Deathbelle woke up alone. The fire was burning again, evidence that Iolaire hadn’t left too long ago. The Empress had nearly raced after her, but she knew such an act would hurt worse in the long run. She sighed heavily and returned her head to her paws. Lilac gaze lingered on the flower left for her, and tears slipped from her eyes as she fell back asleep.

When day was really upon them, after Belle patrolled the territory and checked on her growing children, she couldn’t help herself as her dainty paws carried her into the Oasis. She didn’t admit to herself that she was seeking out Iolaire, but inwardly she knew that she was. That was when she was told the dark woman and Sirius were both on a hunting trip.

Infinite tasks awaited her, but the Empress felt a little lost the rest of the day. She forced herself to stay away from the cavern with a stream, and occupied herself with patrolling and a little hunting. Having not realized that she had avoided company all day she was keenly aware of her aloneness as she dropped her kill near the comunal pile. Their stores were only just beginning to grow again. Though she wasn’t worried about starvation anymore, there was much to concern herself over. No matter what distraction she put in front of herself Iolaire dominated her thoughts.

She wasn’t sure if she preferred the rough feelings of Iolaire or the deep sorrow of missing Archon. He was gone from her longer now than they had been married, but her heart still ached for him. Io had been a bandage ripped off too soon. Unsure of what she should do or how she should feel Deathbelle sought out a new place. She didn’t go to her marriage sigil and she avoided the cathedral cavern. She settled on a tall place overlooking the oasis, her ivory form reclined upon the redwater rocks as she looked out over the horizon. Ivory tail wrapped around her hips as she sighed heavily, feeling keenly the distance between herself and the ones she loved most.

He was feeling increasingly frustrated and hurt and just all around angry and confused. He still didn't quite understand why his supposed elder sibling had come and tried to destroy the only thing that was truly his. Didn't understand why his father suddenly decided to come back. Didn't understand why they had all left in the first place. He wasn't one to be sad let alone one to complain, and he didn't quite feel everything that he was feeling now. His chest hurt, ached even. Things had happened far too quickly for him to process let alone know what he was supposed to feel or think. In the end of it all, he mostly kept to himself.

Today he was hungry though, and made his way to the stash of food the pack kept for everyone to share. He wanted to hunt his own food, but he didn't know how. He was too small to hunt anything big and his legs too short to hunt anything fast. He also didn't know what he could hunt in this canyon...which frustrated him even more. Sighing, he nosed at the pile and picked out a duck from the pile and moved next to a tree to quickly eat it. He didn't want that girl to come back and try to steal that from him, too. So he ate as fast as he could until there wasn't much left.

When he was done he decided to go for a walk. To be alone for a time and didn't quite feel like being cooped up in his den all day. Only when he took a trail towards the top of the canyon, he spotted the alphess sitting there. He paused sever yards away for a moment, debating whether he should turn and leave or not. In the end, he quietly made his towards her and sat beside her with a couple feet between them. He hadn't spoken to her much, or anyone for that matter, but he was tired of feeling so alone. Like an outcast. Was this how his mother felt all the time? He glanced at his aunt for a moment before turning his gaze out to the horizon. He wouldn't admit it, but quiet company was probably something they both needed.

Deathbelle didn’t know what happened to Dutch. One day she was here and the next the Empress found her den empty. She hadn’t returned yet. The thought saddened the Klein woman, she enjoyed the crafter’s presence. She worried about the woman’s well being, but she had a lot of worry on her plate. So much of the family had been missing.

She didn’t take for granted the miracle of Hannibal’s return, she was beginning to believe him dead. Along with Rose. The losses were heavy, but Deathbelle was learning slowly how to better deal with them. The thoughts raced through her mind as the sound of paws over stone caught her attention. Lilac gaze fell on Gimli as he approached quietly. The Empress offered her young nephew a welcoming grin, but didn’t break the silence any more than he did.

She was honestly glad to see him out and about, she knew he had to be grieving his mother and siblings. She hoped he would find comfort in the older ones. Maybe Banshee would help guide him, Belle didn’t know Recluse as well and may have divied out punishment to the girl if she was involved. However much she believed the young should sort it out between themselves the age gap was a bit much to ignore.

Subtly the older Klein lowered herself to the rock, positioning her body that he would be welcomed to sit more closely to his aunt if he wished. Belle wouldn’t push closeness when he barely knew her. Not that she hadn’t been keeping an eye on him.

Silence seemed to envelop them both. The young dwarf didn't quite know his aunt but that was primarily because he kept to himself after both mother and father had vanished. Although Hannibal was back, Gimli felt a ton of resentment towards him and rather than be happy or glad he was around, he wanted nothing to do with him. Or at least not yet. He wasn't sure how to feel anything else other than what he was feeling now. Quietly still, he glanced towards his aunt and he wondered if she knew where his mom had gone off to. He had sensed something strange about his mom, something like what he was feeling now. She had been sad for a while, but it was more then that even. He just wasn't sure what to label it other than really, really sad.

"Do ye know where me mother is?" He asked quietly. His voice gruff from lack of use. Shaggy head turned to look at his aunt, gaze searching hers. She was an alpha, they knew everything didn't they? Half of him hoped she knew, the other half hoped she didn't because he didn't know how to feel about his mom, either right now.

Deathbelle could understand the resentment the boy felt towards his father, and she wondered if she did return the same feeling would fall him for his mother. Dutch had been an interesting woman, Belle felt like a connection could have formed between them had she not abandoned them. He even asked her where she might be.

The Empress could only hope she was alright, with the volcano the Empire couldn’t spend the resources to look for her even if they wanted to. Not that Belle hadn’t tried when she got the off chance. All she found was a stale trail that disappeared into nothing. ”She went North.” Belle told him confidently. That was the way her trail led at least. ”She did not tell anyone why or where she was really going.” Deathbelle also wasn’t going to lie to the boy. He deserved the truth as far as she could tell it as anyone. ”I hope that she and your brother are alright.” She had cared for them, especially her young nephew. He was such a quick learner and a good boy.

"She went North." He glanced up at her, wondering if that was the real truth. Though his aunts voice betrayed confidence at the statement, and what she said next solidified that. He stared at her for a long while, unsure how to feel about it all. "Aye. Me too." Yeah, he loved his mom and brother...and yeah, he did sort of hope they were safe. But at the same time, he kind of hoped they got what they deserved for abandoning him. His stupid dumb dad, too.

Was he unwanted? Was it because he was so small? Did they just think of him as a little weakling runt or something? Not only had his mom and brother left, but his dad had abandoned him too. Gimli had been on his own in most cases, though he knew his aunt and the rest of the pack were around, it didn't fill that void he had felt. He slept alone in his den. He ate alone. He often trained alone, he did almost everything alone...it was an empty feeling. He ultimately felt unwanted and the more he thought about it, the more he could feel the mix of emotions become overwhelming until eventually, he forced himself to look away so she couldn't see his face. His head was turned skyward, glad for once that the shaggy fur framing his face hid his eyes. He could feel himself trembling, the all too young pup unsure and incapable of controlling how he felt right now.

He could feel his eyes start to brim with tears. And the more he tried to hold them back, the more he failed at it. The thoughts were too overwhelming for him, and he just didn't understand why. That was and always had been his main question. Just...why? He could feel his heart hammering hard against his chest, his throat tightening as he struggled with it all. "Why...?" He finally whispered, voice cracked and quiet.

Gimli held a lot of emotion in his young form, even if he took after his mother’s size his spirit was as big as a dire. Even though his whole immediate family left him he still continued onward. Always moving forward even if he had to do it all alone. He trembled slightly as he was overwhelmed, she wondered if he’d been able to talk to anyone about how much he’d lost.

Deathbelle moved herself to curl around him if he’d let her. She’d position herself so he could easily hide his tears from her but he could also lean back against her form for the comfort he needed. ”Why?” He asked in a whisper as Belle put her head on her paws, eyes diverted from his features.

”After the eruption, as I raced home for my life, I asked that a lot.” She spoke softly of the day she lost her husband, her heart aching for him again. Living with the nightmares of seeing him swallowed up by the earth… ”You may never have an answer.” Deathbelle told him honestly, maybe he’d find one maybe he wouldn’t sometimes you didn’t know the reason for the tragedy. ”You’re still here though, and you can’t change the past.” A lesson hard learned. ”You can only work on a better future.” She aimed to nudge him with her shoulder, maybe they’d see a future where she got to see her nephew smile.