His heart was heavy as he made his way to the closest border of Abaven's he could find. He was glad that his and Bass' packs weren't very far apart. He didn't want to be gone from Fiori long, but he was determined to carry out all of Quelt's last requests. He had been the one to hear them so he felt responsible for them. He sighed as he stopped at the border. The sky was dark and cloudy, but the rain was holding off for now. That was good enough for him. He lifted his muzzle to howl for Bass. His tone wasn't urgent. There was no reason for Bass to rush. The news wouldn't change no matter when he got here. He would have called for Quelt's kids that supposedly lived here, but he didn't know who they were or if they were even here. He would leave that to Bass to handle however he saw fit. Leo settled down onto his haunches to wait, glancing up at the sky to make sure it wasn't about to pour rain on him. "Talk" "You" Think

His head lifted from his snack at the howl of Leo, not deaf to the sorrow in the alpa's tone. He swallowed his last bite of rabbit with a lot of effort, fear clenching his belly like teeth around his gut. Bass hesitated for a few more minutes before finally pulling himself to his paws, ever so slowly cutting through the snow to his borders. He saw the orange man sitting there, a swatch of colour against the pale landscape. Just the look in his blue eyes was enough to tell him that this meeting wasn't good news. His ears flicked back against his head as he closed the last bit of distance between them, his features pulling downwards as he sat in front of the other male. "What happened?" he whispered, not wishing to beat around the bush. This just wasn't his year, was it? His mate leaving, his kids wandering off, and his friends dying. Why not just toss more sadness onto his ever growing pile? "SPEAK"

Art by Rina

Leo didn't have to wait too long before Bass appeared in front of him. A slight twitch of a smile touched his lips as Bass got straight to the point. He was kind of grateful for that. He wasn't sure he really felt like going through the motions of the usual pleasantries. "There was a bear attack in my pack lands," he replied simply, his ears flicking and the frown returning to his features. "My son and nephew were able to chase it off, but not before it killed two of my pack members. Quelt and his mate Bright Moon." He sighed softly, still feeling guilty and responsible for their deaths. He knew there wasn't much he could have done to keep a bear from wandering into the territory, but it didn't change the fact that they had been a part of his pack. It hurt so much to know that two wolves that he was very fond of were killed by their own den. It hurt even more to know that their kids had seen them bloodied like that. "I was able to get to Quelt before he passed and he requested that I come tell you so the news could get passed to his older children if they still lived here. He wanted them to know that he was sorry that he wasn't there for them." "Talk" "You" Think

Bass eyed Leo while his heart pounded in his chest. As soon as he heard that there had been a bear attack, it fell and crashed to his paws. Sucking in a deep breath, he visibly flinched when he said that Quelt had been one of the wolves killed. He didn't know who Bright Moon was, his mind focusing on the fact that yet another one of his friends had died so suddenly. Flopping heavily to his rump, the man stared as his paws as a quiver ran through him. He wasn't one to usually display weakness like this, not to another alpha, but he didn't care. Dead, another friend... was dead. The man's teeth grit together with an audible scrape, his jaws working as he tried his best to keep his emotions inside. A simple nod was all that Leo got from him, unable to find any other words for the moment. Qualm wasn't here any longer, but he could carry the news to Ivory Ridge himself. Quake would be his first task though, as she was right here anyways. Just when Bass didn't think that his heart could break anymore, it fractured even deeper. Was he just reaching the age when wolves started to die all around him? Was he that old? No... he still had several good years left, right? But then why did this keep happening? Why did those he cared for keep leaving him like this? Taking a few deep breaths, he cleared his throat and finally rose his head to offer a fake, half smile to Leo. "T-th," he started, stopping to let out a cough before he tried again, "Thank you, Leo. For bringing this news to me. I know how it feels to... lose pack members, and dear friends. I know how hard it is to spread the news so I do appreciate it." There was clear emotion in his voice, his front legs shaking slightly where he sat. It was hard to control it, he had just started to gather up everything that had happened to deal with it. And now... now this. A broken huff rattled out of his mouth as he shook his head, an emotionless laugh following. When would this madness end? When could he just return to life like normal without everyone going and dying on him? "SPEAK"

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It was easy to see how much the news hurt Bass the moment it left his lips. He hated that he had to spread this bad news, but part of him was glad to see that Quelt had others in the world that had cared for him. Leo hadn't gotten to know the man very well in the time he was in Fiori, but it had been easy to see that he had been a good man. The way he cared for Bright Moon and their children was enough proof to him. Leo didn't rush Bass for a response, letting the other man gather his emotions for a moment. He nodded when Bass thanked him, saying, "Of course. I'm glad I was able to do this small task for him." With a soft sigh he glanced back toward home. Even being away this long was bothering him. "I better get back. I hope to see you again soon... in happier circumstances." He gave Bass a small dip of his head before he turned around to head back toward Fiori. He was grateful that Fiori and Abaven weren't very far apart. At least he didn't have a long walk home. "Talk" "You" Think

He felt the soul crushing weight of grief on his heart, but knew that he needed to tell both wolves now what had happened to their father. He couldn't thank Leo enough for coming to tell him, he knew what a burden that must have been. But now it was passed to him, and he watched the orange man leave while his chest contracted painfully. He would have to travel to Ivory Ridge to tell Qualm, and Quake... well she was already struggling. Sighing, he sat there for a moment as he weighed everything out. To go to the mountain that Karabela had made their home would be easy, but maybe he should wait until the spring. It would make it a lot easier on him and his tired limbs, plus he could try to track down some prey at that point. It wasn't a long trek, but anything in this slush felt twice as long. He would have to tell Quake first then but... but not just yet. Finally rising to his paws, he turned and head back to his den. Someone else would have to patrol the borders tonight, he needed to try and deal with this overwhelming amount of pain before the sun set on this day. Tomorrow was a whole new day, one that meant even worse news to be spread. -exit Bass- "SPEAK"

Art by Rina