The wee morning hours brought about the end of a chapter. The flames had fully consumed the body of her golden brother. Nothing but ashes were left when she peeled herself from the cold stone where she'd been curled all night. The pressure of her body on the wound in her foreleg had forced it to clot, but rising had ripped the wound open once more. It didn't flow as wildly as it had when fresh, but it resumed a steady dribble. Each step left little droplets as she made her way away from Aerie. She simply couldn't be there right now. It was too much. And yet, at the same time the midnight woman was numb. Feeling wasn't in the cards at present.

Her subconscious must have thought she needed something. Moving on autopilot, Fel made her way to the rocky river and the cave nestled back among the trees. She was tired and she was weak but she didn't stop. Fel still didn't know if she could trust them but they had fed the affection starved woman when no one else would. It seemed that she was ravenous yet again.

They weren't awake when she stopped outside the den. The birds themselves had only just risen. The first tentative chirps broke the silence of night. Rather than disturb the pair, Fel curled herself in a tight little ball on the very rock where they'd all rested together. The wound still seeped and soon a single rivulet swept over the side of the stone. Ruby eyes were wide and unblinking but she saw nothing. If she gave way to sleep, Aureus would be there. She wasn't ready for that just yet.

Sleep was a luxury Azriel had never had a plethora of. His brain simply did not let the striped brute rest, the gears constantly turning in his mind, finding something to focus on even in the still silence of the night. The only times he had ever found a restful night’s sleep were the nights he had shared with his lovely companion, or more recently, the one they had shared together with their newest confidant. In fact, it was Fel who kept him awake now, his mind playing back every touch and taste, every laugh or word she spoke, every smile and every grin and every sound. She was a drug and he was becoming addicted. It was a dangerous situation to navigate, one he hadn’t had to with Sibyl. He peered over at the sleeping woman beside him in the darkness of their den. He envied her ability to find comfort and rest wherever she was. Sibyl was a wolf of simple means, and as such was often happy or satisfied. Not him. Azriel could not be satisfied.

He lay on his back, staring blankly up at the rocky ceiling overhead while listening to the odd bird start singing outside. The world was still dark, but he knew morning would be approaching soon enough. A heavy sigh left the man. Another night wasted on pockets of sleep and rumination... Although it hadn’t been entirely wasted, he supposed. Azriel had spent the earlier evening wandering around the edges of the Aerie lands, hoping to catch sight of Fel somewhere on her own turf. Although not stupid enough to try trespassing, he had been close enough to smell the woodsmoke coming from somewhere within. A bonfire or celebration, perhaps? He could only speculate; but perhaps he’d ask the shadowed fae the next time she returned to them. Fel had an obnoxious habit of leading this dual lifestyle with them while also keeping them in the dark in matters of her pack life. It was frustrating to say the least, but whatever she was juggling in her private affairs, it had her crawling back to them in the worst state Azriel had ever seen her in. What had Fel gotten herself into?

Deciding that slumber was a pipe dream at this point, Azriel carefully extricated himself from the bed and padded as silently as he could outside for a drink. He peered back at Sibyl, watching her for a moment to make sure he hadn’t woken her up, then emerged out into the darkness of the early morning. The cool autumn air greeted him, sending a chill through him—but what froze him in his tracks was the black form of a smaller wolf resting on a rock just outside their den. Steel grey eyes focused through the dark to her, spotting the two gorgeous garnets he’d become intimately familiar with first. When had she gotten here? How had he not heard her? Truly Fel possessed a particular set of skills, and impressive ones at that. The corners of his lips curling up in a small smile, the dark-furred brute walked slowly over to where she was lying. There was no hesitation in his approach, no caution anymore as he acknowledged  her as he would Sibyl.

The first thing he noticed was her expression. Fel looked empty, her wide-eyed stare vacant and emotionless. If he hadn’t seen her chest rising and falling with each breath, Azriel might have mistaken her for a corpse. The second thing he noticed was the blood; the metallic tang in the air making his nose wrinkle. She was bleeding? Had she been attacked? A defensive anxiousness rose in the brute. If someone had hurt Fel... Suppressing the urge to growl at his own thoughts and conspiracies, Azriel instead moved to lie down beside Fel, sliding close to her on the rock the way he had done with her only days before. He offered his larger, muscles form for her to press and lean into, his bushy tail curling around to try and find hers. It was cold out and he didn’t know how long she’d been here alone, but she would need warmth and, judging by the look on her face, someone to at least be with.

“You can come inside, you know. The door is always open to you. It’s a damn sight more comfortable and warm than this rock,” said Azriel in a low, calm voice after a moment of peaceful silence. He turned his eyes from Fel down to the trail of dark blood on the rock leading to her leg. “Do you want to talk about it, or forget about it?” With the obsidian femme, it was impossible to tell if she would want to vent her frustrations, take them out on him and Sibyl in the loveliest of ways, or merely ignore them. He gestured with his snout to her injury. Azriel slowly lowered his muzzle to her leg, waiting to see if she’d pull away or reject his offer to clean her wound before attempting to clean the cut with a few gentle licks of his broad tongue.

"Speech" | Thoughts

So far gone was the shadowed fae that she only registered Azriels presence after he crossed her line of sight. Claret eyes blinked, but she didn't move. She didn't want to move. Moving was effort and Fel just didn't have it in her. She was sad. She was empty. And yet... she was filled so full. A dam had been built and it was just barely holding back everything that she'd suppressed since Aureus died. One little crack in the foundation and she would burst.

As the big, stripped man lay down beside her, Fel realized how cold she was. The heat pouring off of him hurt her skin, but she liked that hurt. The silvered woman turned into him, burying her freezing nose in the thick fur of his ruff. It was a cold morning. A reminder of the winter to come. Steam danced above the lazy river. Was there frost on the ground? She hadn't noticed.

One onyx ear flicked to the side, catching the man's words as he invited her into the den. She wanted to tell him that she knew it was warm. That it had been her den before it was his. That she had fucked any number of wolves within and had left them by morning. Instead, she stayed silent. He was trying to be kind. She wouldn't throw it back in his face. His second offer was met with a single grunt and she buried her face deeper into his fur. No, she didn't want to talk about it. The bare minimum for existence would suffice for now.

The smooth tongue running over the clean slice on her right foreleg brought a soft gasp from the woman. Dainty digits flexed almost involuntarily and she turned her elbow in so that she could roll the wound upward, exposing more of it to his careful ministrations. Fel's heart did a little skipping dance within her ribcage and she peeled her face away from Azriel just enough to keet one ruby eye fall upon the wounded limb and the tongue working it over. Did he realize how intimate an act this was for her? In any other state she may have told him as much, but as she was, Fel remained silent and watched.

If she hadn't looked so beaten down and broken inside, Azriel would have thought the silent, moody Fel was downright adorable. From her wordless sounds of protest to the way she hid herself from the cold world in his fur, simply having her here again felt like a small joy. But any joy her presence would have had was overshadowed by his concern for the mute fae. It seemed as if every time he saw Fel, she had deteriorated more and more, imploding in on herself. The reasons still eluded the monochromatic male, but he felt like he was slowly working his way closer to an answer. The only question that lingered with him though was would he want to know that answer?

The soft gasp that slipped from her did not go unnoticed, charcoal ears flicking back to catch the sound and grey eyes watching her toes flex and spread while her leg turned toward his tongue. Were this a couple of days ago, Azriel would have reveled in the chance to draw those sounds from Fel, savored the opportunity to make her toes curl, but this time felt different. Caught somewhere between the night and the dawn, Azriel just felt concern and sorrow for the ebony fae, rare emotions in the otherwise ruthless wolf. Empathy was not something he was good at. Kindness was not something he was good at. Fel was proving to be an exception to his rule—or perhaps she had just made her way into his circle, becoming one of only two wolves he genuinely cared for besides himself. Whatever the reason, Azriel felt compelled to clean her up, to keep her warm, to shelter her from the harsh world that seemed to be eating her alive from the inside.

Soft tongue continued its gentle care over the wound, swiping away dried and fresh blood that stained her dark leg. The taste of iron and salt lingered on his tongue, a flavor he was familiar with, yet held a far different and less pleasant connotation in its current context. The wound he noticed was surgically done, with no tears or jagged edges. Something incredibly fine and sharp had done this; this was no bite or fighting wound. The longer his muzzle lingered near her, the more Azriel began to notice. Her fur still smelled of the same smoke he had smelled earlier in the night. She had been there, at whatever had happened, and emerged worse for wear, physically, emotionally, mentally. This seemed less and less like a bonfire the more he thought about it. But she had made it clear she didn't want to talk about it; he respected that, and if comfort was what she came looking for, he could try his damnedest to be what she needed in this moment. Azriel moved his paw towards hers, motions slow and methodical, to gently rest over hers. If she continued to show no sign of resistance, he would lift and rotate her delicate paw as if he were handling the most precious artifact in the world, making sure he could reach every bloodstained strand of fur without hurting her.

"You don't have to be alone, Fel," he murmured against her skin, breath hot as it left him in opaque clouds against her flesh. "You don't have to face everything on your own or do anything you don't want to do." Retracting a bit to examine the cut a little more closely to see if the bleeding had ebbed away, Azriel placed one more tender lick across the wound, then turned his head just enough for one grey eye, tinted with flecks of silver in the fading moonlight, to meet her ruby one. For once, his expression seemed to soften as he considered the dark woman pressed up to him, a rueful look in his gaze as the walls fell away entirely. Fel was hurting, she was drowning, and he had no way to help her. "For what it's worth..." he began, shifting a little closer to make sure all of her was surrounded by him, leaving little exposed to the world or the wolf that had done this to her, "I'm very sorry..." He didn't know exactly what he was sorry for yet, but he had an inkling. There were too many clues to ignore, and even if she didn't ever want to talk about it, she wasn't alone. She would never be alone again. Azriel would make sure of that.

"Speech" | Thoughts

Even though she could get irritated or frustrated with Azriel from time to time, he really had become a steady fixture in her life at this point so when she shifted in her sleep and realized his warmth wasn't there it was enough to pull her awake and make her blink open her lavender eyes. While it wasn't unusual for him to wake up before she did, he usually hung pretty close by even if he was awake. When she lifted her head and looked around the cave and realized he wasn't there it made her curious and perhaps a bit worried - especially since it was still early enough in the morning for it to still be pretty dark out. Uncurling from where she had been sleeping, Sibyl got to her paws and shook out her fur before she slipped out of the cave and easily spotted the dark pair pressed together on the rock they had all rested on previously. A quick sniff of the air brought the sharp, metallic tang of blood to her nose. It was fairly subtle, but was too familiar for her to ignore. She paused and her ears flicked uncertainly before she diverged from them to gather a few things. She wasn't sure which of them was injured at this point since she didn't want to disturb them before she was ready, but it didn't matter. She had few real, tangible skills in this world and she wasn't going to let the one she had go to waste whenever it was needed. The bad thing about traveling around so often was that she didn't have a chance to build much of a supply of herbs the way that the wolves she learned from had done so finding the herbs she needed was sometimes hit or miss, but luckily with the river near by finding horsetail was easy enough. She wished she had more options to choose from, but this would do well enough to keep the wounds closed. With a small bundle of horsetail held delicately between her teeth, she set off to find Fel and Azriel again. When she found them she was surprised to see the tenderness in Azriel's expression. She knew he had taken quite a liking to Fel, just as she had, but this sort of... softness was rare at best from the large brute. She cast him a curious glance before refocusing her attention on Fel, her lavender gaze drifting to the cut along her leg. Her ears flicked while a worried frown pulled at her lips, but she didn't ask for an explanation. It wasn't really her place to say one way or another, she was just here to care for the fae that she had grown to care for quite a bit... perhaps a bit too much considering the fact that they couldn't pull her away from her life here. Pushing the thought aside, she settled beside Fel opposite from where Azriel was laying and went to work crewing up a bit of the bitter, sticky plant to seal up the oddly clean cut. Talk

Azriel's tongue, his touch, his very demeanor was so tender. When had he ever been so tender? It proved to Fel just how broken she must have appeared at the moment and part of her wanted to balk against it. Wanted to snatch her wounded leg away from him and say that she was fine. Another part, the larger part, truly needed someone else to care. She'd been through a lot, dammit. Didn't she deserve a bit of tenderness? If Abraxas chose to provide, then she wouldn't deny this moment between man and woman. It he chose to provide, she would accept it as the gift that it was. Oh so gently the giant striped brute took her paw, turning the wounded limb so that he could fully inspect it. She allowed him to do so, her face turning fully so that both eyes could watch the care given. Though they didn't know one another terribly well, Fel knew that this sort of gentleness was in short supply as far as Azriel was concerned. It was a rarity. Again, she thanked Abraxas for this moment. Her breath was steady, but ever now and again it would come in a shaky rasp, particularly when his tongue hit a sore area. She liked it though. The dark lady liked it a lot. His voice actually startled her. She was so used to the silence and her own mental musings that she hadn't expect anything so real to break either one. The woman's pupils pinned much like a birds before she was able to focus fully. Even his words were kind. How could she respond to them though without blowing the whole situation open wide? Aerie was a tight lipped, private bunch. They did not let their secrets or their pack business out to others, no matter how enticing it might be. And then he apologized for something that he didn't even know about. Still unable to speak, Fel did the only thing that she could do. Moving her head forward, the woman's ears pulled back and she rested her forehead against his cheek. A silent thank you. The chill had long left her svelte frame thanks to the heat pouring off of the big beast beside her. Fel would have been content to stay like this, but soft pawfalls pulled her attention away from her comfort. The fae's garnet gaze fell upon the lovely form of Sibyl. The items that she brought were those of a healer. Internally, Fel chuckled. That proved just how little she knew of this pair. She had no idea that the pallid fae had any knowledge of healing. As Sibyl settled along her other side, the dark woman adjusted, pressing her body into the smaller dame as much as she could without disturbing her work. The acrid scent of herbs hit her nose as Sibyl began to chew. Though she didn't want to, Fel extracted her foreleg from Azriel's grasp and moved it closer to the small fae. Sibyl was going out of her way to help, so Fel would do her best to make things go smoothly. Since the wound was on the leg closest to Azriel, Fel leaned her full weight against him. This way she could stretch her injured limb out and closer to Sibyl so that the woman could work. It would also turn the wound upward so that it could be more easily accessible. As she leaned into the striped man, she realized again just how tired she was. Though recent events had torn her to pieces inside, at the moment she was feeling a little better. Sliding her cheek along blackened fur that was slightly more coarse than her own, she managed to finally speak. "Thank you." It was for them both and she meant it with all of the sincerity that she could muster. "Speech"

Azriel listened to each sound and each breath the dark femme made with each action, taking a secret silent pleasure in every skip or shake he drew from her. Were this any other time, he would have delighted in having the gorgeous fae snuggled so close, so intimately, the warmth of her body pressed to his and her softer fur mingling with his coarse coat, coaxing those sounds from her and turning her on with the slightest of touches. Sometime during his tending to her, he felt the weight of Fel's head pressing against his cheek, and Azriel felt his heart miss a beat. While this empathy wasn't something he was familiar with, he couldn't deny he was enjoying the way she was reacting to him. He must have been doing something right, and in this moment, it seemed like this was exactly what she needed. He responded to her silent gratitude by leaning his head back against hers, content to just breathe and exist with his darling little shadow for a while. Silver-toned grey eyes stared out into the dark pre-dawn forest, running from the silhouettes of trees up to the fading stars in the heavens overhead.

For all his life, Azriel had been a loner, laying wherever his paws stopped and going wherever his mind locked on. But this... this was lovely. He could get used to this. A chilly early autumn night, caught somewhere between the fading night and the approaching dawn with Fel and no one else in the world, the shared warmth between them surrounding him like a blanket, and a tranquil silence in the sleeping forest... It was like something out of a pleasant dream. A deep inhale followed by a sigh came from the larger brute. Fel was affecting him in ways no other wolf had. Empathy and sweetness were a scarce resource in the striped male, traits only Sibyl had ever been able to extract from him before. But Fel was different than Sibyl. And right now, Fel was broken. Azriel knew it wasn't his responsibility to try and pick up the pieces of her, but he wanted to. That was a new feeling; the compelling need to care for another. To put her needs above his own. This was not a game any longer. This was something else entirely.

Movement out of the corner of his eyes caught Azriel's attention. A subtle turn of his head brought Sibyl into his gaze. Grey eyes met her lavender ones as she surmised what was going on, but he otherwise made no motion or signal to her. He didn't want to disturb Fel too much with unnecessary movements. While Sibyl wandered off toward the river, hopefully to grab some supplies to help Fel, Azriel moved his muzzle closer to nuzzle against her head, the little shows of care hopefully distracting her from whatever darkness had seeped into her soul. Sibyl returned just minutes later, carrying the herbs she needed. Azriel motioned with his eyes down to Fel's injured leg, reluctant to release her paw from his gentle hold when Fel moved it over to the lighter fae's attention. With his larger size and weight, he was able to easily support Fel when she shifted and leaned more fully against him like a furry living cushion. A small, melancholic smile touched his face as he watched the two ladies, Sibyl tending to Fel with the expert paws of a trained healer. The sensation of Fel's cheek nuzzling against his side quickened his pulse in an unfamiliar manner, but the flames her touch left against his skin was a burn he was all too happy to receive.

Azriel didn't respond verbally to Fel's quiet thank you. Instead, he turned his muzzle back toward his companion and leaned closer to place a gentle lick across her forehead, a silent "you're welcome" in response. Now that Sibyl was tending to her wound, Azriel was able to relax. Sure, he could clean an injury, but he knew precious little about antiseptics and bandages, or what herbs worked best for pain relief. That was a talent that Sibyl had always impressed him with. Slowly extracting a paw from beneath Fel's weight, Azriel shifted a little to lie on his side and carefully offer her his leg to drape across her, a small gesture of protection and comfort, allowing her body to settle fully into his if she wanted to fall asleep. Azriel then began to hum a soft, low tune, the melody resonating deep in his chest, a tranquil lullaby for the dark fae. Perhaps one day he would come to fully understand everything about Fel Abraxas. But for now, he was content to just have her here with him and Sibyl. The rest didn't matter. Only her, only now.

"Speech" | Thoughts

Sibyl took a closer look at the wound as it was presented to her more fully. Her small, gentle paws shifted the fur around the cut to brush it aside and looked carefully over the clearly purposeful slice in her flesh. It was in too odd of a spot to be caused by someone else unless she had presented her leg to them and as much as she would like to ask what happened or theorize herself about what would cause such a wound, that wasn't why she was here. She was here to fix and to heal. It was a skill that she rarely used on anyone besides herself or Azriel these days, but Fel was a more than worthy candidate for such a thing. She carefully looked over the cut as best as she could in the low light of early morning while she continued to crew the horsetail into a smooth paste. Luckily it seemed that one of them - probably Azriel if she had to guess - had already cleaned the wound fairly thoroughly so there wasn't any old blood or dirt to contend with. She would have liked to have some other medications to apply before she sealed it, but limited resources forced her to work with what she could find. Her lavender eyes glanced up at Fel as she thanked them, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she watched Azriel kiss her forehead in response. It was still surprising to her the softness that Fel pulled out of Azriel, but it oddly made her like Fel even more. Sibyl wasn't quite the paranoid, violent wolf that Azriel could be, but when he really trusted someone it made her feel all that much more at ease around them as well. She leaned over to press her nose to Fel's cheek in a silent "you're welcome" as well before turning her attention back to work. While her paws ever so gently and carefully held Fel's leg still and kept the edges of the cut together, she started placing the paste she had created with the horsetail along the cut with light licks and pats of her tongue. Again, not the most sophisticated of methods, but without all the tools she had been trained with she could only do her best to take care of Fel with her limited supplies. Once the break in the skin was throughly coated in the sticky paste, she pulled back a bit to examine her work and make sure she didn't miss any spots. Once she was sure it was completely covered, she still held Fel's leg still for a bit longer, just to give it a chance to set and begin to harden to form a natural bandage of sorts. "I'm sorry I don't have anything to offer you for pain at the moment," she told Fel with a glance, her voice soft since it felt wrong to break the quiet of the early morning too drastically. "I don't have much of a chance to create much of an herb store with all the traveling we've done... But this will at least keep it from getting dirty while it begins to heal." Once she was sure that the wound would remained sealed, she let go of Fel's leg so she could pull it back and rest more comfortably once more. She shifted more onto her side herself and stretched out a bit while curious, pale eyes looked from Fel to Azriel and back again, listening while the largest of their band of misfits began to hum and give a quiet background soundtrack for their early morning melancholy. She settled herself into the nook of Fel's side easily, making it so that herself and Azriel could block Fel off from whatever world had done this to her. Not just the cut - it was a small wound that would heal fairly easily on its own - but whatever other things and "responsibilities" had pulled her apart and brought her to this point. She rested her head against Fel's shoulder and leaned up to give the edge of the fae's jaw a tender, comforting lick before reclining back and letting her own thoughts wander to other times and other places while they rested there in what seemed to be their new favorite cuddle spot. Talk

Azriel continued to pay special attention to her and Fel soaked it up like a sponge. She was thirsty for attention and hungry for affection. The shadowed man was providing her with much needed sustenance. Each nuzzle, each caress, each carefully distributed gesture and touch... she consumed it all and she consumed it greedily. At the moment, whatever he wanted he would have given him as long as he didn't stop giving in return. Then Sibyl was there and the fire that burned within the shadowed woman was tamped down. Not to say that the pale lady made her any less lusty, but it was a different type of lust. Sibyl was a 'lunch in the meadow with some sweet love making' type of lust, whereas Azriel was a 'fight me then fuck me' type of lust. Fel needed both of them equally. The ashen fae worked on the wound in her arm and apologized for not having anything for the pain. Fel exhaled lightly in amusement. "Pain is nothing." The wound didn't even hurt that bad and the salve that Sibyl had spread upon it was helping the dull throb that remained. When Sibyl spoke of not having a chance to accumulate herbs due to their moving, Fel said the first thing on her mind. "Then join Aerie. Have a place to come home to where you can store all the herbs your heart desires." She wanted to tell the woman to do it for her, but she couldn't. Fel knew that Eli wouldn't easily accept outsiders. Probably even less so if they were affiliated with her. A gentle, almost loving lick was bestowed upon her forehead by the big man and Fel sighed. Once Sibyl was curled up on the other side of her, the midnight fae lifted one arm to wrap around her, pulling the white and grey woman close. It was fitting, for Azriel did the very same to her. Fel nestled against him and she kept Sibyl nestled against her. In this way, Azriel's paw should have been touching the pale beauty as well. All three of them. All together. Fel was surprised when Azriel began to hum. Pressed against his barrel chest as she was, the lithe woman could feel each reverberation that thrummed through the man. It was incredibly comforting. Bloodmoon eyes drifted closed as she lay her head down upon the oustretched, injured foreleg, though she was careful not to touch the wound. With comfort on either side, Fel finally spoke. Her tones were soft, barely above a whisper, but she spoke. "My brother is dead." Aside from when she'd summoned Thalia to the funeral, this was the first time that she'd said it aloud. Her mental barriers were thin and all of this kindness made them thinner still. Before she knew it, the tears were spilling over. She didn't wail. She didn't sob. She simply couldn't stop her eyes from seeping tears that should have been shed days ago. "Speech"

Azriel contented himself to watch while Sibyl tended to Fel with experienced paws, his tune continuing in a perfect loop. For some time, the soft melody from his childhood that had not been sung in an age was the only sound between the three wolves until Sibyl proclaimed her tasks completed, lamenting about their lack of supplies. One of Azriel's dark ears flicked atop his head. That had been one of the major drawbacks to the vagabond lifestyle: total freedom, but a profound lack of stability. Every day felt like a new challenge, and some days just beat them down more than others. But nowhere had tempted Azriel's interests enough to keep him around longer than a few days. Well, until now, it seemed, as they'd spent... how long had they actually been in Boreas for? Had it been a week yet? Time seemed to matter less and less the more he spent with Sibyl and with Fel. He was a patient wolf, and waiting for something he wanted was nothing new to him. But that something had never been a someone before. That part was still fresh.

The brute's ears flicked again to catch Fel's offer to Sibyl. An invitation to Aerie, to her pack. Well, perhaps not her pack... or then again, maybe it was. He didn't know much of Fel's biography; perhaps they had been sleeping with the alpha of the enigmatic pack. Her words brought with them the promise of what they lacked: stability, consistency, and a home. They would have regularity in their lives; familiar beds to come back to every night, familiar faces of neighbors and comrades, familiar lands for well-traveled paws to traverse... But it also came at a cost. A pack meant rigidity, a strict order, and subordination. It meant they would be subjugated to the wills and whims of the leader—though if it was Fel, Azriel had no problems submitting himself to her will. It had been so very, very long since Azriel had been part of a formal pack, and the last time... He didn't bother to think of the last time. Azriel realized he had unconsciously stopped humming when Fel spoke about joining Aerie, and quickly resumed his slow, somber tune once he was aware again. There was no need to dwell on that any further. Her suggestion was enticing... oh, so enticing... but it came with a whole new set of concerns as well.

He felt Fel relax more readily against him, letting her head settle down over her leg. His paw wrapped around her began a slow, stroking motion across her side, running claws through svelte fur. This was the one time in his life Azriel had been thankful to be an insomniac. He dreaded the thought of what he might have seen tomorrow morning had he not gotten up when he did. Fel had needed this badly—and somewhere deep inside, Azriel had too. He had been lost in his own thoughts about Aerie and his soft song that he almost missed when Fel finally spoke again, and boy was he glad he did. Fel's words sent a cold icicle stabbing through his heart. That explained everything. Fel's unusual mood shifts whenever she left them, the responsibilities she had to tend to, the smoke and the fire, and the way he had found her tonight... Azriel obviously knew nothing about the deceased wolf, but it was clear that he had been someone very important to the ebon-furred fae. His paw shifted, running gently along each stroke of silver along Fel's back. His gaze drifted down to her face just in time to notice as the glistening teardrops began to fall from wine-tinted eyes.

The sudden display of unabated and unguarded emotions caught him by surprise, but what surprised him even more was how quick he was to react. Without a moment's hesitation, Azriel brought a large, tender paw up to catch some of the tears that fell down her cheeks and muzzle. He would not tell her not to weep; she was grieving and she was purging all of those building emotions. This was what she had been hiding, keeping locked away from everyone, including herself it seemed. Azriel brought his snout back down to her forehead, planting a soft kiss against her forehead, and then another, and then another, until the dark brute was leaving a random trail of kisses from her forehead to her ear that he managed to reach and over her cheek. His paw around her wound tighter around her side, keeping her held snugly against his larger, muscular frame to shelter her from the turbulent storm. It was protective and a touch possessive, the male wanting nothing more than to hide his Fel away from the world that had so cruelly laid her low. His nose pressed against her fur took in the burnt scent of the smoke, eyes closing and brow furrowing at the implications it brought with it.

"I'm sorry, Fel..." he murmured against her skin between the little kisses and nuzzles. "What was his name?" Azriel was not a wolf of sympathy, but he wanted to mourn with the fae that had scaled the walls of his defenses and taken up residence somewhere deep inside his mind and soul. He could not mourn for a nameless wolf he had never met before though.

"Speech" | Thoughts

She lifted her brows with surprise for a moment at the suggestion that she might join Aerie and with a quick glance toward Azriel's face she could see her partner contemplating the suggestion as well. Being a part of a pack wasn't exactly something that had gone well for her once upon a time and she wasn't sure that it was something she would want to give a second chance, but... the thought of being more permanently at Fel's side and having a place for her to call "home" for the first time in a very long time did have its charms. No one had caught her attention and affections the way Fel had. The last wolf that did that was Azriel, but it was different with him. With him it felt more like a symbiotic relationship. He cared for her and protected her while she assisted with his plans and provided her various skills when they were needed. The closeness they had formed had grown over time, at least on her end, and now she couldn't imagine being without him. With Fel it felt far more certain right away. It was the kind of feeling where she wasn't entirely sure how their lives were going to fit together at first, but she knew that was something she wanted. The rigidity of a pack didn't sound all that appealing, but was there enough pros to out way the cons? She wasn't sure yet, but it was an interesting thought. As they all stacked together into a beautifully fitting cuddle pile, Sibyl happily nuzzled into Fel's chest and savored the warmth of it all while Azriel's quiet humming continued to drown out the silence of the still morning air. She loved how Fel pulled her into an embrace and if given the choice she would never leave from this spot. She was still worried about Fel and her injury and the mysterious circumstances surrounding it, but her thoughts were interrupted when Fel oh so quietly proclaimed that her brother was dead. It made Sibyl blink open her eyes once more and she lifted her head from Fel's chest long enough to look up toward the larger fae's face. Her mismatched ears flicked and folded back against her head when she saw the tears glittering in Fel's gaze, feeling her own heart silently break for her. It wasn't that she was necessarily torn up about the male that was no longer with them, but seeing how much it hurt Fel passed that sorrow along to her as well. They would grieve together for a man that she would never meet. She nuzzled into Fel's dark chest and around the base of her neck again, slipping her paws around Fel's sides alongside where Azriel was holding onto her so she could add to this comforting embrace. She was glad to hear Azriel ask for the brother's name so at least she would have a name to go along with this mourning they would do together. In her mind at least, even if Fel couldn't go with them into their adventures and even if they never actually joined her in Aerie, Fel was one of them now. Sibyl didn't have family and never really had. Azriel was the closest she had ever gotten and in her own strange way she loved him and now Fel would be added to that extremely short and selective list in her heart. Talk

The low, somber humming was soothing. So soothing that Fel felt relaxed for the first time in a long time. Here, nestled between these two strangers, she felt safe and protected. Guarded against anything that might want to harm her. If she could crawl inside of them and stay there, she would. Azriel and Sibyl... they were exactly what she needed. What she craved. They were filling an empty chasm within her that had gone unfulfilled for far too long. Azriel began to stroke down her side in a rhythmic sort of way and each passing calmed the woman even more. With Sibyl pressed to her chest Fel could have purred if she had the parts to do so. Despite the pain that ravaged her insides, she was content to be sandwiched between them. It was only because of this comfort that she was able to enlighten them as to the reason behind her pain. Aureus was gone. Her brother was gone. She could feel the stutter in the serenity as she uttered those words and she had expected it, but she hadn't expected the endless kindness. Again she was shocked by the big man. First he'd sang for her, now he was dusting little kisses over her face. Again the thought crossed her mind that she had to be doing something right. Otherwise why would Abraxas place these two in her path? Her god knew what she needed and she needed these two strangers. A moment later Sibyl nuzzled into her and Fel pulled her close, moving so that she could wrap both arms around the ash and snow fae. The tears continued to flow and would do so no matter how many times Azriel wiped them away. She hadn't cried for her brother yet. There was a lot of buildup. They asked his name and at first she couldn't bring herself to say it. Her throat felt pinched off and painful. She wouldn't sob, dammit. She wouldn't. Ah, but the moment she spoke his name, she knew that was a lie. "Aureus..." His name came out on a soft, but strangled note. A moment later, she had her face buried in Sibyl soft fur. The walls had come crashing down and Fel dissolved into the wash of emotions that she'd kept tamped down for so long. "Speech"

Despite how strong Fel had been attempting to be through everything, it was clear the burdens were finally catching up to her. Her meticulously placed facade and defenses were crumbling, and like a split in a dam, everything she had been keeping locked away was now spilling out like a tidal wave. Azriel contented himself with simply wiping her tears from her delicate features whenever they built up on her face. Didn't Fel have any support back in her pack? No friends, no family that she could open up to or rely on? Or perhaps that was the problem... maybe she didn't have anyone else in her life. Solitude on its own could be taxing on a wolf—isolation was a different beast entirely. Even if it was just for this moment, Azriel committed himself to being the life raft she direly needed in a turbulent sea. He didn't know how this would affect their relationship with Fel, or if it even would in the long run, but she had become the third in their unofficial trio since their arrival in Boreas, and he'd be damned if he was going to abandon her. If nothing else, the monochromatic brute was selfish with those he cared for.

Aureus. Fel spoke his name, her voice choked with the overwhelming emotions. Aureus Abraxas. Azriel would never know the wolf behind the name; his mannerisms, his personality, his humor, his appearance... But he would be carried on in the hearts of those who loved him, like his dear Fel. That was enough for him to care for the wolf he would never meet. Azriel was far from a religious wolf; how could anyone believe in invisible beings that didn't give two shits about him or any other creature in this fucked up world? But despite his beliefs—or lack thereof—every wolf believed in something after this life. Whether it was a paradise to welcome souls into, a purgatory or Hell, a rebirth into a new life, or something else entirely, something always came next. He had never bothered himself to learn any of the other beliefs of an afterlife others held, and he didn't know if Fel believed in anything, but he did know one simple prayer from his pack days. While it wasn't one he had ever uttered for anyone, maybe it would bring some comfort to the departed soul, and to the ravaged soul currently clutched possessively and protectively in his arms.

"May warm winds and summer days welcome you home, Aureus Abraxas..." His words were a gentle whisper, just audible to the two faes above the rippling waters of the river nearby. Azriel turned his head a little to gaze up at the fading stars overhead, as if he possessed the ability to peer through the veil between this world and the next to speak to the Abraxas brother directly. If there was anything beyond this world, he hoped it would reach its intended recipient. And if there wasn't, at least maybe it would soothe Fel. The words had felt foreign on his tongue, and though he had excluded the second half of the prayer, its sentiment rang true. Endless summer days, a light breeze to ripple through fur, warm sunshine and limitless field and forests to roam... What had seemed like nonsense to the wolf in his young age now felt like a salve he could provide.

Turning his head back to Fel, he leaned in to gingerly nuzzle his cheek and muzzle against hers and down through her scruff from behind. "Stay with us," he quietly pleaded to the ebon and silver fae. "At least for a couple of days. Don't go back and let yourself be hurt."

"Speech" | Thoughts

Eventually the brother's name came out into the open with what seemed like a good bit of struggle from Fel to do so. The heart breaking sorrow in the woman's voice made her ears fold back against her skull in response and when Fel pressed her face into her pale fur Sibyl instinctively leaned into the touch. She wrapped her head over the top of Fel's, nuzzling the space between her ears. Despite the fact that she had shunned much of the teachings of the healers and caretakers that had raised her, she still had a secret soft spot somewhere in her soul that pulled her to protect and care for others if they ever managed to reach that part of her. She certainly couldn't physically protect them the way that Azriel could, but comforting and absorbing as much of this sadness that Fel would let her take was something that she was more than willing to do. Emotional pain was far harder to treat or deal with than physical pain so she hoped that perhaps their presence alone was enough to at least dull a bit of that ache. Her lavender eyes flicked up toward Azriel for a moment when he spoke again to declare that Fel should stay with them for a few days. If Sibyl had her way Fel would stay for far longer than a few days, but she could at least agree from a healer's perspective that it would be in the fae's best interest to stay away from the source of this pain while these wounds began to heal. "Yes... Let us help," she commented in agreement, looking back to Fel again with a small frown. "I know you have your responsibilities and duties, but... You have to take care of yourself too." Sibyl gently nosed Fel's cheek and left a few tender licks along her jaw while she waited for Fel to reply. She didn't pressure her for an answer or ask again no matter how much time passed. Hell, even if Fel didn't verbally reply Sibyl certainly wasn't going anywhere any time soon. She cast another small glance toward Azriel and was still just utterly baffled at how quickly he had taken to Fel. In all of their travels in was the first time he had ever really let out this protective side of himself to anyone besides her and it was confusing but touching all at once. Talk

They were both so incredibly tender with her and it was exactly what she needed. The affection and companionship that she'd gone without seemed to be poured upon her like a waterfall. A waterfall that she would happily drown beneath. Fel cried but her tears didn't wet her cheeks for long. Either Azriel or Sibyl wiped them away. Their soothing motions made her calmer and she felt the exhaustion in her body and mind with each passing moment. She wondered if they might stay beside her while she slept, but she didn't want to ask. Asking was weakness. More weakness than she was already showing. So far she hadn't asked them for anything. Her sadness simply happened and they were here to witness it. Azriel's soft words were spoken just for the three of them and a soft, stifled sob caught in Fel's throat. The words were kind. A well wish for a man that Azriel had never met. It touched the woman's heart more than she could ever possibly explain. The silver spattered fae buried her face within her own forelegs and cried until there was nothing left in her. She had been fine until she heard her brother's name on Azriel's lips. Had he just spoken the words, she would have been fine, but hearing Aureus' name made everything so real. So final. She wasn't ready and yet she had absolutely no choice in the matter. In time Fel's tears ceased but she didn't raise her head again. Not until Azriel spoke once more. He wanted her to stay with them for a few days. 'Don't let yourself be hurt' he said. A dry scoff left the raw throat of the woman and she spoke in low tones. "The hurt is carried within me. It doesn't matter where I am. This is a hurt that will stay." It would stay for a long while, anyway. In time the pain would fade as all pain did, but it would be a long road until then. Sibyl nuzzled into her cheek tenderly and Fel leaned into the woman. She spoke her own wishes for Fel to stay with them. The woman almost argued that her well being didn't matter, but it did. If it didn't, she wouldn't be here, now, with them. She had needed them and so she would accept their offer to stay. A few small nods of agreement were given. Fel's brow furrowed and she brought one paw up to gently rub at her face. "I'm so tired," she finally admitted. If she slept now, she had no doubt that sleep would lay claim to her for quite some time. "Speech"

Azriel had already made his mind up that Fel was staying with them, at least for some time to distance herself from her home. She was having a hard enough time with her home life it seemed, now only to be left alone with haunting memories that lingered of her deceased brother. It was hard being the survivor, especially when everything in your home reminded you of the dearly departed. Time and space was the medicine Fel needed most right now. So despite her sardonic words of protest, Azriel was not relenting. She was staying, period. End of discussion. Finally, after some more tender shows of affection from Sibyl, Fel admitted her fatigue. That much was obvious. The poor femme looked like she hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in months. The striped man nodded his head slowly, then fixed Sibyl with a look as he took charge of the situation. He was expected to be the one with the plans and answers. There were no plans or answers for a situation like this; he just had to roll with the punches and do the best he could with Fel.

"Come on, Sib, help me get Fel to bed. We could all use some sleep," said Azriel, carefully extricating himself from their cuddle pile to rise to his paws. He would go to gently nudge and urge her up, offering his side for her to lean on if she wanted it. He wanted to give her the chance to move on her own—Fel was a big girl, after all—but if she didn't comply with his insistent nudging, he had no problems hoisting the slender fae up over his back and carrying her off to bed. While far less sexy and romantic than that notion would first appear to be, Azriel was focused on tending to Fel's needs first and foremost. He turned his attention back down to Fel, the empathetic sadness still in his grey eyes, but a teasing smirk touching his lips as he asked, "Are you going to come join us willingly, or am I going to have to carry you to bed?"

"Speech" | Thoughts

Sibyl was relieved when she saw Fel give them a few nods accepting their offers. The healer in her that she reluctantly let come to the surface from time to time desperately wanted to keep Fel close just to keep an eye on her and to make sure that she was at the very least physically healthy. She new that mental and emotional hurt would take far longer to heal and would need more than just their company to relieve, but at least they could make sure she wasn't alone. She had a sneaking suspicion that if they had let Fel go home that might not be the case back in her pack. For at least a few days she could make sure that Fel was looked after... After that she wasn't sure what would happen, but she didn't let herself look too far ahead. Once Azriel got up and began to encourage Fel to get up as well, Sibyl rose to her paws and gave Fel a bit of space for her to stand. Secretly she was looking the silver-marked fae for any other wounds that she might not have noticed earlier, but it seemed like it had been isolated to her leg after all. She glanced up at Azriel when he offered to carry her to bed and smirked to herself. In any other situation that could have been a fun comment to pursue, but she kept the thought away for now. Looking back to Fel, she gave her a gentle lick to her cheek and added, "If you'd like, I can go find something to help you sleep while you get settled in the den." She knew Fel was tired so she had to imagine that sleep would come fairly easily on its own, but she had a worry that perhaps dreams and nightmares might come creeping in and prevent her from a restful sleep. Talk

The pair seemed to want to take her to bed and she wouldn't deny them that. Her lids were heavy with the need and desire to sleep. No doubt she would sleep for days if allowed. Azriel threatened to carry her and for the first time Fel gave the barest of smiles. "Tempting." The dark lady rose to her paws somewhat shakily. The cold of the stone had sunk into her bones and she deeply felt the absence of the two bodies beside her. The wound in her leg throbbed with its own heartbeat. Counting the beats in her mind, Fel began to move forwards towards the den. Sibyl's soft tones met her ears with an offer. The ruby-eyed fae gave her head a shake in the negative. "I won't need help to sleep." She could only hope that she was too tired to dream as well. Moving ahead of the pair, Fel ducked into the stone opening. Upon the furs that she'd given them and the ones that they'd acquired, she curled into a little ball where she quickly and thankfully succumbed to much needed sleep. "Speech"

As tempting as his proposition had been, Azriel watched as Fel opted to bring herself to her paws and limp into their den with them. He offered her his shoulder for support every step of the way, never impeding or insisting she rely on him. She was far too strong of body, mind, and character to listen to him anyway if he tried. Regardless, the bigger brute escorted the dainty fae all the way back into the warm shelter of their den, not stopping until she had sunk to the bed and curled up. Azriel settled himself carefully down around her, using his larger form to shield her from the unworthy world and keep the frigid cold at bay. Once he heard the deepening of her breath tell him she was far gone into slumber, he peered across the bedding to Sibyl, an uncharacteristically worried expression on his face. Fel had come to them in such a state, and while he was happy to be able to comfort her through the trauma of her brother's death, why had she gotten this far? Why was no one else in her pack tending to her? It baffled and enraged the silver-striped male.

"She's staying with us as long as she needs to... I'm not letting her go back until she's good and ready..." he whispered to his companion, knowing full well she wouldn't try to refute him, but also making his decision resolute. They would care for Fel until she was healthy or stable enough to go back home, whichever came first. Still, Azriel wanted to find whoever was responsible for her wellbeing and the pack, this Aerie, and tear them a new one. How dare they let a creature as rare as Fel get into such a state?! It was enough to make his blood boil, but for the sake of his ladies, Az kept himself reined in, opting instead to be a foundation than a firework right now.

"Speech" | Thoughts