Breakaway

Tamsyn held steady at Asheila's side while Kane continued his work and she was grateful as always that he had been here. It wasn't the first time that he had rescued one of her children, but she did pray that it would be the last. Gwynevere, Rudyard, and now Asheila... All she had ever really hoped for her children was for them to be safe and healthy and somehow that seemed to be a difficult thing for them to maintain. She wasn't sure what it was about their family and their luck, but it seemed like they were constantly encountering the highest highs and the lowest lows. Still, Kane was good at his craft and he quickly had Ash in better shape than when they had found her at the very least. When he was done, she turned her gaze to meet his and nodded with understanding when he said how some of the wounds were fresh. Whoever did this could still be nearby and it just confirmed her worries from the moment they got here. She was already eager to get Ash out of here, but she was even more so now.

Tam briefly pondered the options ahead of them between whether they should help Ash walk back on her own or have Kane carry her. Ultimately she was going to leave the choice up to Ash, but before she could ask her daughter what she was more comfortable with Ash answered on her own, mentioning how it would be easier if he carried her. She could easily agree that would be the fastest option to get her back to the castle, but she wouldn't do anything that would make Ash uncomfortable. Still, since Ash agreed to it she would nod and give Ash's paw one more squeeze before she finally let it go so she could help Ash up to get settled on Kane's back for the trip. Once her daughter was situated, she gave Asheila a soft kiss on the cheek and then looked to Kane, saying, "I'm going to run back to the creek and let the kids know where we're going. Go ahead and start heading toward the castle, I'll catch up to you in just a little bit." Turning her gaze back to Ash, she gave her a smile and added, "I'll just be a few minutes. Just rest and we'll all be at the castle before you know it. You can trust Kane, he's the most wonderful man I know."

She turned and darted off through the trees then to get back to the creek where their pups were hanging out as quickly as she could so she could make sure they were settled and cared for. She didn't like leaving them there on their own for longer than a few hours, but she didn't want to have to introduce them all to Ash in her current state and they didn't necessarily have time to wait for the pups to follow her to the castle. Instead, she instructed them to stay near the den, made sure they had food for their dinner, and assured them their father would be back to them that evening before she ran off to catch up with Kane and Ash. None of this was ideal, but Ash had to come first right now. She caught up to them between Lazuli Falls and Fossil Ridge and as she slowed to match Kane's pace she was relived to see Asheila asleep on his back and she gave her mate a grateful smile, tipping her muzzle up to give him a gentle kiss.

Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley