He had been out all day, and all night. Combining the territories near the pack. He was buddied with Hana, and wouldn’t be going any further until she returned from her diplomatic mission from Valhalla. Why dad had sent her, and alone he did not know. He would have gone with her if they had told him. He wished he had, maybe Cairo knew something. He wanted to talk to the only other person who had really gotten Mal. he would know what Mort was feeling right now.

As dawn crinkled the sky, he dragged himself home. Searching for any sign of Hana returning. A part, larger than he cared to admit, held hope that hana would bring home news of Mal’s safe wareabouts. He dragged himself to the communal space, caught no sign of Hana, and promptly passed out in the middle of the grass. Snoring immediately after too many days of too little sleep.

Dawn was only just breaking and Hanako squinted against the light. She was tired, her legs sore and aching as she crossed over the border back into Armada lands. Toshi plodded by her side, yawning every few yards just to show off that he was even more knackered than usual. The poor thing. Even the loud and eccentric Ruri was exhausted, soaring ahead on heavy wings and only flapping when she needed to. The journey to Valhalla had been tough but the trip back had been worse, only because Hanako had really pushed hard to get back as quickly as possible. Though she was sad to say that the news wasn't good, at least in the sense that Malalia had not been found. She'd done her best, all Sirius had asked for and more but...Well, here she was coming home empty pawed, not the heroic return she'd hoped.

Dismissing her companions so they could get some well deserved rest, Hanako pushed on, slowly plodding along till she made her way to the communal space of the Plains. It surprised her how much she'd missed it, the familiar sights and smells, the closest thing to home she'd ever gotten. For a moment she felt an itch to seek out Sirius right away, to report back to him as she always did but then she remembered that he wasn't even here, that he'd gone up north to search for Malalia. She would have tapped her head if her legs weren't so dang heavy. She'd send Ruri to report to him later either way, just so he was kept in the loop. For now Hanako sought out the cellar, hoping to find something semi-appetising to fill her empty stomach. Or at least that had been the plan till she found poor Mortis sleeping chin down on the grass.

"Oh Mortis..." She sighed, gently nudging him awake. If nothing she'd try and guide him back to his den, at least then he could get some decent and clearly needed sleep.

The gentle paw nudging him startled him from sleep. Groggily he lifted his head, scenting pack, and female, and “Ma-!” he began, shooting to wobbly paws, and then realising his mistake. Not Mal. Mal was missing. It was Hana, his new friend. The wolf he had been playing with well Mal was probably cold, alone, and maybe even dying, out there. His face instantly fell, through he tried to hide it. He knew it wasn’t Hana’s fault, and the woman had been doing her best. She had gone to Valhalla to talk to the wolves there. “She wasn’t there.” it wasn’t a question, he could see she had returned empty handed. He struggled a step forward, fatigue making him fuzzy and wobbly. His eyes barely made it open after a blink. But he shook himself, and took another step. Lack of sleep couldn’t take him. He was on a mission. “Tamsyn said we should search near the pack and then fan out West. We gotta…” he blinked, swaying. “-Gotta go look.”

Hanako stepped back, a little startled when Mortis leapt-or rather staggered- to his paws. She blinked at him, her eyelids just as heavy as her limbs, only to glance away at his statement. Not a question. What was she supposed to say to that? Even if it wasn't her fault sorry just didn't cut it, it wouldn't mend the hurt he felt or fill the void Malalia had left behind. But she still wanted to try, to comfort him as best as she could and surely that had to count for something and maybe that's even what Malalia would want.

For as tired as she was it was plain to see that the Fatalis was in worse shape, barely awake as he insisted they go and search right this very instant. Usually Hanako would have agreed to do whatever he wanted but...he wasn't in a state to be going anywhere, least of all to wander off into the wilds. Besides, she was hardly ready to go running off again, she worried if she tried her paws would fall off! Instead she moved in close, nudging Mortis with a gentle shoulder bump as to not knock him over. She wanted to lean against his tall and strong frame, to take the weight off her own throbbing paws but she knew he couldn't manage that right now. So instead she made do with a soft, fleeting touch.

"No, not yet. I'm really tired Mort. Can we sleep a little and then go?" She knew if she asked him to do it for his own sake he'd swat his well being aside, like he thought he didn't matter. But he did, that was a fact she'd had to drill into him someday but not now, not when he could barely speak.

Hana nudged him and he finally stopped trying to get anywhere. The world was spinning anyway, he was just so tired. he knew the exhaustion was making it all worse, making his frustration more prominent. When his friend booped gently against him, and told him how she was so very, very tired he looked at her properly. Would see the lines of exhaustion in her own body. Shame flooded him, he had been so caught up in his own drama, he hadn’t stopped to think how Hana was fairing. She was right - pointing out her own exhaustion was by far more effective then pointing out his own. He wearily drew his wing up and over her, pulling her closer to his body. Still standing, he buried his nose just below her ear. If he sniffed a little, like someone on the verge of tears, perhaps he could be forgiven. “I’m sorry Hana. I’m sorry. There's an empty den just near the obelisk, think you can make it there?” he asked, wearily pulling her weight against him.

Hanako dipped beneath his wing, allowing his feathers to cover her form as she leaned into his touch. She dipped her head a little, pushing the fluff of her neck into his nose and allowed him to take all the comfort he needed from her. He could cry if he wanted to, she wouldn't tell a soul. At his apology she sighed, why was he sorry? He'd done nothing wrong but the weight of his words hit her like a hoof to the chest, knocking the air from her lungs and leaving her breathless. He was so guilty, lost in the tangles of his thoughts and Hanako feared that he ventured any further he'd never be able to find his way back out. She couldn't let that happen, not to him. Not her Mortis.

"It's okay. I'm all right." She soothed, her voice barely a whisper.

He went to move, directing them towards a den and Hanako hummed in acknowledgement and let him take the lead. She'd travelled a lot in the past few days, but didn't see the harm in walking a few more steps, even if her paws protested each time they pressed down against the earth. The den in question was a spare communal den, usually reserved for guests or newcomers who hadn't yet dug out a place of their own. Her heavy gaze wandered to the side and noticed the room she'd used a while ago, now left empty and abandoned in exchange for her den by the sea. Even now it warmed her heart to know Azure had dug it out for her, that he'd deemed her worthy of the time and effort.

"Just a couple of hours and then we'll go look for her. I promise." She repeated, to both remind herself and reassure him, and then headbooped him before dipping inside of the den.

Luckily there were already some furs in place, nothing plush or fancy but leagues better than sleeping on dirt. She span in a circle on the spot, before folding down and curling up into a ball. As tight as it looked she found it to be a really comfortable sleeping position and with how tired she was she knew it wouldn't take long before she fell asleep. There was enough room for Mortis to squeeze inside too, though if he wanted or needed her to move then she would.

The misery of it couldn’t fade, not when he felt guilt in not continuing the search. In not realising sooner that she was missing. The guilt at what he had asked Hana to do, despite her exhaustion. It bubbled in his chest until he thought he might cry. He hated to cry, he knew what a weakness it was. How his family had ridiculed him for it, and how he had finally grown past it to the wolf he was today. The clown, that pushed all his sadness down. Today, he just couldn’t manage it. They staggered together towards the dens, and found their way inside. She promised they would look in a few more hours, but he didn’t reply. Perhaps he ought to sneak out on his own, and let Hana rest. Hana settled down first, and he settled down in front of her, resting his head on her chest for a moment with a weary sigh. He raised it again a second later, and gently nudged one of her paws free from where she had tucked it. Once he had gained one, he began to kneed the base of her pads with his knuckles, working out the kinks from her long journey. His own head held low, and his eyes closed as he worked.

Hanako hummed when she felt Mortis settle beside her, he was more than welcome to lean on her, she wasn't overly fussy about personal space. Or at least she usually pretended not to be, with Mortis it didn't feel like a pretence nor could she feel the weight of the mask upon her face. She didn't know what if it meant if anything at all but she was too tired to care, let alone question it in that moment. Instead she grumbled a bit when Mortis pried her paw loose, only to begin to knead it, chasing away the tightness that lingered in her joints and muscles. At first she wanted to protest, to shoo him away and make him get some rest but...it actually felt quite good. Really nice actually, like all the days worth of travel had just melted away. Besides, Hanako just didn't have it in her heart to deny him and if this is what he wanted to do to keep his mind occupied then she wasn't gonna complain. Instead she offered him a warning.

"'M gonna fall...asleep if you do that." She'd probably fall asleep regardless, she was just that tired. "'Promise though...you won't go?" Even in her state she would've have put it past him to try and sneak off when he knew she was conked out, dead to the world.

Just in case she stretched a hind leg out, hooking her paw around his. He'd really have to jostle about to shake her loose and she was pretty sure she wasn't that much of a heavy sleeper. Probably? Maybe? Hopefully. She would have asked her companions to keep a look out but that wasn't fair and she imagined they'd already gone to bed anyway. She'd just have to trust him, hope that he could see she was only forcing the issue because it was the right thing to do.

The exhausted boy let his body fall into the arithmetic manual labour at hand. Gently easing the sores in her muscles, doing what he could to lighten her load. He did it out of guilt, and fondness. A strange mix of the two that couldn’t be pried apart. “Shh” he whispered gently as she threatened to fall asleep. That was the point. He would ensure she was relaxed and cosy here, and then he would continue his search. He had to. Her words told him she had guessed more then he had meant her to, and he flinched subtly at her plea. When she hooked herself around him, he let out a soft, reluctant sigh. He wasn’t going to upset her, or pull himself free. Instead he flattened the ground beneath him with his paws and settled down properly, resting his head on her back once again, and closing his eyes. One of his wings nestled protectively around her. Before he even knew what hit him, he was dead to the world. So exhausted was he, that he would sleep deep and late, and likely many hours would pass them by

The sad truth is that Hanako was a snorer, the blow was only softened by the fact that she wasn't overly loud or throaty. Just gentle and a little huffy, as though the world was so annoying that she had to sigh every few seconds. Except in that moment it didn't seem to bad, she was safe and warm and whilst a little groggy her bones didn't hurt quite so much. Slowly she came too and just continued to lay there, eyes closed as she attempted to stretch out her legs. Huh, that was odd. There was plenty of room in her den, more than enough to stretch out but there was something warm and furry against her paws and as hard as she pushed it just wouldn't budge. Feeling a little annoyed she finally opened her eyes and-oh. She'd been kicking Mortis, whoops. Pulling back a little, Hanako pushed herself into an upright position and rolled her shoulders. She could have easily gone back to sleep but she'd promised the Fatalis that they'd search after a few hours kip, from the looks of it they'd slept longer than intended but there was nothing either of them could do about it now.

Nudging Mortis awake, Hanako stepped over him as she headed outside and bowed down into a stretch. The sun blinded her and she squinted against it with a scowl, almost tempted to retreat back inside. But that was a silly, childish thought, and instead she glanced about, wondering if anyone happened to be hanging about the communal area. She doubted it, since everyone was out looking for Malalia, leaving the Armada's pack lands feeling emptier than she would have liked.

"'Come on Mortis, we need to start our search."

The soft little huff of Hana’s breathing was a surprisingly comforting noise that helped chase him away into sleep. Accustomed to the sleeping mass of family, he thought nothing of cuddling up to Hana as they slept. His wings, their blanket, and the soft coat their bed.

The sensation of kicking didn’t immediately register, and he pulled his wing further over his head, like someone hiding beneath a blanket. The kicking continued and he let out a soft, irritated groan. Damn, but he was tired. The kicking finally stopped, next came nudging, and the scent of Hana reminded him of where he was.

He opened his eyes in time to see her rear end as she stretched out in a morning sprawl. He blinked in surprise, and not quite prepared for that view. He blushed, and hid his eyes. When she looked back at him, he hid his confusion behind a yawn, and got to his paws. Shaking out his whole body, wings included. A few feathers, dislodged in the night, flew free. One landing upon Hana’s back as he brushed past her. “Shit, is that the time?” he swore in surprise, looking up at the sun.

Hanako waited, watching the clouds lazily roll across the sky. She couldn't help but feel as though all of this was a waste of time, that Mortis really ought to get some rest but she knew she it wouldn't go down well. That he'd run his legs down to stumps if it meant there was even a slither of a chance that Malalia could be found. There was no way the Wraith would let that happen, she'd sooner try pin him down and even if she knew it'd be a losing battle. That he could easily toss her aside if he so chose. Not that Hanako's wants and desires really counted for much right now, they'd been ordered to look and she intended to do just that. Something soft and light brushed against her back, causing her muscles to twitch as she instinctively and without noticing tried to shake it loose. The feather slowly drifted to the ground as Hanako moved aside a little, giving Mortis the room he needed to stretch.

"Not sure, shouldn't be too late." She looked to the sun again, this time her eyes ready to deal with its glare. She understood why she'd been put in charge but it didn't feel right, that she was leading the search for someone...she wasn't that invested in to be honest. It felt awful thinking that but she imagined it would roughly be the same if the roles were reversed. The only reason she held any connection to the missing Reaper was the hole she'd left behind, the hurt she'd caused in her wake. "'We'll start heading towards Fireside, then...swing west a bit." That sounded about right to her, if she recalled Tamsyn's instructions correctly. "Is that okay?"

He sneezed as the feather drifted off Hana, and was kicked up by his passing, only to drift past his nose on its way down again. The feather went shooting off into the distance as the force of his expelled breath. He shook his face, and rubbed his nose, still alarmed at how much time had passed. He had intended only to rest his eyes for a moment. How was he still exhausted? He had clearly slept for ages.

“Okay, that works. So remind me again, why did my dad put you in charge?” he half teased her. He knew the reasoning, his dad had told him. In private he had called Mort emotional and reckless, and Hana reasonable. Well it had stung to hear from his dad, that didn’t mean he couldn’t tease Hana with it. And besides, he needed a little teasing in his life right now. He wanted to slump and kick the earth. He was so frustrated at not being able to find his friend.

"Cause I'm older and prettier than you." She pushed out her tongue between the gaps of her front teeth, knowing full well he was just pulling her tail. In all honesty she was more than happy to play along, to try and keep his spirits high. Even if only for a little while. "Come on then, we've got a lot of ground to cover." Her paws throbbed at the thought but she knew it was her responsibility, one she couldn't just shrug off no matter how tempting.

Cricking her neck, Hanako then gestured for Mortis to follow with a flick of her tail. She wanted to just rush along and get it over and done with but she knew that it wouldn't be a very effective way of searching. It'd take much longer but in order to do Malalia justice they'd have to be slow and meticulous, stopping to sniff every track and trail they came across. She would have called for Ruri to offer a helping wing but the magpie was no doubt still resting, maybe Mortis had a bird at paw ready to help? She couldn't remember, maybe her brain was still a little too foggy for that just yet.

"Call your bird if you have one." And with that she was off, heading north towards Fireside.

Mortis scrunched up his nose at her. “You got one of those things right.” he teased back, falling into the familiar rhythm of banter. It felt good, right, to bring a little light to the dark in the heart. “We do.” He agreed, picking up his feet, and prancing prettily after her. He paused at her words, and realised his lack of sleep was getting to him. He should have called for his companion immediately, ever set of eyes helped. He raised his head, giving a quick chuff to the sky, and knew they would be along shortly. They were reliable sort of companions, when he needed them to be. He followed after Hana, glad he had been assigned to her. He knew if his friend hadn’t been beside him, the next few hours would be even worse. As it was, he already began to slump, walking slowly and with care, but also with exhaustion. “I’m glad you're here.” he said softly. "Mortis""Hana"