Facing Shadows

Fenrirs Maw. He had not been here for some time. Not since he found the two foxes. He didn't bring them with him today, not wanting them to relive their memories of loss and fear. He remembered, however. And quite clearly too. Crimson gaze found the spot where he had found their mother, but instead of her body, he found it mostly empty...a few, scattered bones were all that remained. Likely taken apart by scavengers. Turning away, Acere walked quietly up the trail that would take him through once familiar lands, his steps heavy as memories came flooding back. He wished he could say there were good memories, but all he could think about was Actaea cowering in her den, left at the mercy of the coyotes after her father had left her to die. The fear in Ignis' eyes as they tried to escape through the rogue coyotes that threatened their very lives. The trust he sought to build with his brother...only to have it stripped away by Elias' own hand. Needless to say, this would likely be the last time he ever ventured here for as long as he lived if he could help it.

A nearly quiet sound captured the titans attention, drawing his gaze from the mother fox's resting place to further up the trail. Curious and wary, he kept his wits about him in case the coyotes still roamed these parts. But so far, everything seemed desolate. A ghost town of what it once was. There was no pack. No wolves. No life. He had grown to know Abaven as a bustling hub of activity, but this place was the exact opposite. Treading carefully, he climbed a little further until a breeze brushed through the mountain crags and brought with it a somewhat familiar scent. Brows furrowed as he picked it out, realization then washing over him. Why was she out here alone...? He tracked her scent as best he could until finally..."Hello?"

speech action