There's a hole in my heart, can you fix it? There was alot that Tana still wanted, no needed to do. Rhyme had been there that day. She'd smelled him but she hadn't dared approach her lost love. She had been there as well and shaye she knew would have none of it. Of course she had wanted to run and had trembled the entire time but she didnt want Acere to think the coward she was wouldnt support what he was doing. Shed debated this for weeks as well. She had things she needed to say, and from the anger she smelled on him he likely needed an outlet before he took it out on one of their children. Oh her children. She missed each dearly, never once had she stopped loving them either. But she knew they would of been in danger likely had she stayed. She never truly understood what Shaye had been jealous of her for, she was a tiny little ugly woman. There was nothing shaye should of been jealous of. She smelled it long before she saw it though. Abaven was in ashes. Her ears pressed back as she stood where the border should of been. Where were the children? All five? She hoped none were harmed. That they had stayed near the water. Rhyme's patrolling would be disrupted then. She had the cloak pulled over her head and she stepped back from the border. No use waiting for him there. And they'd need herbs. She began her hobbling towards her den in the maw. It was still temporary, until she was to head to the north and find Acere. She was quick with grabbing her satchel and loading it down. Alone, marigold, boneset and dandelion was what she packed. She also gave a motion for her lemurs. Alma would of been most help for the Male but Basil could at least help with instructions on things. She hurried then with Alma clinging to her chest and basil on her back. Shed need to go to a border clost to the Rapids. The falls would be best she thought. Plus at this time of night Rhyme might be on the border there somewhere. Her ears pressed as she approached. She'd already told both lemurs to be silent. The only noise give was Basil giving a whooping call for Rhyme. She didnt want to howl and have her children recognize it. They didn't need to be reunited only for them to be ripped away again. It would only hurt them all. Likely rhyme had told them anyway that tana never loved them and that she abandoned them for that reason. She tried her best to steal herself as she sat at the border and started pulling out the herbs she'd had to spare. She was laying them neatly on the border and once she was done she stood and nosed Alma from her and felt basil slide off. They had their orders. Stay and help, then return to the maw and she'd be there to meet them. They were to keep her location to themselves though. She then began hobbling away with the two monkeys left behind awaiting Rhyme. Basil knew he was the only one she wanted to ever have the location of her den, which was stocked with herbs shed likely never use. He might kill her if they crossed paths but she wouldnt fight him on it. She was miserable. Her heart broken and spirit broken as well. He'd built her up only to allow her to be broken again. Question was could she even trust Acere to not do the same? -exit tana if Rhyme doesn't track her down?- Walk, "Tana", Think

Rhyme had been close when the primate’s call found him. Rhyme made his way silently along the border to find Tana unloading herbs there. He positioned himself carefully, and oh so slowly as he didn’t want to reveal himself until the last possible moment. Tana turned to return the way she had come and Rhyme was there to block her way. There was no anger or resentment on his face, only a little bit of the pain he felt. He’d been forced to care for their children alone, made to carry the burden of Darilnor’s death alone. She’d left without even saying goodbye.

He didn’t know what to say as he stood there blocking the path, his breath ragged as thought whirled through his troubled mind. Rhyme wouldn’t hurt her in a thousand years, but what did he say to the woman who left her poor pups?

”Thank you for the herbs.” He managed, wanting her to know he appreciated the effort. He was glad she hadn’t made a fuss on the border, the last thing they needed was for their mother to be torn from them a second time. ”How could you leave them?” His voice about broke as he said it. He hated that she had left. Not her, he could never hate her. Tana had gone through too much for that, but he hated her actions. He wished she’d have tried to find a solution instead of run.

There's a hole in my heart, can you fix it? She was almost about to leave when suddenly Rhyme stood in her path. He was so quiet now and her equally so. She had been harmed enough by both him and shaye that there was nothing she could say to make either understand anymore. Shaye hadn't even been bothered enough to track her down to try to speak, that spoke enough. And for Rhyme, he had shown he had made a choice before she had ran. He thanked her for the herbs to start everything and she only dipped her head to answer the thanks he gave. He wasnt about to let her leave yet though. He spoke again, this time a question. She turned her face back to the border and took a whiff quickly. Verse had always followed Rhyme and it was no shock that her scent was on the wind. She turned her head back to Rhyme then and moved towards him giving him a gentle nudge. She wasnt speaking if any could overhear them. Basil was quick to take Alma and go seek out verse to keep her distracted for now. She hobbled off a ways until she reached the falls where the water would cover any yells or words between them. "Theres no need to hurt any of us any further, best we talk here..... if its talking you really want to do." she stopped and turned to face Rhyme, shaking the hood of her cloak off her head. She was tired and felt like she had aged years already though. "To answer your question now, they're safer if I'm not involved.... I love them too much to not leave them so they can be safe...." he wouldnt understand probably. Shaye wouldn't have told him, she probably was too happy that she forced Tana out without banishing her and tarnishing her name. No she probably told them all that Tana truly hated them and that she left because she couldn't stand them, a lie but likely what they knew. Did verse remember though? Walk, "Tana", Think

He didn’t know what he expected of her, Shaye was convinced Tana suffered from sickness of the mind. Rhyme wasn’t so sure, but he knew the trauma she suffered hadn’t been kind to her. He wished that life had been better for her, that he would have been able to do as he originally intended and helped her recover from that. He hadn’t though, and in the end she had reverted, but maybe there was still hope. Acere had agreed to let her come to his new pack, and though she wouldn’t be with or close to her children, she would have the attention and protection she needed.

Her words surprised him, and he replied softly. ”Tana, I never meant to hurt you.” Did she not understand? Rhyme and Shaye shared their alpha partnership and parenting relationships, and it didn’t go deeper. Rhyme couldn’t allow himself down that road again. Did she know how much she hurt her pups? How much they cried after she left? How much Noir… Rhyme looked away as he thought about the boy. Would he have felt the levels of jealousy he did right now if Tana had remained. ”Nothing,” He emphasized the words. ”Would hurt our pups.” Rhyme would give his own life before he allowed harm to come to his offspring. ”You leaving hurt our pups.” He whispered, still averting his gaze from her eyeless face.