Sparrow shakily left her meeting with Malleus. She couldn't control her nerves and she couldn't escape the feeling that she let everyone in her pack down. As she walked away, her body trembled and became almost numb. Sparrow walked for a while before leaning against a tree next to the little oasis. Her stomach turned and she wretched.

It didn't make her feel any better.

For a while, the cycle of numbness and dry heaving continued, leaving Sparrow exhausted. When she finally had the strength to move, she went and drank from the pool of water before finding another tree to rest by.

Sparrow stared emptily out over her pack lands. Would they really be safe? Had she made the right decision or a horrible mistake?

Caelum was finding that the stress was making her feel older. She hid it well, and she still moved and looked healthy, but still there was something that hung over her and she couldn't shake it entirely. Soon she needed to talk to Zephyr and Caelestis, but she hadn't bothered just yet. It would be no surprise to find her child determined to stay if this was really happening. The girl was still filled with fire, no doubt.

It was by chance that Caelum spotted Sparrow ahead of her. Dark brows furrowed a bit as she approached, but the expression swiftly melted in favor as she moved to settle herself closer to the smaller woman. "Sparrow..." she murmured. Maybe it was instinct but Caelum's focus zeroed in on the younger alpha, or, whatever her title would be now. Cae's tail thumped the ground and the woman motioned for Sparrow to come closer, seeking to comfort her if Sparrow would allow it at all.

Sadness. Aiden's head tilted as he observed the alpha. His aunt. Or so his mom and dad said. She had never really interacted with them and didn't seem to like his parents too much, so he wasn't sure how true that was. But now she was sad and upset, and he frowned a bit. And sick! No one ought to feel that way. He started to lope over when another wolf did as well, and he paused, watching her. Ah, well, two wolves could comfort, right?

He crept a little closer, eyes watchful for any sign that they didn't want him there or he wasn't welcome or something of that nature. He didn't want to intrude, but he didn't like someone looking so unhappy. "You look sad and you threw up. Are you okay? No one should feel that way." Would he let her try to be cheerful? Or would she not want him there at all? Hopefully, she liked him.

Caelum found her and Sparrow scrambled helplessly to appear more at ease. She forced a smile, but it faltered. Caelum murmured her name and motioned for her to come closer. Sparrow wasn't entirely sure, but maybe this was the kind of support her mother would have given her if she had stayed in Abaven. Sparrow moved closer to the older woman and sighed shakily.

"Oh Caelum, what have I gotten Abaven into?" she asked, her eyes flicking to the woman for a moment before returning to the ground.

After a moment, another voice reached her. It was Aiden. Sparrow gave him a weak smile.

"Yeah, I'm alright," she said. "I must have eaten the wrong kind of frog or something, huh?"

She wasn't going to be the one to give him the whole talk about what was happening. Whatever his parents decided to tell him was fine by her, she just needed to make the transition as smooth as possible for the pups. There was no need to worry them.

Caelum's expression was soft, blue eyes serene as Sparrow came closer. The elder woman would seek to rest her chin atop Sparrow's head and draw the woman closer in a gesture akin to what she might do to calm Caelestis after a nightmare frightened the girl awake. What Caelum had hoped for in this mess she was no longer sure. All she did know was that it pained her to see the suffering of an Alpha making tough choices. No matter how much one might think they'd come to terms with the fact that this was part of the job, there were still times when it caught even the most world-weary off guard.

Pulling back a bit to better look at Sparrow, Cae gazed at her seriously, "We probably won't know for some time, but Sparrow, you did your best. That's all that matters. The hardest lesson in life is learning that sometimes there are no good answers, sometimes we are put in impossible positions. Your heart was in the right place, and that's all you can ask for." she hoped her words would be helpful in some way. Cae and Zephyr had never had someone to offer them help all those years ago, not really. It had been a learning curve, though the biggest lessons were the ones Caelum learned after it was taken away. Now though she just hoped to help Sparrow however she could.

As the child approached, Caelum cast a warm smile his way. It was one of... Lark's kids, yes. Caelestis had mentioned him a few times and She'd had seen him at the hunt. The kid was cute, naive and very young but cute nonetheless. "Worry not, I think she'll be fine." she said with a brief glance to Sparrow.

"It'll be okay, one way or another we can make things okay." the woman though, a trace of determination flickering over her face before disappearing as she mentally rejoined the group.