensing the confusion in the man as well. “Archer…” Her voice dragged softly as her eyes lingered on him. “You’re family… if you or Ally need anything, please do not hesitate to ask.” She would move heaven and hell to make that happen… for her family, or for any wolf in need… or both, as it would turn out with the case in front of them.

Aquene Slayer

Skipping Ally because she's inactive

Archer

Archer watched his daughter and waited, and he watched the emotions passing over Aquene's face. He could understand her conflict. He felt it himself, churning beneath the emptiness that was his grief. He couldn't find it in himself to try to offer her comfort.

She agreed to pass on his message, then followed with an offer. Archer hesitated. Perhaps they could come and stay here for the winter... but a small shudder ran through him as his eyes started beyond Aquene to where he knew the lake lie. Was his sister still there, beneath the chilly waters? He looked back to the Shaman before him and gave her a small nod of respect. "Thank you... but I'm sure you understand why I don't want to be here." it wasn't meant to be aggressive or accusatory, just... quiet.

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

the night comes down like heaven

Even as the hope died in her chest her dad was speaking again, referring to her mom, and then she flinched as he said those terrible words. Andy died. It was still so hard for her to grasp, that he was gone and she was never going to see him again. She'd been so excited for him to come out and see the big world and play with her, and they never got the chance. The sense of loss was back, heavy in her chest.

Was her mom going to be the same way? Was she never going to see her again?

Dad carried on. Ally glanced up at him, then peeked back at her grandmother, who'd offered them whatever help they needed. Ally hoped they could stay the night. She was tired, and she was curious about this grandma before her, the first family beyond her dad's that she'd met.

At his words, she allowed the silence to linger between them, the tension building with it as a pain remained in her eyes. She had done everything she could, with everything that had happened during that time… a part of her wanted to defend that accidents happened… that there was no way she could have prevented it… but she knew it was a lie. She had blamed herself for a long time for her death. She continued to blame herself, because she had failed. She knew, if the situation were reversed, she would have never trusted the Backwater. She might have brought war to their stoop as well.

“I understand… and even if I must travel to you with remedies or food, that is what I will do.” Not just for her daughter, but because this was her grandchild… her only living grandchild… and she hadn’t any idea where her daughter was, but she would do what she could to be there for Archer as he tried to tackle parenthood alone.

Aquene Slayer