... goes unpunished

If the flood had been the fire, and Cryptis' lost voice was the frying pan then this? This was hell. When they'd finally been "rescued" from their perch Crux had been filled with dread over what he'd have to do, have to explain. But to work first. There was work to do and assured that Cryptis was stable, he wasn't sure he could use the word good but, she wasn't in any further immediate danger that meant he had to turn his focus to others. Checking wolves for signs of hypothermia, making sure any wounds hadn't become infected by the dirty water, checking to make sure Stratum's leg had been properly set. He gave his whole attention to each wolf he tended to but in the moments in between, when he had the space to breathe for a moment his mind was on only one wolf. He was still a swirl of emotions, there was still so much relief. They'd both made it out, she was before anything else, alive! And yet he was also filled with guilt, he wasn't sure there was any way he could have stopped her, she certainly didn't seem like she'd have taken being told it was too dangerous well but if he hadn't been there, drowning then she'd never have risked herself like this... and she'd still be able to talk. And somewhere deep under the surface thoughts that crowded his mind he kept thinking about the feeling of her tiny body cradled in his arms. The memory should have been tinged with the panic of the moment, but it wasn't. It was like it was detached from everything else, and all he could feel was the way she'd felt when he'd pulled her into him, up against his chest.

Finally things were settling, and Crux couldn't exactly keep putting it off. Cryptis wasn't in any position to explain herself to the warlord and no matter how she'd helped to save him she was still actively trespassing. Also how were they going to deal with getting her home? They were owed an explanation too. "Dad?" He sought out his father, gently calling for him and gesturing for the warlord to follow him as he made his way to one of the more secluded parts of the space. It was the best he could do to give them privacy and to make sure Triss had somewhere she could rest outside the curious gazes of the others, he'd been painfully aware of her anxiety the entire time and only prayed that no one had bothered her too much. "I've brought my father, he's Armada's warlord." He explained softly as he approached, reaching out to gently bump her shoulder with his nose in a comforting gesture. "He won't bite I promise, I won't let him." He gave her a wink and settled himself next to her so they could face his father together. "We gotta figure out how to get you home safely." Among other things.

"Triss" & "Crux"