Rudy had been gone for ages, at least it felt like ages.  The weather was warming up as proof of time passing.  Finally, he saw the plains and after a little more time in the distance, he could see the castle where his family would surely be.  He could tell mom about the leaves to help mom out and that would make a difference right?  It would be worth something?  Rudy was tired but with the castle in sight his legs assured him they could go further before resting.  The boy let out a howl for Tamsyn.  He was back.

Rudy would know soon enough.  He would see mom and be able to get a lot of questions answered.  The notion of getting a lecture for running off was there but at this point, he didn’t care.   If the information he’d gathered helped them the rest of it would work itself out.  Really, getting a lecture didn’t even sound that bad.  Maybe for now on, he’d be sure to enjoy every moment with the mom he would continue to have.  Maybe this was a reminder to make each moment count and not taken for granted.

Exploring new areas could be fun in the right situation but right now he was so glad to be home.  Hopefully, he still had two moms waiting for him.

Rudyard Carpathius

At this point, with Resin worsening by the day, she felt any loss or absence even more deeply than ever. As soon as it became apparent that Rudyard was gone and not just on a small trip away from the castle, she immediately began to worry. It got lost in the sea of all of her other worries and pains, but it was there. She kept looking for him around the castle, looking for him around the lands that surrounded it. She barely had the time or capacity to think beyond what was happening to her mate, but she still managed to worry about her son. Very soon her children would be all she had left and she just wanted to hold them close to keep anything from happening to her last pieces of happiness in this world, but her son was gone.

She was lingering around the courtyard, trying to push the stress and worries away at least long enough for her to stretch out her muscles and work her healing shoulder when a howl pulled her attention and made her stop in disbelief for a moment. Rudyard? Her heart leaped into her throat and she immediately went running toward the sound. Sure enough, she spotted her travel worn boy and sighed heavily as relief washed over her. "Rudyard!" she called as she ran up to him, skidding to a stop in front of him so that she could lift her paws to his face, turning his head one way and then the other to check for any injuries, doing a similar check over the rest of him, fussing and worrying over her boy.

"Where have you been?! I've been worried sick!" Tamsyn exclaimed once she had finished making sure there were no serious injuries and came back around to face him, throwing her forelegs around his shoulders to pull him into an embrace. "I thought... Gods, I thought I lost you," she confessed softly, squeezing him a little tighter. She couldn't lose them. Not her children. Knowing that she was going to lose Resin was hard enough, but she couldn't lose her children.




"Tamsyn" | "Blue"

Seeing mom’s shape even at a distance just made things feel that much better.  Maybe it was better at a distance for when she came close he got a great memory of her injury.  That scar working to mend on her face was something that would never let them forget.  Still, he gave his mom a tired smile.  He would have hugged her right away but then Rudyard just stood there so mom could look him over.  A few pounds lighter, a few muscles stronger but overall he seemed well enough.  “I’m ok mom,” The boy whispered in assurance, and there it was, she had him embraced in a hug.  The boy melted his head into her fur, a smile for a moment on him glad to feel his mom again.

Unfortunately, he had some explaining to do.  He thought of stepping back to explain but mom was squeezing him harder and he didn’t feel any real reason to exist. “No one here knew a cure for mom, so I went to find one.”  It seemed a pretty straightforward and obvious answer to him.  His voice dropped after that in some guilt, “no one knew anything.  I went up pretty far and I asked around a lot but no one knew anything.  Though I did hear some tell me about plants that could help calm mom.  Something called cannabis I was told might help.”  It wasn’t much but, was it at least something.  

“Is she ok? I mean, she’s still here right?  I came back, you know, in time?” In time to see her even if not in time to save her.  For all he thought of stepping back a moment ago now he shoved his face in deeper to his mom.  It was too soon, he couldn’t lose her yet, right?  Rudy clung to the touch and reality of this mom to try and hide from the words he dreaded to hear from Tam.

Rudyard Carpathius

She sighed softly when he told her that he had gone out to find a cure for his mother. Of course he had. He was a thoughtful boy, a sweet boy. Her good hearted, but sometimes reckless son that she loved so very much. She nodded quietly when he told her the small bit of information he had been able to gather, though she didn't have the heart to tell him that Lúta had already tried it all. The healer had found a balance that seemed to calm her long enough for them to visit, but she wouldn't bring that up now. She was just happy that he was here and home and in one piece. At this point it was about all she could ask for. Just for them to be with her and okay.

She was frustrated that he didn't even tell her he was leaving or what he had intended to do, but before she could scold him at all she heard his question about Resin and felt his face press into her and just didn't have it in her to fuss at him for what he had done. She sighed and squeezed him, leaning her head into his neck. "Yes, she's... she's alive," she told him uncertainly. She couldn't promise much more than that, but she wasn't entirely gone. Not yet. Things weren't getting any better, but he had come back before what she imagined would be the worst of it.

Tamsyn pulled away from him then, giving him a small, sad smile, gently tapping her nose against his. "Come on. Lets get you inside, get you cleaned up. Find you some food. We can talk about all that stuff later." He was here. He was okay. It was one very small relief and a worry she could lift away from the heaping pile on her shoulders so she would take it where she could get it. She got up and started walking back into the castle with him, leaning into his shoulder as they walked.








"Tamsyn" | "Blue"

Rudy felt her sigh and felt at least somewhat guilty for making her worry.  It wasn’t his fault that he couldn’t tell her.  Mom might have said no if he’d asked her and since Rudy would have done it anyway, at least this way he hadn’t refused to listen.  A trickle of guilt at that thought.  She would have preferred he defy her instead of worrying about him.  Rudy had to admit he’d been pretty upset when he left.  Was that an excuse?  Everyone was upset.  

Hearing mom was alive was a relief.  He had come back in time with at least some information.  Mom wasn’t rushing off with it though which caused some questions to come to his mind that Rudy would figure out later.  If it was something that would make things better right away mom would have been rushing to make the information known.  So, it might not have been any good.  

When Tam pulled back he offered his mom a small smile.  There was still a lot wrong in life that was putting too much pain in the heart for a great big smug smile like he once did.  In the back of his mind were thoughts on other-mom and Art.  The two problems added together were just too much but, mom was here and she needed him to be alright.   He nudged his own nose into the tap of Tam’s, a small twitch at the end of his tail.  Despite all the horrors, there was his mom in front of him who he loved and she loved him.

“I am ok you know,” she could see that but he had a feeling she’d like hearing it again anyway.  Inside and cleaned up sounded nice but the mention of food sounded really nice.  Rudy felt his stomach agree with his mind at the thought.  Skipping out on meals to keep up the energy and time hunting would take had seemed a necessity at the time but gosh he was ready for a good meal and even one he didn’t have to catch. “I love you mom.  I’m sorry I scared you.”  He wasn’t sorry for leaving, just for not telling her first. “If I ever need to travel again I’ll tell you first.” Even if the answer was no, even if he had to defy her, no more secrets from mom.  Was this enough to at least prove he could take care of himself or just that he got lucky?  

Rudyard Carpathius