Rhyme sat stoically in front of the too-tiny grave at his feet. Blue and lavender gaze looked out over the rapids, his features blank. His heart hurt as he took in his son’s grave. The sharpened antler still lay across the top of it, and the herbs that Tana had placed were starting to grow in nicely. He tried not to think about how big Darilnor would be at this point, how much he would have learned or even what his voice would sound like.

The slate alpha still took his father’s words to heart, he focused heavily on the pups he had growing now. They were already so big he could hardly believe it. They’d be six months old when summer would eventually roll around. Soon they would start deciding on their areas of study. Rhyme couldn’t help but wonder which path Darilnor might have taken.

He sighed softly as he placed his paw over the resting place of his tiny pup. Life went on, but that didn’t make it any easier.

She found Rhyme by the grave of his lost child, stoic and sorrowful, with his eyes in the past. He had so many children to usher to the future, but she couldn’t blame him for dwelling upon this one, the one he had lost. She approached cautiously, like one might come upon a startled deer, with soft-padding paws, and gentleness in her manner. She didn’t speak until she was beside him, her shoulder brushing up against his. Their nearly equal height lost in his slumped position.

She placed a paw beside his, over the grave of the child. She couldn’t feel as he did, mourning this wolf who had never been, but she did not fault him for doing so himself. She would be there beside him, soft and gentle in her support. She didn’t get many things right, but she was determined that she would with this.

Rhyme tried not to linger in the past, there was a lot of pain and heartache he didn’t want to relive. Darilnor was one part of his past he never wanted to forget though. Though he hadn’t quite felt he’d found the right moment to tell his children about their lost brother he hoped for them to know about him. So his memory might live on in them too.

A gentle spring breeze whipped up his fur along with Shaye’s familiar scent. The slate alpha shifted his features towards her as she slipped in beside him. Her presence was an odd comfort despite the growing chasm between them. He felt his voice get caught in the lump in his throat as she gently placed a paw next to his. One icy white and the other midnight black above Darilnor’s resting place.

Blue and lavender gaze lingered there for a moment as he instinctively leaned in to Shaye’s support. They hadn’t been on the same wavelength in a long time now, and he could feel the gap keenly in his heart.

”Shaye,” he whispered as he debated if he welcomed her company or would be better to mourn on his own.

Rhyme leaned against her, and she gladly took his weight, bracing herself so she did not move at all with the gentle pressure of him. “Rhyme” she replied, her voice soft and gentle. ‘I was looking for you, is now a bad time?” she wasn’t certain if he would welcome the distract, or would rather quiet to continue to mourn. If so, she could stay quiet beside him as he let himself process his emotions, or even leave him to it until he was ready to find her.

If he did welcome the distraction, she would be glad to get into some of the topics they had long since left waiting. They had so much to talk about, and not any of it easy. Still, it had been left too long, and brewed between them bitter and quiet. From how they had broken up, to how she had chastised Tana and scared her into hiding. Her opinion on the woman's frail sanity, and how they had done little to help her. To the challenge, and how Rhyme had eyed an innocent young woman as a bargaining chip, and to how she had chatisesed them both in the field. To Ace, and his reaction of her, and how they had likely lost on of their best warriors. Leera, and the decision she had to make. She had so much to get off her chest, and ached terrible to speak to him of it all.

The slate alpha tried not to show how weak he felt to his partner, he’d done enough of that in the last season. He sighed internally as she welcomed his weight, as he realized he wanted her there for him. Shaye was gentle with him, offering to restrain her conversation if he had need of it. Rhyme sighed softly aloud, knowing he couldn’t linger here in the past for very long. He was better off seeing to these long put off conversations. He’d been given time to mourn, now was time for action.

His name had been stripped and what was left dragged through the mud. He’d lost a lot of the confidence he had gained when he escaped the slaver’s with his mother. Rhyme doubted his ability, and with his own doubt so strong he projected it on others. Everyone must have lost their confidence in him, especially Shaye.

”No, it’s okay.” He tried to ignite the strength in his voice but he wasn’t very successful. He pulled his form up instead, pulling his head up onto his shoulders as his gaze looked out over the horizon. ”We’ve a great deal to discuss.” Rhyme paused, allowing her the first word.

He would accept the conversation now, and she looked around at him as best she could in their close position. He sounded dejected, but she had always known this conversation would hurt, that was why it had taken them so long to begin it. “We do” she agreed softly, and she knew he was thinking of much the same as she was. She wouldn’t realise he was hanging more heavily onto his own misdeeds.

“Of the numerous topics we must discuss, I have something to admit to I.. May have mucked up terribly, after the challenge, I came back and scolded Tana for not watching her young pup when she escaped to the battlefield. I questioned her on how one so small, who struggles to breath with exercise, covered such a vast distance so quickly, alone in the snow with no directions. I was angry and confused, and I frightened her terribly. I strongly believe she is not all there in her mind, and I wonder if she did have something to do with her child reaching the battlefield, but I should not have scared her so. That is why you have seen so little of her.” she explained to Rhyme, hanging her head in shame. She might not think much of Tana, but she couldn't think much of herself, either, if she let herself stoop so low.

Shaye agreed quietly as he watched her from the corner of his eye, she suddenly looked much more downtrodden than he felt. He lowered his head again and touched his muzzle to hers as she began her confession. Her words were the last he had expected from her as she explained what bothered her. Instead of starting with his shortcomings she began with how she thought she had failed.

He listened to what she had to say about Tana, about what had happened after the huge debacle at the battlefield. His ears laid back over his head as his thoughts returned to Tana. She had been scarce for so long. He wondered if Vail had even seen her.

”At least I’m not the only one who acts too strongly out of impulse.” He answered her, referring to his attempted challenge for the Erovare girl. ”I’ve neglected her too,” he still didn’t know Shaye’s true feelings about the mother of his other three children. ”Trying to give her space.” He finished, wondering what might have happened had she escaped with Noir that night.

He made no response to her comment on the mental condition of the woman, simply explaining that he himself was giving her space. At least he didn’t sound made at the way she had treated the mother of three of his children. She gave a sigh, knowing there would be no easy answer here, in a way it was a good thing the woman was scarce, she often seemed to give Shaye reason to be mad at her. At least this gave everyone some breathing room.

“I trust you weren’t thinking when you challenged for the Erovare girl? I do not see you as someone who would use another for a pawn, not if you were thinking straight.” she said, her thoughts flashing to Acere’s words - how she had used Vlad as a pawn, giving him to Legion. She flattened her ears to her skull at the thought. “And.. Ace, I believe I pissed him off too greatly at the battlefield for him to come back to us, I believe him, Ignis and Actaea all plan to leave once they sort out a new home.” she said, regret in her voice. So much regret, why did they keep doing the wrong thing? She hadn’t want to cost them this warrior, or their friendships.

“Then of course there is Leera and her children, I think I have come to a decision regarding them, but it’s not going to go down well.” She didn’t see what other choice she had, this was the only path that made any sense to her.

He wasn’t made at Shaye, he didn’t know that there was anything she could do to elicit anger out of him. Rhyme had been through too much in his life to get upset with her. Even after everything that happened in the battlefield and after she admitted her wrongdoings to Tana. He wished events had been different, but there was little he could do about it but go forward. He’d broken all of his promises to Tana, he couldn’t even keep her safe from his partner.

”I needed Eulogy,” he told her, stopping before he mentioned that he would go to any length to keep his family safe. He might not have been one to usually use people, but when it came to those he cared deeply about Rhyme’s moral code grew fuzzy.

The news of Acere with his niece and nephew saddened Rhyme, but he had never expected the pale wolf to linger in Abaven long. He was too ambitious, even from the few moments they spent together Rhyme could tell that. After he’d been demoted.. it was only a matter of time. ”The day had always been coming, Shaye.” He tried to comfort her as she went on to speak about Tyranis’ woman. He hadn’t honestly given her much thought. He’d been busy starting training with the pups. ”When it comes to her the decision is all yours, though I’ll give you my opinion if you need it.”

He told her that he needed Eulogy, the indication in his words one that he would have done anything do so. It told her that he did not regret her actions, and would gladly do so again. She hung her head, feeling old and sad. She couldn’t be his moral compass, she wasn’t even certain she could be her own. How could she tell him that it clashed against her beliefs, when she felt like she was rocking her beliefs a lot lately.

“I got her back for you” she whispered, leaving words unspoken, of how she had done so without violence, with words and peace. She heard no indication that he wanted to try the harder, better way, only the fastest, sharpest course, weather it was the right one or not.

“Thank you, I’ve decided that Abaven needs to step back from the affairs of others, we have too much in-house cleaning to do. We need to find who we are, before we can affect the course of events beyond our borders. I will try to end this Leera situation with peace for us on both sides, if I can.” her words felt leaden, and slow to come. She had thought.. That speaking to Rhyme would clear the air, console her on how things should be done. That he would berate her for her actions with Tana and find a solution with the woman who could have been his mate. That he would admit wrong doings with the Erovere girl. She had wanted him to be her moral compass, for she realised how badly she needed one.

Shaye’s head hung low as he told her silently that his actions that day had only been stopped because of her order. He would have followed through, and would do so again if it meant bringing his own home. Rhyme knew she wouldn’t agree with his view, but he couldn’t change that.

”I know, I’m sorry I didn’t thank you.” He added, giving her another encouraging nuzzle as she thanked him. She told him the majority of her decision, that Abaven needed to step back. They weren’t supposed to be meddlers. They needed to sort out their inner workings before they could extend their reach beyond their well kept borders.

He nodded at her assessment of their current situation. ”I support you fully in that decision.” For a long time he had debated about telling Shaye she should demote him, but having her here now and discussing the issues needing addressed he couldn’t do it.

She surveyed him for a long moment, lost in her thoughts. A part of her wanted to suggest something that would break him, that perhaps leadership wasn’t where he needed to be. She didn’t know if he would damage relations, or indanger members of her pack, because he was prioritizing his immediate family over all else. As an Alpha, his duty needed to be to Abaven as well as his own. He needed to find a balance between them, a path that led him protect both, his duty and his blood.

She thought it, she thought it for a good, long moment, then she let out a deep exhale, and grinned. “Where a broken, old pair. You know that?” she said, chuckling a warm sound, from deep in her throat and her heart. Who was she kidding, she needed him, even if he wasn’t perfect. She was a far, far cry from perfection, or who she wanted to be. They would both learn, and make mistakes, but at least this way they could do it together. She had his support, and in a way, that was all she needed. The least she could do was believe in him. She leaned forward, and offered him a soft, chaste kiss on his cheek. It was all she could allow herself, they had tried that path and it hadn’t worked out well. “I support you too, and I appreciate you by my side. Neither of us thought we would be leaders a year ago, and yet here we are. We make this work, somehow, and I have no doubt we will continue to do so. Together.” she promised him.

He didn’t know that Shaye was thinking along the same lines he was about his position within Abaven, but would have been glad they both came to the same conclusion. Neither alpha was perfect, but Rhyme liked to think they made up for each other’s weaknesses. Shaye’s grin was enough to pull him up out of his sadness. She told him they were old and broken, and he couldn’t refute her claim. He did shake his head though.

”Our kids better grow up fast, they’ll have to replace our disintegrating bodies.” He managed to chuckle as he leaned in closer to Shaye as she offered him a bit of timid affection. Their official romantic relationship hadn’t lasted very long, and though he still wondered what might have been, he didn’t return her kiss. He didn’t trust himself.

”We’ve managed to make it work, no matter what. Together.” He paused, aiming to catch her gaze. “No use fixing what’s not broken.” But they were broken weren’t they? They’d already admitted to it. ”In our case though…”