Courtesy Call

Crimson gaze rose to find not Shaye or Rhyme, but Tana's child coming to greet him. A brow point lifted for a moment before the yearling girl made her position clear, and Ace offered a nod of his head in acknowledgment. Though she was young, he had seen young alphas in his day. When she spoke, a quiet "hmm" rose from him, frowning even as he listened. "I came to check on Abaven...I know your pack was the closest to the eruption." He murmured. He had waited so long because of his own duties and then his new family. Training and preparing for Hjarrandi to request their presence to raid only...that had yet to come.

"I'm sure you have news, but I'd like to speak first," "Of course," Young or old, she was still an alpha. He would always respect other alphas as his equal unless they did things not worth respecting them for. But...he had been unprepared for the news she told him. Shaye was...dead? He felt a part of him go cold. They had been friends, though they had a rocky friendship towards the end and he had even held resentment towards her for a time. He had come to try to make amends seeing as how she had never tried to after he left. Perhaps the feeling had been mutual. She had, after all, gone back on her word with sending two of her members to join his pack and help him for a bit. They had never showed up. And then there was the matter of the slavers market...she had looked at him like he was some evil beast, but she didn't know why he offered the things he did. He could only assume what she had told everyone else, but that wasn't his immediate concern right now.

He wasn't quite sure how to feel about Shaye's passing. Part of him felt sad about it...part of him felt like he should feel indifferent. He was used to losing friends and others close to him. He had, after all, killed his own brother not too long ago. Still, he had to say something. "I'm...sorry to hear that. She was a good friend to me." Up until she wasn't, but he wouldn't say that out loud. He always considered himself strong of will...and he showed that even now, holding back any potential grief until he was alone. Maybe it made him seem heartless sometimes, but it was simply how he dealt with things. He had cried with Shaye once before shit hit the fan...and he told himself he would never shed tears in front of anyone again after that. Save for perhaps his mate. He glanced down at his paws for a moment in thought, "It is not necessary to call for Rhyme. You are the alpha now, and I'll treat you as my equal."

His gaze rose to meet hers, allowing just a small bit of sadness to enter his gaze for the moment. "I...I had come to tell her about my new family...how my pack was doing, but now doesn't seem like a good time. I'd like to offer my help to Abaven should you need it."