The happy reunion was filled with sadness. He knew Eris would still be recovering from her time in slavery, and knowing that someone she clearly cared about would be taking her place. He waited in the spot Valk had specified, after Oxide had moved to take her place. Lament didn’t know the man, but this selfless, honourable act would cement him in Lament’s mind. He would always have a place in the Ademre’s band. If they could do something to shorten the man’s stay in the band, he would do so. He waited until Eris was able to step forward, and then moved to envelope her in his paws. “Little one.” he said quietly, already tapping out his emotions lightly against her paw. trepidation, concern, love, understanding, commitment, hope”’ so much was there, so much to say, but he held himself wordless, letting his emotions speak for him. "Speech"|"Ademic"

The familiar embrace of her brother was comforting beyond compare. After her long internment with the Hjarrandi, Eris was roughed around the edges. She was more timid and skittish. Eris, once brave and committed to overcoming her failing eyesight, shied at shadows and was reluctant to step more than a few feet away from Lament. She breathed in deeply, committing his scent further to her memory. It was seared into her brain.

"Oh, Lament..." she said, whisper-quiet. Her paws were frozen and still. Ademic seemed out of her reach now. Even as she tried to form sentiments, the motion died before it was brought forth. "My ferret... did he reach you? Is he safe?" She didn't want to talk about herself, and even thinking about Oxide hurt. Eris knew they would have to discuss him soon, but she tried to put it off at least a little while longer. He had been so close to her but was lost once more.

Lament stood protectly over his sister, silent and still other then the occasional gentle tap of his paw against hers. He could feel her unease, and he knew she was troubled by what she had been through. He had failed to protect her from this, the gentle healer of their team. It troubled him to his core, through he would not let it show. The stoic warrior instead held her close, and she would know his care from the message he tapped gently against her skin. “I do, he is safe” he promised Eris. “I know you would wish time to heal, but motions are in place and we must move with them” he said gently to the younger wolf. “I will be bringing the Ademre presence in this land together and forming a band. Will you join me? I have pledged our services first to Valkyrie, but then we are free of her.” he promised her. “And… as a band, we will negotiate for Oxide to join with us instead of with the slaver, if I can find something she deems worth more.” he explained all of his plans to her, leaving everything out in the open, so she could make an educated choice. He would have wished to give her more time to get over her shock, but as he had said, there where things in place already, and decisions had to be made. "Speech"|"Ademic"

Of course she would follow her family to the ends of the earth. Lament's question was hardly a question at all, and one some level, it pained her that he felt he must ask. "I'd go with you anywhere," she said earnestly, trying to meet his eyes. Eris searched for him in her world of half-shadows, then leaned up to find his face. Gently, she pressed her nose to his. As he mentioned releasing Oxide to the Ademre, a wave of almost euphoria washed over her.

The muck and panic of the slave pen had distracted her from reaching her majority. As she pressed closer to Lament, taking a rhythmic grateful, happy, joy on his paw with hers, the scent of her heat was undeniable. "It frightens me that we'll have to remain nearby that horrible woman..." she confessed. "But with you and Oxide and the Ademre, I can try and be brave. Or at least pretend."

She searched for his eyes, and he allowed her this intimate gesture, touching eyes with her for a moment, as was only the way with closest family. Her milky eyes focused on him, and he knew that despite the shadows of her visual world, she could see him, and see the smile in his heart that he held just for her. He held her close again, and felt relief when she gently tapped out her own emotions on him. She was loosening up a little know, returning to her old self, through he knew the journey back would be a long one. Still, it felt like a win, and he had her here once more, before him. “You are the bravest wolf I know” he told her, and he meant it. She had come charging into the strange world, half blind and no idea where she was going, to find him and Ballad. She had given them back many of their memoires, and given them something of their old life to cling to. She had done so, knowing she might not even chance upon them. “I will find the rest of our family and get their vowels as well, then I will speak to Valkyrie and get our Oxide returned to us.” he said, and with his words Eris would know she considered Oxide one of theirs, family. He had fought for Eris, he had earned his place with them, and they would fight for him. "Speech"|"Ademic"

Family. She had wanted nothing more than to include Oxide in her world. What had she said to him? They were soul bound. Eris had meant it, with all of her being. Even if it took all of her remaining willpower, she would see them reunited. It lightened her heart to know that soon they would all be together. Closing her eyes, Eris tapped joy, joy, joy relentlessly on her brother's paw. Did he know how happy this made her? How utterly this completed her? For the first time in months, a short and awkward little laugh left her mouth.

The sound surprised her. Eris' eyes flew open wide. "Oh! She murmured quietly. "I haven't done that... in so long," she confessed. Laughter felt strange on her lips, but good. Oh, all her dreams were coming true. She managed to put thoughts of Valkyrie and the other vikings firmly out of her head for now. They wouldn't ruin her happiness; she wouldn't let them.

Her reaction cemented his actions in his mind, he would find a way to free Oxide, no matter the cost. It was worth it, if just to see her laugh again, to feel her smile against his paw as she tapped out her emotion for only him to see. “Then I will have to give you plenty of reasons to laugh” he promised her, drawing her in close again, and bestowing a gentle kiss against her forehead. The road ahead likely would not be easy, but they would face it as a family, and he knew they would be just fine. “Come on, Little Whisper, let’s get out of here” he suggested. He had much to plan if he was to find something of worth to trade for Oxide, and to get this band up and running to fulfil his previous promises to the viking. "Speech"|"Ademic"