She knew he was around. Theory could smell him, but she always seemed to be a few steps behind. After wrapping up her duties for the day, she finally devoted herself to tracking her father down. Did he have any news of Motif? How was Poem? Theo had a million questions that only he could answer.

Stepping into the role of alpha hadn't been seamless. There were days that she felt hopeless and young and stupid, but there was an undeniable air of maturity about her that hadn't been there before. Leadership suited her, whether she would admit it or not. Theo carried herself differently, a newfound confidence buoying each step. "Rhyme...?" She called out. He should be right around here; his scent was the strongest and it seemed to disappear if she strayed too far. Theory paced in a circle as she waited for her father to appear.

He hadn’t worried too much about Poem yet, as Imperia had just returned to him with her most recent news. She’d made some friends and there was more than one set of eyes on the lookout for Motif. Imperia would leave again in the next few days to get another update. Rhyme was mostly confined to the island, Abaven was somewhat cut off from the rest of Boreas with the brunt of the Volcano’s wrath at their doorstep. The disaster was horrifying, but they’d been through so much he couldn’t see them overcoming this obstacle as well.

Abaven would continue.

With his name on the breeze Rhyme stood from his position under the tree. It reminded him most of the giant maple he called home across the water. He hoped the mighty tree weather this storm as well as it had the last few decades. He shook the thoughts from his mind as he padded around the tree to where Theory sought him. ”Just because you’re alpha now doesn’t mean you cant call me ‘Dad.” He told her while closing the distance between them. He aimed to wrap his neck around hers in a much needed embrace.

They were eye to eye now, and she was growing into her adulthood as quickly as he was forced to. The lifestyle seemed to suit her, and Rhyme was proud and saddened by the change. He wished she could have a longer childhood but he couldn’t deny the strength it had awakened in her.

"Sorry..." she mumbled, breathing in his familiar scent. "It's all a bit much. Sometimes I don't know which way is up, dad," Theo murmured, closing her eyes and relaxing for the first time in weeks. Her muscles didn't seem to remember how to unclench. She could be alpha and his daughter in the same breath. Although many things had changed, Theory was still the same little girl that had proudly won against him in one of her very first spars.

"How is Poem? Any news or leads on Motif?" she asked worriedly. After spending another moment enjoying his embrace, she pulled back and met his gaze. "It has been so hard without you. Without her. I'm struggling, Shaye is struggling... there is a strange new healer who I can't quite trust..." She groaned and closed her eyes. The volcano had shaken them all. "I just don't know if I'm doing the right thing. Like, ever."

Rhyme could feel Theory relax into his embrace, it was slow but he understood the weight that had been placed on her shoulders. He hoped that him being here to support her might relieve some of it. He nuzzled into her scruff affectionately as she began to speak and eventually pulling away to meet his similarly colored gaze. He couldn’t blame her for the barrage of questions.

”Poem is well. She’s being her usual self and has recruited a couple more sets of eyes to help look.” He offered the hopeful part too. ”Imperia tells me one’s name is Thaddeus, if you happen to run across him.” Not likely when Abaven was so cut off. ”No news on Mo.” He said sadly in a hushed tone. He tried to be strong for Theo, but knowing his daughter was still out there… He pushed onward.

”We all make mistakes, but you’re doing your best.” He told her confidently, ”I’m here now, I’ll help wherever I can.” Rhye tried to assure her as he leaned forward to give her a reassuring nudge on the cheek. ”We’ll come out of this stronger than we came in. Everything will work out in the end.” He told her confidently. He had to believe it, or he’d never rise from the ground when he woke up in the morning.

Theory closed her eyes and smiled. Yes, that would be just like Poem. Making friends wherever she went. "Any friend of Poem's is a friend of mine," she said seriously. A wolf that would aid her sister in the quest for Motif would be welcomed in Abaven. Theo looked away when Rhyme said there was no news of Motif - it hurt in a way she hadn't expected. She had assumed that this would be wrapped up neatly, an adventure to be enjoyed and retold on cold nights. A story of heroic valor. It was obvious that this wouldn't be the case.

"But that's not always the case, is it?" she said tersely, stepping back from her father and fixing him with sullen, childish eyes. "Not everything works out in the end. You know that better than anyone." It was a low blow, but she couldn't help herself. Keeping her head on straight in front of everyone else meant that there was only one person left she could lose her cool in front of: dear old dad. Her body was rigid and tense again, ready to fight if he pushed back.

Speaking of Motif hurt both of them, and deep down Rhyme was ashamed of his inability to remain in the field to search for her. The eruption put a huge kink in his carefully laid out plans. He tried to offer his comfort, but none of them would rest easy until Motif was home safe. He chuckled sadly as she disagreed with him. He’d maybe held out too much hope that she had retained some of her childhood innocence and hope. Of course, too much had happened for that.

Rhyme offered a sad chuckle as she called him on his words. ”No, and certainly not in the way we intend them to either. If I tell myself anything else the world seems to get darker.” Figuratively and literally. The skies remained dark above them. ”We can’t know the future, but it helps me to hope for the best.”

"That's all I've been doing my entire life," she said, distress creeping into her voice. Maybe one year in this world didn't count for much against his maturity, but it was all she had. "Trying to be positive. Trying to look on the bright side. Looking on the bright side won't make the volcano un-erupt, or revive the thicket after it was razed to the ground... and it won't bring back Tana. Or Noir. And Verse is missing now, too," she spat, real venom leeching into her voice. It was easy to stand back and be angry, even better to have some kind of living thing to take her feelings out on.

Her hackles raised. "Rematch," she said tersely. The only real way she would be able to get this bitterness out of her system was to fight it out. She had been cooped up for a while now on Ibis and so had he. Wasn't he angrier that Motif was still missing? Why couldn't he be mad instead of sad? Theory slunk into a fighting pose, her ears laid flat against her head.

”But allowing yourself to dwell in the negativity will only hurt worse in the long run.” Rhyme offered back calmly as Theory gave into her anger. He didn’t chastise her, she was allowed to experience the emotion she felt. However. ”You’re right. Hopes and dreams are good foor the soul, but only action can change. Positive action, evacuating Abaven, replanting the thicket..” Positive action that bred hope, which would lead to more positive action.

Rhyme knew Noir was on his way out the door. Verse’s disappearance hit him hard, but was not a true surprise. She secluded herself after Tana’s death. She hadn’t come to his call since before their mother’s demise. He hadn’t wanted to force anything on her, and he hoped she could hold out until he found her too. With a soft sigh he stood up to his full height and gaze into his daughter's eyes as she welcomed the fury and readied herself to attack him.

”Indeed.” He agreed, letting his own dark hackles raise along his back. He couldn't bring himself to show the frustration he felt at not being able to be out there, looking for his daughters. Not towards Theory. Letting her show her own frustration back was one good reason for him to be in Abaven. ”Come at me, Theory.” He invited her to begin their jaunt.

"And what good is replanting the thicket when it is damaged again by the volcano?" she replied bitterly. There was no answer left that would soothe her. Theory was angry to the bone. She snarled a bit, letting the negative emotions flow through her. It felt good to channel her anxious rage into something productive, even if it was fighting her dad. Alouette was roosting nearby and didn't come to her aid. Better that she didn't see her this way, so out of control.

So much time had passed since their innocent little spar. She longed for simpler days, but her life would only get infinitely more complicated from here. As a leader, every decision she made had the weight of the pack behind it. Her life was no longer her own. With a growl, she launched herself at Rhyme with her jaws wide open, aiming for anything she could latch onto: his neck, shoulder, even his face. Theo was done playing nice.

Theory Cavaliere-Destruction vs Rhyme for Dominance
Round 1/2
Age: 1 year+
Size: Extra large
Build: Medium
Fight Skill Level: Advanced

The devastation from the volcano was massive and terrible. Death surrounded the fiery mountain, in the land and in the hearts of the wolves it affected. However, life went on. What was dead today would spring back to life anew in the next spring. The newborn life would be stronger for the life giving ash that coated the earth the seasons prior. There was hope on the horizon, but Rhyme wouldn’t be able to show it to Theory until her anger was thoroughly flushed from her system.

She threw herself towards him, eyes as fire filled as the volcano. She bit at him wildly. With no direction in her attack and only ferocity Rhyme could have easily dodged her teeth. However, the old alpha took the brunt of her force. He had no time to adorn his bracers or call for his dual ravens. This was flesh against flesh. Theory was more than his equal and she deserved his unhindered attention.

Rhyme shifted his weight to his hind legs as he aimed to rise up on them and allow Theory to race into his grasp. He aimed to wrap his forelimbs around her neck to prevent the force of her hit from pushing him back. Her attack landed at the side of his neck, her teeth punctured deep into the muscle there. Blood seeped from the wound and Rhyme withheld a cry as he aimed his own parted jaws under her ear and jaw line. Hopefully his counter attack would cause her to release and he’s gain control of her head.

Rhyme Cavaliere vs Theory for Dominance
Round 1 / 2
Age: 1+
Size: Extra large
Build: Medium
Fight Skill Level: Master
Specialty: Weaponsmaster

As she caught his flesh in her jaws and her father's blood filled her mouth, Theory found herself blinking back tears. She expected this to feel different, but she was still the same little girl who'd fought him long ago. There wasn't a truly violent bone in her body. Still, she tried to put on a good show. Even if she wasn't angry at Rhyme, she was still angry.

He wrapped her easily in his arms. Times like this she felt much smaller than him, even if they were only an inch apart now in height. Rhyme's teeth caught her cheek and the warm sting of pain made her gasp. With her hold on his neck released, he was more than free to writhe away. Breathing hard, Theory sputtered an apology: "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"

Theory Cavaliere-Destruction vs Rhyme for Dominance
Round 2/2
Age: 1 year+
Size: Extra large
Build: Medium
Fight Skill Level: Advanced

Rhyme released his hold on Theory as the surprise of his own attack took her. He’d wrapped her up and as she seemed to falter with a shortness of breath he wanted to pull her to the ground. Rhyme aimed to take them both to the earth as she cried out an apology Not that it was needed, Rhyme knew what anger felt like and knew how hard it could be to keep it at bay.. or not. Most of his temper seemed to fade after Tana and the slaver pack had been destroyed. ”It’s okay.” He replied back as he aimed to nuzzle against her neck instead of rending her flesh.

Rhyme Cavaliere vs Theory for Dominance
Round 2 / 2
Age: 1+
Size: Extra large
Build: Medium
Fight Skill Level: Master
Specialty: Weaponsmaster

And the winner is...

Rhyme! Theory must now give up by either submitting, fleeing or passing out.

[Lazuli]

They crashed to the ground together. Theory pressed her head into the fur of Rhyme's chest. It smelled familiar with an overlay of ash and grime, like he hadn't bathed properly in a while. No one had any time for things like that. She accepted his affection, returning it eagerly. His embrace was home, just as much as anything Abaven felt like home. The pressure had been building for so long that it was a relief to finally have some kind of release.

"This is so much harder than I ever thought," she admitted, embarrassed to have been caught out looking like a fool in front of her father. Of course she had known it would be difficult, but everyone looked to her and Shaye in the face of disaster. It was a heavier weight than she'd ever imagined. Her transition to leadership had been anything but easy. "Where do we even go from here? How can we ever return to those lands after the fire, the eruption?" she whispered.

Theory submitted to his movement and the two of them fell to the ground. Rhyme had his arms securely around his daughter as she deflated and returned his affections. The agitation dissipated as he nuzzled into her neck and she returned the gesture. They were both breathing hard as Theo began to speak, admitting the difficulty in her tesk. He knew very well the struggle she took up on her shoulders. He would be here to support her though, to help hold the weight of leadership like she needed. In a year or two she would have the experience and age to keep the world lifted on her own, but for now Rhyme wouldn’t hesitate to help.

”Because its home. The land will regrow, and we will be more diligent about the signs.” Had they been paying more attention they might have predicted the fire or the eruption. The fire was more obvious, the land was dry and the lightning storm had come without rain. The volcano had sent out tremors and the animals had shown their displeasure. ”We know our enemy and we can face it better because of the knowledge.” He offered in comforting tones as he groomed the back of her neck absently.

”We go back because it’s where your mother, your brother, and Vail take their endless sleep.” He whispered even more quietly, hesitant to so boldly reminisce the dead.

Theory tensed when he brought up the pack members they had laid to rest there. She closed her eyes tightly, shedding wordless tears. "It's not fair to bring them up. Who knows if we will even be able to recognize their graves by the time we return?" she said bitterly, wishing that Rhyme hadn't been so bold. "And we can't spend the rest of our lives living for the dead." Did she miss her mother? It was a complicated question. Most of all, Theory missed the short, small window of time in which life had seemed so peaceful and uncomplicated. The wildfire and Tana's death had been a rude awakening.

"I want to know what the pack thinks. It's not a decision to be made on my own," she added. Such a big change would be foolish for even an experienced alpha to foist on their followers. If the overwhelming majority disagreed with her, she would bend to their will. They would rebuild again and again if that was what they wished, even while Theory yearned for lands where new memories could be made.

”No, maybe not.” Life wasn’t fair though, as he learned over and over again. ”I could never forget.” He whispered softly, even if the earth shifted he knew where to find them. ”Don’t live for them, I would hate if Abaven forgot them.” Rhyme agreed with her. They shouldn’t live for those left behind, but he couldn’t help but wonder if the constant reminder of them moved his daughter’s motives. He hadn’t thought her serious about not returning to Abaven’s long lived home. ”I’m sorry,” he offered an apology, the familiar pain in his heart rousing. He hadn’t meant to cause Theory the hurt from his words, but he was so worried they would be forgotten.

”You’re right. I would not make the decision for you or the pack.” He was just as interested to know what the rest of them had to say about leaving the place Abaven had always been. He would support whatever conclusion was made. ”It makes me proud to know how wise you have become.” Rhyme couldn’t help but offer as well. There was no end to his pride in his daughter.

"We're both sorry," she agreed, laughing quietly to ease the tension. "And they will never be forgotten. In fact, I think it would be a good idea to hold a vigil soon. We have lost so much." Gathering the pack to share memories of those they had lost might prove cathartic. She wouldn't force anyone to attend but it might inspire camaraderie to gather in remembrance. As Rhyme reiterated that he couldn't make the decision for her or the pack, a twinge passed through her heart and soul. She was above him now. It was a queer feeling indeed. Not so long ago she had looked to him and Shaye for everything; she was forging her own path now. Abaven would forge its own path.

Hope stirred in her heart. Even though they talked of those that had passed, there was still a future that stretched out unseen before them. They had the rest of their lives to live. "Thank you," she said gratefully. Hearing him speak his pride aloud made her incredibly happy. She felt braver and more sure of herself than she had in weeks. "That means so, so much to me." Theory stepped closer to her father and pressed her cheek against his.