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The small, aging girl slowly and silently passed what was once her home. The rapids, the thicket, Serpent Plains.. she remembered it all, as her heart ached and twisted the farther away she moved from Bass' borders. Being so close, she couldn't help the selfish thoughts that meandered their way into her head. She wondered desperately if Bass missed her, or if he moved on and found another mate to have children with. What about her own seven children? Did they long to see her face as much as she did theirs? She gritted her teeth together and forced back tears. They probably hated her just as much as Finch had seemed to the last time she saw her. Screaming, crying, only to be silenced by the booming voice of her.. husband. Could she even call him her husband anymore? The thought made her stomach churn and her head spin. Her ears pinned back against her head despite that fact that she probably wouldn't ever see him again. And if she did, he'd probably send her away and tell her he's moved on, along with their children. The picture in her mind; a vivid image of Bass' face twisted up in bitter disgust forced her to let go. She collapsed in the tall grass, her paws moving over her head and her body shaking as she sobbed. In the dark, tiny lightning bugs drifted around her, oblivious to the sounds of her cries. She didn't know where she was. She didn't care. She missed her family more than anything. "Burn Baby Burn"

A lot had happened in the last year. Hell, even in the last few years. Lark honestly didn't even know how long it'd been since he'd seen his mom. She'd come back and left, multiple times, until her abandonment had become.. almost normal. He'd never spoken to her about it; it'd hurt him too badly, and Lark wasn't good at dealing with that sort of thing. His frustration and sadness always seemed to come out in flashes of anger, and he hadn't ever wanted to make a scene. Today, though, he wasn't looking for anything. It wasn't terribly uncommon for Lark to wander on the outskirts of Abaven, scouting the borders and checking the lands beyond for any signs of.. well, he didn't know what. Signs that wolves had gathered, maybe, preparing to attack them? Such a thing seemed so detached from reality but he knew it was a possibility, albeit a distant one. He also made a point to search out the scents of his siblings, hoping Starling might return eventually. He moved quietly through the plains, his pace slow and lackadaisical until a familiar scent reached him. No. Could it be? His nose twitched as he tasted it again, making sure that it was, in fact, his mother. His pace slowed as his mind reeled. Why was she so close to home again? Would his father even.. want to see her, let alone welcome him back? He felt his stomach sink in his chest with nervousness, the feeling of a thousand angry butterflies fluttering around in his insides. Only when he moved forward - his paws moving instinctively as though he had no control over his path - did he finally see her. He froze in place, staring unblinkingly at his mother and wondering what the hell to do next.