With a parting word Benkos split from Pyrrhic taking a small collection of young mandrills with him. Just like that the young Emperor was alone. At last it seemed his nerves were steadying. He was still unsure of what was to come but his grief and anxiety had finally - blessedly - dulled to an exhausted by manageable numbness. Without him having to make a conscious effort his body had decided that it was far too fatigued, his sorrow far too costly, to carry on as it had been. More or less he had been granted a reprieve. Though the weight of it all still sat on his shoulders Pyrrhic had found he could live with it provided he didn't look too closely at the things that troubled him.

A sigh left his lips as he hauled himself to his feet. Though it was temping to hole up somewhere and do nothing, that wasn't a viable option for him. There was much to decide. If he was too keep the pack together Pyrrhic was going to have to set his eyes on the future. He and Benkos had been discussing what came next and the elder mammal had given his young charge many options to consider.

It was those options that occupied Pyrrhic's thoughts as he padded towards the border of Risen's temporary land.

It had taken him a while to get here, but he had made it. His mother, however, refused to come with them. She clung stubbornly to the den in the Gods Garden with the excuse that she wanted to gather her things and she'd meet them here. He was aware she had been sick but he didn't know just how sick. She had forced him away, telling him to stay with the family and that she'd be along soon enough. The yearlings steps were heavy yet quiet as he made it to the rune stones, dual toned eyes staring at the ground.

He felt like a failure this whole time...surely he was letting down his alpha and the rest of the family? He didn't go to training because he didn't want to leave his mother all alone. Iroh, on the other hand, seemed like he had been getting all the training in the world. Though he couldn't be sure of that. He had become distant from his littermate and everyone else because of his mother's ailments. Did that make him...weak? He frowned as he kicked away a stone, listening as it clattered away before he glanced up and found Pyrrhic not too far ahead. Woops. "Ah..sorry about that.." He exclaimed softly, standing there now as he waited to be reprimanded for his lack of participation to the pack.

A startling clatter caused Pyrrhic to stiffen. He turned towards the sound quickly, his hackles raising instinctively, and was relieved to see an Abraxas standing there. Zagan, Iroh's brother. Unlike his young partner in crime Pyrrhic knew very little about this other son of Kasdeya. This one hadn't shown up at the meeting and for a moment Pyrrhic stood still and studied him with an unreadable expression.

"It's alright," he said at last. He'd made it clear to those present at the meeting that the absent ones were welcome to join them for a time and though that grace period had passed, could he -would he - really turn family away? No. Pyrrhic could use a little grace himself so at the very least he could offer this cousin the same.

"I'm glad you're alright," he said truthfully. "Wasn't sure how bad it was going to get back home after..." The incident. "The volcano."