Ooc - set not long after the witch's hut

He had returned home, step by uncertain step. He could feel the change beneath his paws, could smell the familiar scents and pinpoint where he was, and the tension in his body eased. He lnew every inch of Aerie land, and unless a tree had magically sprouted and grown up in the short time he had been gone he could find his way here as though still sighted. Both malinois remained at his side solicitously guiding him around obstacles and alertly guarding. Kida had been furious and guilty to find out what had transpired in her absence, and Cypher had been noticeably cowed by her, so the pair had been on the best behavior they had the whole nerve-wracking trip.

But now that he was here, he hesitated for a different reason. Aerie had just lost their strongest warrior, their brother as well as brother-in-arms. Would it survive the knowledge that their alpha was blind, as well? Well, he had no intention of remaining that way. He would find a different witch to break the spell. But in the meantime, Aerie was vulnerable. In other times he might have had faith in his wolves to keep quite about it and continue on as if all were normal while he figured things out, but they had all been through so much. He couldn't trust that they weren't at the breaking point. He would need to find a way to keep the knowledge hidden from all but a trusted few to maintain the illusion. He could do nothing about Aurielle except hope that their tentative alliance would hold and she would keep her own muzzle shut on the subject, but he would control it otherwise. He would need help though, and with Malleus and Aureus both gone there was only one wolf remaining in the trifecta of his worshipful regard. Pyrrhic. There was no one he trusted as much as Pyrrhic. Thalia - but no, she was in Abaven and needed her concentration on her mission. Proserpina, perhaps. He would talk to Pyrrhic first.

Lifting his muzzle, he called his last brother to him, trying to set aside the guilt of knowing he would be adding to Pyrrhic's burden but needing him anyway.

All things considered Pyrrhic was doing well. The loss of his twin stung fiercely, but he was learning to cope. His family was a welcome anchor and Pyrrhic took solace in watching his children play. He found their antics heartening. They were a constant reminder that life moved on. That fact was bittersweet but he knew he had as much a chance at changing it as he did stopping the growth of his children. For some reason that made acceptance easier. He was learning not to dwell on the loss but to look at the future's potential. Oftentimes it was bitter and hard, but the days where contentedness reined outnumbered the ones blackened by sorrow. So when Eligos' call went up Pyrrhic was not up to his eyeballs in any sort of despair or ill will. He was doing what he had always done when duty was done and rest was an option: tinkering. He had clasped between his paws a gift for Asmodeus that he wouldn't give the boy until his first birthday. It was a work in progress but he was certain that if he worked hard in his spare time it would be done in time.

After hiding the gift well so that no prying, impish eyes might unearth it, Pyrrhic set off for his brother. He arrived quickly and upon seeing Eligos gave his brother a warm smile. Once not long ago the gesture would have been effortful and he would have done it out of necessity under the belief that effort would ultimately bear fruit and give him authenticity. In a manner it had. He was happy to see his brother and genuinely curious to find out why Eligos was calling him. "Eligos! What can I do for you?"

Eligos lifted his head as he hear the sound of pawsteps approaching, ears pricking as he turned his face towards his brother. The dogs had assured him there was no outward sign of his blindness - no scars, o cloudy film, he just couldn't see - and he did his best to move as though sughted but he knew that until Pyrrhic had spoken Eligos had only an approximation of where to focus his attention. Knowing thar, he sighed gustily, clamping down on the fear and rage that still filled him. "Pyrrhic I... could use your advice. And your help." He told Pyrrhoc succinctly about the swamp, the hut, and his encounter with the witch, not botherong to gloss over his own foolishness because he would not lie to Pyrrhic, then finished with, "She cursed me. Took away my sight. I will find a witch of my own break the curse, but until then I would prefer to keep the knowledge to as few as possible. There are packs that would seek to take advantage of our vulnerability, and I worry that it may cause Aerie to be overly concerned. I don't know what I should do." The last sentence was alarmingly close to whingeing, so he took sharp hold of his emotions and shoved them down. Calmer, he added - "I could use whatever advice you might have for me."

The sigh from Eligos sobered Pyrrhic immediately. It may have seemed like a small gesture, but in Pyrrhic's eyes Eligos had always been a stoic. He wasn't one for wanton displays of emotion and if he felt strongly enough to make his ill feelings known like that it deserved Pyrrhic's full attention. "If I can be of any help at all, I'll do what I can," he told his brother firmly. Pyrrhic listened with a deepening frown as Eligos explained what had happened to him. That there was a creature out there capable of this sort of sorcery alarmed him. That Eligos wanted to find another and possibly risk the wrath of yet another magical beast disturbed him, but he didn't see another way around it.

"I understand." Now it was Pyrrhic's turn to sigh. Eligos had confided in him a huge and nasty problem, and Pyrrhic also wasn't sure how to handle it. Eligos had been there when Pyrrhic had been unable to lead. He'd been there for every strangled feeling, every problem, everything. Pyrrhic would always be grateful for his brother's steadfastness. And of course he would return the favor whenever and wherever he could. "For starters...if I were in your place I think I'd relegate as many tasks to other members as I could," he said, thinking out loud. "And if you wish to limit your interactions during this time I would be happy to act as an intermediary on your behalf." He'd been meaning to speak to his brother about a rank for awhile now, but bringing it up at this moment while Eligos was probably feeling a bit vulnerable felt grubby so for now Pyrrhic would wait.

He started to pace with his head down and his eyes locked on the ground. "With a witch as the culprit I don't know how much good it would do, but I don't think it would hurt to have Riva look you over just in case. She can keep a secret." The woman was invaluable and loyal. Pyrrhic had no doubt she would keep Eligos' secret. He wasn't sure what else to suggest hence the pacing. There was something about the action that seemed to motivate the mind.

A thought struck him then. A witch wouldn't work for free. Eligos would need something to entice the foul beast to do his will. Pyrrhic stopped pacing. "Here," he said as he walked over to Eligos, took off his necklace and moved to place it around his brother's neck. "Take this necklace and give it to the witch as payment." It had been a gift from a one time friend who had disappeared without a word so Pyrrhic wasn't quite certain why he continued to wear it. Remembrance for what could have been, maybe? It was hard to say. At any rate it was time to move on and now seemed like as good a time as any.