He had come back from the maw a few days ago, his mind turning over what he'd learned from Tana. He had avoided Shaye since the day on the battlefield, when she stripped him of his rank and shamed and embarrassed him in front of the world. New information had come to light, and he wasn't sure how to feel about it. How to feel about her. He sat in his den for the better part of the morning, and the more he thought, the more he decided he couldn't sit by anymore. He needed to know what she was thinking. And she needed to know how he felt about everything that was crashing down on him. They had a friendship once, and while he doubted it would be the same as before, if at all, he refused to sit by and let thing hang over him. He got up, instructing his companions to stay put while he went to search for Shaye. Now that the pups were older, she was likely to be out and about doing alpha stuff or training them. Whatever the case, he would find her. He started by trailing along the rapid, the strong hum of the water doing little to ease his thoughts or distract him from his goal. "Speak"

She turned and found the white wolf approaching her. It was unusual for him to come seeking her, if anything he had avoided her since the battlefield. The truth was, she missed the steady presence of this warrior. She had enjoyed talking to him, especially about his niece and nephew. She missed the times they had sat side by side and spoken of them, of other matters, of nothing. He had been a great companion, and a fearsome warrior. She still didn’t know what the right thing to do was, let him claim others in her name, or stop him. She wished they could have paused the world and spoken before she had to make a choice, it might have made a world of difference.

As he got closer to her, she would offer him a cautious smile, uncertain why he decided to seek her out today. Was this it? The moment he decided to move on and make his pack? She lost that train of thought when she caught an errant scent on his coat, and recognised it immediately.
"You found her?" She breathed a sigh of relief. "I howled out the message to the pack when I realised she was missing, not for them to bring her back, but to ensure she was ok" she explained. Not to bring her back? Yeah, he was going to wonder at that one. She let out a soft sigh as she looked at him. “How was she, when you found her? Is she okay?” she asked him, worry and failure in her voice. He likely didn’t know anything of the events that had happened that led to her departure. The poor timid thing that she was, she wondered if he had even managed to coax her from her hiding space.

He had found her faster than he thought he would. And he wasn't entirely sure if he was prepared. He hadn't quite thought about what he was going to say when he found her, and now that she had turned to face him, his mind went quiet. Before him stood someone that had been a friend. Someone he had trusted. Someone he had come to like and even exposed his feelings to. She had asked him to be the godfather to her children...they had started a bond. One he hadn't been keen on breaking, but how would that ever mend after everything? "You found her?" Shaye was the first to speak, causing the his brows to knit together with minute confusion for a moment before he realized Tana's scent still clung to him. "I howled out the message to the pack when I realised she was missing, not for them to bring her back, but to ensure she was ok," Crimson gaze snapped to her sapphire eyes. "I did find her." How much of Tana's story would prove to be true? So far, based on what Shaye just said..."Why wouldn't you want someone to bring her back." It wasn't a question, but a statement. She claimed to want to protect those who were weak...Tana was one of those. And although she showed relief that Tana was alive, he found it odd that she hadn't told anyone to bring her back. Was it because she really did chase her out? "How was she, when you found her? Is she okay?" He raised his head a bit, his posture neutral as well as his facial features. Though he could feel his eyes wanting to narrow with accusation, he refrained. "She's not hurt." Not physically. But mentally and emotionally? As dense as he could be at times, he could see it. "I left her in a safe place before I left. But..." He took in a deep breath to calm himself, "Why haven't you sent anyone to bring her back? Why hasn't Rhyme said anything? She's blind, and handicapped, and her pups are here without her." Were Tana's words really true...? Had he been lied to as well? By Shaye? By Rhyme? It was possible Tana had too, but he would make his own judgments on it all. "speech"

He threw the accusation at her, and she could understand it. Why didn’t she want someone to bring her back? Why was she out there? “Once I knew where she was, I would have ensured there was no predators nearby, that she had food. I would have sent someone to speak to her.. Vail, perhaps. Bringing her back would have hurt her, i’m not saying I would have abandoned her.. I’ve already failed her, and forcing her to come back would have failed her again.” she explained, before taking a breath. She needed to give him the full story, he needed to understand what was wrong with Tana, only then might he be able to help her.

"She tried to kill her children, we didn't understand why at the time, but I think I do now" she would circle back to that why shortly. "My and rhyme.." she sighed, she knew now it would never be. should never be. She was an old wolf who would die alone.. but that was unimportant to her explanation. She was, however, going to have to air some of her dirty laundry for Acere to fully understand the situation. She would not lie to him. "Where going to give life together a go. We had children together... as you already know. Tana found out, and abandoned her children alone in the den in the middle of a snow storm. I don't know if she truly meant for her unweaned, tiny children to die, but Rhyme found her. She told him he had to pick her or she would leave. Frightened for their children, he agreed. He came to talk to me about it, and I realized how big a mistake it was to try, and broke things off. We have kept a strictly professional relationship since." It was wrong of her to love him, and she buried her feelings.

"He didn't rekindle a relationship with her even after, I think he was too angry at the way she had used her children's lives as pawns - but I think I understand now why she did." Again, she would circle back to that.

"Then the smallest of her litter, the runt, barely a season old and not even to the height of my knees, who falls into seizures at the drop or a hat, and has asthma issues.. tracked an adult through roguelands she had never visited, despite her inability to breath, at the pace of an adult, across leagues of territory, with only Tanas scent on her. I returned the pup - if it was only an issue of her losing track of the child, I would have approached things differently. Instead, I demanded to know why she had risked her child's life, but she seemed to have no memory of doing so. She lunged at me, and i was beginning to realize just how sever her injuries on the inside where. I reacted defensively, I pinned her down gently without hurting her. When I saw the terror in her eyes, I released her, afraid of doing more psychological damage. She grabbed her child and fled from me. I don't know if letting her go was the right thing, I feared for her child, but I knew holding her was hurting her so much on the inside. If I had known at the start how badly the injuries inside where, I might have done things differently. I failed her terribly, and the demons that haunt her.. I know she doesn't mean to hurt her children. I'm glad you found her, Acere, and I truly hope you can help her. I don't know how to help her, and all Rhyme can see is the way she constantly endangers their children. I had hoped one of my wolves would find her so I would know she was ok, but you finding her is even better." she couldn’t presume to call Ace hers, even though she still let him stay in the pack lands, and would not rescind her welcome to him. Aceres family had a history of mental demons and unhinged wolves, well ace himself had kept his sanity. Perhaps.. perhaps he would be able to save her from herself in a way that shaye had not been able to. It was clear from his voice that he was feeling protective of her. This warrior, who was unable to simply turn his back on a wolf in need. She admired him so much for it. "Don't make the same mistakes I did Ace, find a way to help her. " She asked of him, blue eyes intent on the white wolf before her. Despite everything, she had a lot of respect for him. She was realizing how she did not hold all the answers, and was surrounding herself with higher ranking wolves to help her make decisions. If she had realised how much a leader needed this, perhaps she would have done things differently with him at the battlefield. She truly hoped he learned from her mistakes. She knew he was going to make an amazing alpha.

It didn't take long for her to speak her side of the story. All the while he kept his gaze neutral despite the turmoil of feelings and thoughts he had. On one hand, Shaye had turned out to be a faithful friend and someone he had wanted in his life. On the other...he wasn't sure. He held some resentment after she interfered with his business. But at the same time...she was the alpha, and he wasn't quite yet. She told him that Tana had tried to kill her children, and his head jerked back and his eyes narrowed. He refrained from saying anything though, and instead let Shaye continue with what she had to say. She told him about why she thought Tana had done what she did. Tried to leave. Abandoned her children because of what was going on between Rhyme and Shaye. The time Verse had made it to the battlefield on her own. How she thought Tana had something to do with it. Tana had told him the same thing, but she didn't know Verse had gone. What struck him as odd, however, was how Shaye thought Tana had something to do with it. Tana didn't strike him as someone who would purposefully drop her pup off at the battlefield, or anywhere near it. She was terrified of confrontation. He saw it in Ruina, and saw how she acted around Abaven during meetings and the like. Even when they stumbled upon one another for the first time in Abaven, she had cowered because she thought she wasn't safe with him. He highly doubted she had gone to the battlefield that day when there were so many wolves around who might try to take advantage of her.

Then...Shaye admitted that she felt she had failed Tana. His gaze found the ground and took a deep breath as he continued to listen. It was a lot to process. And he suddenly felt older than he was. Tana had told him one thing. Shaye was telling him another. Though he also knew Shaye was being honest. Admitting she had made mistakes concerning Tana. Tana, on the other hand, genuinely felt like she was in danger. She was afraid. Indeed, he knew her life had been plagued with everything but kindness, and love, and understanding. Rhyme had shown her that for a short time...and then it just...stopped. Shaye and Rhyme had also loved each other...or still did, he didn't know. He had known love for a short time, too...he had loved her so, so much...but she had been ripped away from him much too soon. Now, she lived on in his memory. But with Shaye, and Tana, and Rhyme? It was a vicious love triangle that shouldn't have happened, especially considering that two in that triangle were related. But he knew things happened sometimes, and while he still didn't like the idea of anything that had to do with incest, there was nothing that could be done about it. It was done and past.

"Don't make the same mistakes I did Ace, find a way to help her. " Again, he took in a deep breath and sighed as he looked at her again. "Shaye, nobody is perfect. We're all prone to mistakes no matter how old we get or how wise we think we are. We don't always have the right answers, and we try to learn from our mistakes..." He wanted to rekindle his friendship with her. But he wasn't sure how to get over some of the things he was feeling. Perhaps...this would be the chance to do that. Perhaps not. He wasn't sure. "Despite your mistakes...the dishonesty between what happened with you and Rhyme...I recognize you've been doing what you can to keep this pack going. And while I'm still upset with you for interfering with the business between my nephew and I...I realize you had to be an alpha, and not a friend. Our views are different, and that's okay. I'm aware that sometimes it's necessary."  He tilted his head up slightly as he thought for a moment. "You might have already heard through the grapevine, or maybe from Rhyme...or it's probably been obvious, but...I plan on starting my own pack soon. And...I've offered Tana a place there." There was more he wanted to say. Some of it about Tana and her future. The future of her pups. The future of his pack. Of their friendship... But they'd get to the rest of that soon enough.

She admitted her failings, bared them for him to see. Instead of turning from her, he seemed to appreciate the honesty. She didn’t rose color what happened, she knew she had fucked up. “That means a lot, coming from you.” she told him, the closest she was willing to admit right now how much his opinion mattered to her. When she had followed him after the battlefield to speak to him, some of the things he had said to her would stick to her for the rest of her days. It had hurt, because of how highly she valued his opinion. Despite everything, that hadn’t changed.

“I have heard - and I know your going to make an amazing Alpha, and I truly hope that Ignis and Actaea can take some of what they’ve learned here and shine in your pack.” she told him, she loved those young wolves, and considered Actaea to be like a daughter to her. “As for Tana - that would be a huge weight off my shoulders, I doubt she could trust me now, and I do want what’s best for her. I hope you can help her.” he hoped he could get her help, find a balance for the demons inside of her. She deserved peace.

She took a soft breath, and managed to offer the man a smile. “We’ve certainly had a few differences lately, but I want you to know I believe in you, and i’m here to help you. Setting up a pack can be hard, getting it off its feet is no easy task.” Abaven had been in shambled when she had claimed it, and it had taken a long time to make it the busy, bustling place it was now. Even then, she knew she was still learning how to lead. She hadn’t trained for this, she had no idea what she was doing half the time. She shuffled along, did what she could, and hoped for the best. “I’ll lend you healers and warriors, and offer training to the wolves that want to join your pack, even extend the offer to wolves in this pack to move to yours, if they wish it.” she offered to him. It was a lot to offer, and it showed just how much she did believe in the younger wolf, and how much she wished to help him with the difficult task of starting a pack. Truth is, she believed the word a better place with Ace in it, and an even better one if he lead a pack. He was the godfather of her children, after all.

"That means alot, coming from you." He nodded, knowing what she meant by that. He tried his best to advise. To he honest. To be non judgemental, but he was only human in a sense. He slipped up from time to time, just like anyone else. He wasn't perfect, he knew that. “I have heard - and I know your going to make an amazing Alpha, and I truly hope that Ignis and Actaea can take some of what they’ve learned here and shine in your pack.” He couldn't help the small smile and chuckle that followed after that, "Oh, I'm sure they will. I know Actaea looks up to you a great deal. And Ignis looks up to Rhyme. He likes to brag about that tiger he fought with Rhyme over the winter." And now he had scars to remember it by. When she mentioned Tana, he nodded and took a moment to answer. That was still something he wanted to talk about...but he wasn't sure how to go about it just yet. "I will do my best, it's just a matter of time." He needed to think carefully about how to approach the subject concerning Tana further. Brows furrowed as he thought, but Shaye went on to advise him that starting a pack wasn't easy. But she believed in him and wanted to help him. He looked at her again, crimson gaze unreadable for the moment. “I’ll lend you healers and warriors, and offer training to the wolves that want to join your pack, even extend the offer to wolves in this pack to move to yours, if they wish it.” To be honest, he was surprised by her offer. He was surprised in general at how their conversation had been going so well. He didn't want to fuck it up, but if he did...he supposed it would be inevitable. "Thank you, Shaye. To be truthful, I didn't expect such an offer. But I am glad that I have your support in this...and I hope our packs can get along well enough," He winked. He didn't know how his pack would turn out exactly. Probably not as peaceful as Abaven, but certainly not overbearing and tyrannical, either. "I have a few interested so far...asides from my niece and nephew, a couple of rogues I've met as well. Though I must admit, finding others who wish to join a pack that has not yet been established has been...difficult." He thought it would be easier. That it wouldn't take so long. Maybe he was looking in the wrong places, or maybe that's just the way it was. speech action

She smiled at the mention of Actaea and Ignis, she loved his niece, and indeed she knew Rhyme and Ignis had hit it off well as mentor and apprentice. “He has every right to” she agreed, it was no small feat for the young wolf to have taken on a tiger.

“I wasn’t sure I would give it, but.. In the end, one action dosen’t define us. I respect who you are, and I respect what you will create. I’m glad you sought me out today, and we had this chance to reconcile.” she said softly.

She looked at the white warrior thoughtfully, truly wanting them to part on good terms. The fact that she still respected him after everything spoke of the nature of the man. Or perhaps it spoke a little of who she was. Regardless, she was glad for this chance to speak to him, to right a few of their wrongs. Perhaps it was because of this on my her mind that she would bring the topic back around to Tana.
"Speaking of lending members. Once Tana and Rhyme’s children are one year - which is only another season away - if you have your pack by then, we should look at sending them to your pack to study for a season. The experience would do them a world of good, and they could spend some time with their mother. If any of the three wish to stay at the end of it, we could organise that, as well.”

She knew Rhyme wanted the best from their children, through she wondered what he would think of this meddling in their lives. He knew anything under a year he would fight her on. Tana had played with their lives too much for him to risk his children to the unstable woman. But after a year? They would know enough to care for themselves, they would be on the path to becoming adults themselves. Personally. She thought the chance to learn from Acere, and even Actaea and Ignis, would do them a world of good. Perhaps she would even nudge her own two onto that path. She knew Poem would come back to her, the girl loved the prospect of becoming Alpha one day. But Motif? The girl didn’t know what she wanted. If she chose to stay with Acere’s pack, it would hurt, but it might give her the direction she dearly sought.

She was letting herself get lost in her thoughts, she shook them from her mind and looked to the warrior she respected, wondering at this thoughts. She didn’t think he would say no - he was taking on Tana after all, and she doubted he would keep her children from his pack. She trusted Acere, even if she didn’t trust Tana.

He has every right to... Yeah, he supposed she was right. And when he thought about it, his young nephew was practically following a sort of traditional thing without realizing it. He himself had gone out and accidentally came face to face with a bear when he was a pup, and he had scars from that encounter. It wasn't the most pleasant memory, and damn those wounds had hurt when he first got them. And although his own muzzle was scarred from a cougar fight, he couldn't imagine the pain that came from a full grown tiger slashing him across the face. "I wasn’t sure I would give it, but.. In the end, one action dosen’t define us. I respect who you are, and I respect what you will create. I’m glad you sought me out today, and we had this chance to reconcile.” He looked at her for a few heartbeats before dipping his head in thanks. "I suppose you're right...I'm glad we had this chance and that we've been able to reconcile as well, even if I don't agree with...well...you know." The whole doing the cousin thing. It still grossed him out and in a way, saddened him. He had begun to get feelings for her, but of course thanks to his luck...it had been extremely short lived. Of course, he still cared about her. But he highly doubted that she had ever felt the same way. Wishful thinking he supposed. He shook his head to dismiss the thought, "It doesn't matter now," "Speaking of lending members. Once Tana and Rhyme’s children are one year - which is only another season away - if you have your pack by then, we should look at sending them to your pack to study for a season. The experience would do them a world of good, and they could spend some time with their mother. If any of the three wish to stay at the end of it, we could organise that, as well.” Again he nodded. He wasn't sure what the future held just yet, but he was glad at least that he might be able to keep his promise to Tana. He felt she would maybe get better faster if she had her children around her...after all, they were her only family. He hated the idea of her being separated from her kids, but their first birthdays weren't that far off now. Had time really gone by that fast? "Sounds like a plan. I firmly believe Tans will benefit from it. Perhaps help her feel like she has purpose in her life. She really does love her children, you know. They're the only family she has in this world." He didn't have kids of his own, but he had plenty of family around. He really hoped having her children around would help her...and if she refused to try to get better, then he wasn't sure what he'd do. He didn't want to feel like he was holding her hand her whole life, but only time would tell. "I truly appreciate the help, Shaye. I feel like I owe you alot, not just for this but for taking us in. Teaching Actaea things I wouldn't know how to teach her, and for Rhyme taking care of Ignis. I know we have our differences, but I appreciate your friendship. I always have." He offered a smile, and for once...he felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. speech action

Shaye Destruction She looked at him curiously, seeing.. Something in his eyes as he told her how he hadn’t agreed. She suppressed her sigh, knowing this was about moving on, and understanding that perhaps it would be difficult for either of them to fully agree with each other for how they had reacted on the battlefield. Him, fighting to take members of another pack, and her stopping him. It might have done her good to step back and find out more first, but.. Still. Perhaps he would come to understand her a little better once he became an Alpha. Without context, she completely missed what it was he was emphasizing. Shaye nodded cautiously when Acere mentioned Tana loving her children. She wasn’t sure she could ever forgive the way that woman had taken Noir out into the snow storm at only a few weeks old, barely eyes opened and exposed to the elements. Her other two, left behind to die of starvation, unwanted by their mother who had decided her hurt feelings mattered more. She knew, she knew that Tana wasn’t completely well, that her past has hurt her, but it was still very very hard for Shaye, as a mother herself, to forgive her. She wouldn’t keep Tana’s children from her, but she would ensure their safety by offering them the chance to leave Abaven when they were old enough to apprentice fully, and look after themselves if they must. “Very well, i’ll let the kids know as well, and let them know where their mother is, i’m sure they'll be relieved to hear it.” she said gently, instead of bringing up the past again. When Acere thanked her for all she, and Abaven, had done for him and his’, she smiled truly, looking at the white warrior, and feeling.. She wasn’t sure, exactly. A bit of regret for losing him as a wolf, for knowing he would be far away. Gladness, for the fact that their friendship wasn’t irreparable, and knowing she had helped them, when that was all she had wished to do. "Ace... your a good man, I'm glad I was able to offer you what help I could, and wish I had done more. I'm sorry.. for what I did to our friendship." her voice got a little quieter, losing some of her slightly stern Alpha-expression. She missed having him around, through she wished him all the best in the world. she cleared her throat, and smiled, turning matters back to more official business. “I’m not sure when you wish to start your pack, or if you have even chosen land - but to finalise my offer of sending wolves to help you, i’ve considered, and, would you take Vail and Solor for a season? I imagine that your heavily focused on fighting, and that may reflect in your members. Solor can help you work out the herd movements of your food supply nearby, and Vail could help you start a garden. They could both help you train any warriors that wish to take on those positions in your pack, as well.” she offered him a gently teasing smile, knowing that fighting was where his talents lay, as well as that of Ignis. She wondered if Actaea would take on the role of diplomat within his pack. "Speech"

"Very well, i’ll let the kids know as well, and let them know where their mother is, i’m sure they'll be relieved to hear it.” He nodded, and felt a little relieved. He wasn't sure what Tana would think about it, but he'd get to that next time he saw her. "Thank you," He really did appreciate the things she did. Even if they didn't agree on everything, that's just how it was. He knew there would always be agreements and disagreements in life. It was all a matter of how they were handled.

"Ace... your a good man, I'm glad I was able to offer you what help I could, and wish I had done more. I'm sorry.. for what I did to our friendship." He looked at her steadily as he turned the words over in his head. It would be easy to put all the blame on her, and while he had sought to do things on his own terms that day, he would have told her why after the fact. She likely didn't know that, though. "It's not completely your fault, Shaye. That day on the battlefield...I wanted to somehow get to Elias. And the only way I thought I could do that was through Tyranis. You acted in a way you thought best because you didn't know what I planned, and...I should have told you. But with everything happening so quickly I wanted to seize the opportunity while I had it, and I didn't particularly want to explain my reasoning in front of the world." And afterward? Had things gone the way he wanted he would have told her. But emotions were running high for both of them, and he had said things he shouldn't have. "Had I the opportunity, I would have told you afterward." He shrugged. That whole day had been a clusterfuck, but there wasn't anything they could do anymore but make amends.

He didn't miss the way her voice quieted, or the way she looked. He had been truthful with her before. Laid his thoughts and emotions bare in a moment of weakness once. He had thought that a mistake. Thought that trusting her was a mistake. There were very few wolves in his life that he trusted, and many others that he kept at arms length for fear that they'd betray him. But deep down he knew...she wouldn't betray him.

She returned to talking about official business, and he listened quietly as she spoke. "You never cease to surprise me," He chuckled softly. "I would appreciate that very much. They would be a great help to me," And if he remembered correctly, Vail was a friend of Tana's right? Maybe with her presence she might have an easier time with the new transition. "I have been looking at the lands...the North mostly, but I'm not entirely sure where I wish to establish the pack just yet," The south was far too crowded. The West had a few non-desert lands, but he didn't like the heat with his thicker coat. He hadn't been to Auster to check that out, but he knew there was an Abraxas pack there and he didn't want to risk being a target in their path of conquest. Then there was the East...there were plenty of lands still, but he didn't particularly want to be near the mountains where his niece had been murdered anymore than he had to. Lastly...the North. There was only one other pack there, a smaller pack...surely there was a land or two there that he could decide on that would meet all of their needs, right? Maybe he could ask for advice on what to do. "If you have any ideas, or suggestions please...I'm all ears."