Epitaph Destruction The ebon wisp was sure he wouldn't stop shaking for the next few seasons. The adrenaline of yet another near death experience had worn off days ago, leaving him a shivering mess of anxiety and flashbacks. Every time he closed his eyes, he could picture the flames as clear as day. Feel the heat of myriad tongues lashing against him, consuming everything he held dear. The immense mountain of a lion with Motif in her grasp, regardless of her status as a friend amongst the pack. He hadn't been thinking straight, he could taste the bile on his tongue again. He didn't want to see another child die. He was resting in the shallows at the head of the rapids, cooling his tender paws in the water and letting it seep into his dark fur. His gaze was vacant, staring blankly into the middle distance as he forced himself through a play by play of the day of the fire. Smoke still hung lightly in the air all around Abaven, heavy still over the Thicket. He hadn't dared venture back to his garden. He wasn't ready to see what had become of it. A brief shiver rolled down the length of his narrow spine, and he was drawn back to reality ever so slowly. There were no flames here, only the gentle lapping of water against his flanks. The distant roar of that same water being thrust into turmoil amongst the raging rapids. His skin was warmed only by the bleak sunlight that filtered through the thin layer of smoke overhead, nothing more. He sighed heavily, renewing the tremble in his limbs. "Speech"

Shaye hadn’t slept, and wasn’t certain when she would next get the chance. From running search and rescue through the blaze with Winter, to fetching and carrying for the healers as they treated the wounds, as well as applying some herbs herself. Her past experiences as a healer had been some use, but she was so tired she began to do more harm than good.

She had a quick clean in the rapids, the smoky scent to her coat still hadn’t faded, and there was ash between her ears and across her back that hadn’t quite washed out. She felt like she would never be clean again, nor smell air fresh and clean from smoke. The fire might have gone out in the night, but the smoke still lingered. The scent of burnt flesh and fauna was fresh.

A tired, weary Alpha would find Epitaph in the shallows of the rapids. She could understand the sentiment, her own blistered feet enjoyed the feel of the cool, as she took a step in, and stopped beside him, groaning softly as she lowered herself to her belly in front of him. She had heard by now of how he had approached the lioness, and wasn’t sure if she was angry or pleased. Angry, that he had paid no mind to the important matters she told the pack, and thus putting others at risk, or pleased that the timid frightened man had put himself at risk for the sake of his daughter, not knowing that the lioness was friend.

Either way, she was reminded of the first day she had seen him, of him sitting by these rapids, injured and weary, and unwilling to bother anyone in the pack or ask for help. She had dragged him to her den and set him up there, and he had become a part of her life, of her kids lives.
“I’ve heard that fires can help a place grow, that it removes underbrush and debris, and opens a forest up to sunlight. I know that’s not the case here, not exactly… but things can still grow again after a fire. We will tend to the soil, and plant seeds, we will grow back the thicket, together, as a pack. We’ll have room to set a larger place for an herb garden.” she promised him, needing the words for herself as much as for him.

Epitaph Destruction Epitaph was dimly aware of the approaching paws, but couldn't bring himself to pull his attention to the surface to see who it was. Soon enough, their scent wafted into his nostrils regardless. Miss Shaye's elegant form prostrated itself before him in the shallows, as she joined him in cooling her weary paws. “I’ve heard that fires can help a place grow, that it removes underbrush and debris, and opens a forest up to sunlight. I know that’s not the case here, not exactly… but things can still grow again after a fire. We will tend to the soil, and plant seeds, we will grow back the thicket, together, as a pack. We’ll have room to set a larger place for an herb garden.” her vocals were tender and warm, reminding him of the safety he'd found within the confines of her den over the past few seasons. The lull of her gentle tones eased him back into his own body, and he could feel the lap of water against his flanks, hear the wavering chorus of songbirds in the distance. Finally, he was able to focus his attention on Miss Shaye's pinched expression. His auds lifted part of the way from where they were close to his head, and his own brows knit together with concern. She looked so tired. "Ash is full of nutrients," he rasped. "the garden will grow again, more lush than before." he said softly, more to reassure her of his state of mind than anything else. He wasn't quite ready to really think about the garden he had lost, and all the hours that he and Motif had put into it that were now all for naught. One paw extended hesitantly, seeking to lay over the larger shape of her own under the crystalline water. "You need rest," he said simply. "let me do my rounds of the pack, and ensure the health of your wolves. You can hold your girls close, and take some time to recover." the dark male's mind was all but made up. He needed to do his duty as Baldrian, and ensure the pack was healthy and well cared for. Though his stocks were low to begin with, whatever was available would go to the wolves of Abaven. "Speech"

She spoke gently to him, though he seemed to be slow to react. Likely he was still a little numb from everything that had happened. She was, too, she found it hard to believe that any of this was real. How could this happen to Abaven? What issues were going to arise from this? From all her injured wolves, with burns and smoke inhalation, to the loss of a land, and its resources and room. The dens and resources, gone. The sense of security in her wolves, gone.

It hurt, it hurt more than she wanted to admit, as she concentrated on Epitaph’s raspy voice, and heard the hope he was trying to give her with it. He agreed with her, going a step further to point out that ash held a lot of nutrients. She hadn’t known that, and was grateful to hear it. It would take time, and care, and hard work from all of them, but they could rebuild.
It also helped to hear him speak, to see his eyes concentrate on her, when they had been filled with pain before.

Her tired face managed to form a smile, and her voice was wry when she spoke. “It’s that obvious?” she wondered, knowing it no doubt was. “I.. I fear if I sit down, for even a moment, i’ll be letting them down.” she admitted, the pain heavy in her voice as she moved closer to him, resting her head just above the water as she looked to the younger wolf. Feeling a little like her children must when the looked up to their Uncle Taffy after a nightmare.

Epitaph Destruction The smile that made its way ever so slowly onto the woman's face didn't quite reach her eyes, which were plainly exhausted. Sympathy twisted painfully in his chest. “It’s that obvious?” she questioned, though there was a hint of humour in her voice that he managed to pick up on. She sidled closer, the bulk of her body slowing the current that moved past him to a crawl. He didn't mind it. The water warmed up as it passed around her body towards his. There was a hint of hesitation from the woman, as she lowered her skull to where he could easily tuck it under his chin as he did with the girls. He didn't, it seemed inappropriate aimed towards Miss Shaye. “I.. I fear if I sit down, for even a moment, i’ll be letting them down.” she barely breathed the words aloud, and he could have missed them over the rush of water around them. But he didn't. "You've done so much already." he promised. The hint of a fond smile pulled at the corners of his lips. He flexed his toes gently overtop hers, a gesture of affection that was sorely in demand in a time of crisis such as this. "If you run yourself ragged, you won't be able to care for them in the future. How will you help if you're on death's door, Miss Shaye?" he questioned, mirroring her previous joking tone in an attempt to lighten the grave reality of their situation. The dark male shifted his position to slide his crippled leg out from under him. Letting it rest in the water as it was warmed by the sun and the bodies around it would do it some good for the coming day. "Your daughters need you now more than ever, you should spend some time with them, even just a few moments before you get some much needed rest." he commented, attention drifting towards the packlands where the bustle of bodies and scents of stress carried from. "Speech"