Cold. He had a duty to fulfill… but… whether due to his injuries, or simply lacking the will to rise, the winged wolf refused to budge from the under the rotten tree he had managed to drag his body to. Gavroche had thought he knew pain before but… that was nothing compared to the heaviness in his chest as he grieved now. Before him, resting on leaf litter, lay the massive collar of his cousin. The last thing he had of them… Melanthios had perished. So, so cold… Gavroche shifted, wincing at the pain he felt. The volcano had erupted… and it was by some great mercy of the goddess Celeste he had managed to get this far. He remembered fire.... Panic… Melanthios’ scream as the flaming branch fell on them. Gods Gav had tried desperately to move it. Even now he could smell the burning fur and flesh of his cousin and it made his stomach churn. Houdini, bless her, had tried as well… Sadly their efforts were in vain. As a last act Mela had removed their collar, telling him to take it to Valk… their oath… it was not broken intentionally. Gav forced himself to flee, to survive, for the sake of his cousin’s act... The first waves of hurt washing onto his heart as he did so. ...why is it so cold? But then Houdini passed too. Smoke inhalation he supposed. With a last burst of strength and adrenaline Gavorche forced himself into the waters of the Eastern lands and began to swim. Keeping Mela’s collar with him had almost killed him -- it was heavy and he had almost lost it. But he would have rather drowned than abandon it. He had made it here… but had no energy left… Blisters on his paws from burns, singed fur in patches on his front half from trying to help his cousin, and smoke inhalation caused him discomfort as well… not to mention small, minor cuts from his reckless, fearful path here. And upon arrival he hadn’t gone out much… mostly to get water… and thus he had become thin… a sorry sight for the creature he once was. The youth let out a wheezy sigh and closed his eyes. In the background he could hear the waves lapping at the shore -- he hadn’t made it too far beyond the beach as the sun shone down on the earth. Maybe the Gods would take pity on him… Send Charis or Erebos to collect his soul and let him return with them in the sky… As much as Gavroche didn’t want to die… he wasn’t sure what could fix the ache and sorrow of his heart. Even if he somehow managed to survive longer without food or much water… would he ever be the same? I miss your warmth… "Speech"

Today was just another day, and so far had proved entirely uneventful. A brief patrol around the island had shown him that nothing out of the ordinary was happening - the ash that obscured much of the sky didn't seem to be fading quite yet, and the bitter cold that had settled over the island showed no sign whatsoever of fading. But Abaven was surviving, as they always had and always would, and Corvus was beginning to feel far more hopeful for their future than he had in awhile. He wondered what Theory's next move would be, once the mainlands were safe to return to. Would their home ever be the same again? Could it even support life after the eruption, or would going elsewhere be the safest bet? Those questions bounced around in his head as he made his way down the shore. His pace was a lazy one; he hadn't seen anyone else around the island except for his packmates, and admittedly he'd let his guard slip a bit. Perhaps to some wolves, this might be an opportune to cause trouble, but generally he expected that most were in need of help.. and those that weren't, were less likely to tread where they weren't supposed to. Of course, this island wasn't theirs - they'd been more focused on making sure everyone was settling in and keeping up their strength than they had been worried about ensuring their border was obviously marked. That was why seeing a stranger there, as he strolled down the beach, caught him completely off guard. Even from a distance he could tell the stranger looked different than most he had ever seen, but from so far off it was hard to tell just how different. Cautious, but curious, he slowly began to close the distance between them, squinting against the faint sunlight that managed to penetrate the ash clouds overhead. Maybe his attention should've been fixed on the male's abnormal features, which were quite notable, but instead he was trying to figure out if he was alright.. and from a fair distance still, he didn't seem like he was in the best shape. "Excuse me?" Corvus called out, his voice much stronger than he expected - sometimes he didn't feel as though how he looked or sounded matched quite how he felt inside, but now wasn't the time to get lost in his angsty thoughts. His brow furrowed in worry as he took a few more long strides closer. "Hey, are you okay?" Even if this male was fine, it'd be nice to know that he wasn't a threat.. or if he was, so he could report to Theory and Shaye about it.

The islands weren't really that big, especially for an alpha with restless paws. Theory felt like she could criss cross them many times in a day, unlike how long it might take to patrol the entire border of Abaven's homeland. It was just another disappointing reality, how cramped their space really was. She grumbled under her breath, grateful to be alone with her private, negative thoughts. Keeping a calm, collected exterior for the rest of the pack took all of her focus. When she was alone it felt good to let that carefully crafted wall crack.

At least the shores were always pleasant to walk. The lapping waves reminded her distantly of the rapids back home. Maybe Shaye was right. There was a reason they returned there, time and time again. Theory had seen how these last few disasters had aged her beloved mentor. The white that flecked her muzzle and the shadow of pain in her eyes could no longer be ignored. Theo would honor Shaye's wishes until her last breath. Abaven would return to their home come spring.

Catching wind of Corvus's scent across the salty air, Theory trod more eagerly towards its source. Her cousin had quickly become one of her closest friends and confidantes since Motif's disappearance and Poem's leaving (not to mention little Verse, still missing, and Noir who had eagerly fled the pack at the first sign of disaster). She was so grateful for his counsel. Soon she'd have to thank him personally, but as always, there was a new problem to tend to. Realizing that he was speaking to a stranger, Theory sped up and carried her head and tail high. "Oh no," she murmured, reaching his side. She brushed her shoulder against his in a touch of camaraderie before turning her attention to the stranger.

He was strange. The appendages that sprouted from his back were the least of her concerns though - he was clearly injured. The snow had begun to melt and she'd be amassing a shriveled collection of herbs, but it looked as if he most needed some fresh water and rest. "Abaven occupies these islands for the time being. We will gladly grant you shelter and clemency until you are recovered. Will you come with us? We can carry you if need be," she assured him. He was so small, a slip of a thing. His waterlogged caught made him look even smaller.

Gavroche wanted so desperately to give up. To lay back under the makeshift shelter and ignore everything… just wait for the end. Life, however, seemed to have other plans. Whether it was the will of the Gods and Divinities, or something else entirely, it seemed Gav was not alone. A voice reached his ears as the young male lifted his head once more to look back at the owner of it. They were larger, of course. Heck, the foxes Acere had raised had been larger than he was. His ears remained lowered to either side as he focused on the male, as well as the female that came up by his side. His mouth parted, as if he wanted to speak, but no words came just yet, green gaze focused on them both. The female’s posture was more dominant, like the higher ups in the Kedieo Empire. Yet… she did not hold that same look of malice and cruelty as many of them had. The male’s question had gone unanswered for the moment and instead information came from the female. Abaven… a pack was living here? Great… just his luck. Gavroche shrunk down just a touch lower, much like a scolded child despite the nature of her words being more kind and reassuring. “I didn’t realize a pack was here now…” His words were apologetic as the winged youth lowered his gaze. He was quiet for a moment, as if considering the offer of treatment. Did… he deserve it? Guilt ate at him as he glanced back at Melanthios’ collar. “I…” The word came out in a wheeze as a cough threatened to shake his form. He fell quiet for a moment again, looked to the two, and gave a small nod. “I have to get better… I have to find this band… My cousin and I had an agreement but…” He shifted his paw over the collar. “We won’t be able to keep it now…” He had made his decision. If he got better he could seek the band out and find a way to get the girl free. Some other bargain… he just had to think. “Please help…” Gavroche unsteadily got to his paws, wincing as he stood upon the blisters. “”I should be able to walk… but… could one of you grab this?” He motioned at the massive collar that had belonged to his cousin. “It’s… heavy… but I can’t leave it... please...” "Speech"

It took Corvus a much longer moment to realize just how unusual this man truly looked, likely even moreso due to the fact that he was soaking wet. He was small - surely the smallest wolf he'd ever seen, besides pups, and he both looked and smelled like an adult. That wasn't the only peculiar thing about him, though... his gaze found the appendages growing out of his back and he spent a long moment staring, perplexed. Luckily for him, though, Theory wasn't at all far behind. The intruder was silent, looking as though he wanted to speak, but no words came out - and Corvus found himself at a loss for words, too. Theory's presence was comforting in the face of a strange scenario, and he leaned back into her touch momentarily. Apparently her presence seemed to soothe the other male, too, for her finally begin to speak in response to Theory's question. He shook his head dismissively at the stranger's worried admission that he hadn't realized a pack was here. "It's no problem," he assured him gently.  "We haven't been here long. I'm sure you didn't know." He didn't have the look of someone who could threaten Abaven, but Corvus knew looks could be deceiving. Was he truly alone? Briefly he found his gaze shifting to the horizon, wondering if there were other wolves bound to wash up on their shores soon, though he decided his thoughts were likely just overly anxious. He clearly needed help, and Abaven had always offered refuge for those in need, right? "Here, we'll help you," Corvus quickly moved to Gavroche's side, pressing into the small stranger as if to give him room to lean on for support. Hopefully Theory would take his other side. It mattered less about what he'd been talking about.. about finding a band and an agreement with his cousin.. than it did that he get somewhere safe and dry to west. Sitting at the edge of the shoreline, sopping wet, was surely a good way to get sick. He nodded at his next question, eyeing the collar that he hadn't noticed before. Its significance was a mystery to him, but it seemed minor and unimportant, so he leaned to grasp the thing gently between his jaws and move to carry it wherever Theory decided to lead them.

The larger female was quick to act, taking Gavroche's other side when Corvus went to support him. Even soaking wet he was lighter than she expected. The wings didn't add much weight but they certainly didn't help when they were soaked with water; his accompanying collar was a different story. Just looking at it she could tell it was hefty - but it was so important to him that he would have drowned to carry it across the channel safely. Theory furrowed her brows, trying to figure out the best way to transport them both. Although it was clearly a precious item, the only way she could see getting Gav and his cargo to safety was to slip the collar over her head.

"May I?" she asked, motioning towards the collar as she let him lean on her for support. She didn't want to overstep her boundaries, but it was important to get them both away from the sea spray. Theory bit her lip. She ached to jump into action but he seemed timid. Part of her still wanted so badly to please everyone around her and that instinct was at odds with her newfound position. Alphas had to make difficult choices. They didn't always get to make everyone happy. She shifted her weight from paw to paw as she awaited his answer.