All good things..

Since the raid, the koi-dappled male had been largely unbothered by the quiet that seemed to linger in the territories of the pack. For the most part, he was occupying his time with hunting trips, or teaching his children new skills when they showed interest. Each night he did his best to return home and warm his husband's bed, though there was little more than shared breaths and mingled fur at the moment. The mournful furrow of pale brow and exhaustion in slender limbs was hardly igniting any fire in their bed at night. There was little interest in pack life as a whole on Nao's part, but that was unsurprising to most. The man was only here because his husband wanted him to be, and so they raised their children in a place that was familiar to the wolfdog. It bothered him very little, now that he had the freedom to cross the borders as he pleased. So when the summons arose from the rapids, he answered it with little concern. He had no idea where his husband was, but he would save space for himself and his youngsters if they were not already present.

As he slipped from the undergrowth and approached the meeting area, it was clear that not many of the members of Valta had arrived yet. A brief quirk of his brow indicated his muted surprise, and was quickly replaced with a placid expression of neutrality. Padding softly towards the few wolves who had already gathered, he made a point to cast his attention over the fawn coloured fae who had been occupying so much of his husband's time. The woman was sick, and the situation seemed dire. Though Mojito hardly spoke of it, he knew that it weighed heavy on the pale man's shoulders, growing harder to bear with each passing day. Unfortunately, there was little more than comfort he could offer to his beloved, and so that was what he put his energy into. He dipped his head respectfully to her as he settled on the far side of his husband, leaning gently against the silky-furred shoulder of his wolfdog lover. A few of their brood were already settling in as well, and he adjusted his posture to welcome their presence as well. As he aged, he was certainly getting better at being a living pillow for those around him.

Finally his attention rose properly to their leader, who was looking rough today. Bandages wreathed his face and neck, and his expression was unequivocally despondent. What on earth had happened here? A small frown crossed his features briefly, but he quickly schooled his expression to avoid drawing any concern from his children. It was best they not get any more worked up than necessary. Perhaps that was simply the face Kotori made when he was in pain, which was a sensible response to having your head mauled.