Anxious tension rippled through Delphi's chest as she fought back the tears. Hoping no one had heard the outburst from the tunnels behind her, she moves quickly. She hopes to seek out a specific someone that might shed some light. Doing her best to inhale deeply, fighting off the urge to start hyperventilating, Delphi barely saw where she was going. The inner tunnels and pathways of the mountain were etched into her mind. She need no map nor light to find her way. It wouldn't take long until her paw was knocking upon the doorway that led into Ember's guest rooms.

"Ember, we-I need to speak with you," Delphi says through tightened throat and choked words. Keeping her chin up and eyes half-closed to battle the emotions, she steps inside. Once far enough in that others outside of the room couldn't hear her, she slumps onto the closest fur and covers her face with her paws. Though she could have gone to one of her siblings, it was Ember she needed to speak with. Everything was crumbling and Delphi felt the Hallows diplomat and her newfound friend would be the best one to seek advice from.

"Delphi"

Ember's time in Hemlock had been a mixed bag of emotions. In many regards, she was grateful to have been able to provide help to the pack and to forge some new friendships. On the other, Erik's disappearance had left her feeling more than a little scorned. This was the... what, third time he'd done this to her? The Carpathian princess' patience was not infinite, and she was rapidly running out of excuses she could convince herself of. Still, Ember had not chosen to leave once Erik had vanished. She hadn't come to Hemlock just to pursue a romantic interest. She had come to lend aid to Delphi and the pack as a whole, to build camaraderie and goodwill between Hemlock and the Hallows. She would not let a jilted heart turn her away; she was stronger than that.

The raven-furred femme was resting in her guest quarters reading through a book she'd brought with her from the Hallows when the sudden rapping of paws at the entrance of the den caught her by surprise. "Come in," she called out, dog-earing the page she was on before rising to smooth out her fur. Ember's expression brightened when she saw Delphi enter, bowing her head respectfully to the Curator and her newest friend. "Delphi! Of course, I'm all ears!" Even before she spoke, Em could sense the anxious aura pouring off the small fae. Her tight words earned a concerned look from Ember, coming over to join Delphi on the furs that covered the den floor.

"Del, what's wrong?" Ember settled down next to Delphi, worried eyes roving her friend's expression for any hints of what had happened. She shifted a paw closer to Delphi's, offering it to her if the other fae felt the need for touch to confide something in her. There was no question that something had upset the young alpha. The only question was what.

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Delphi doesn't stir as Ember swiftly comes to lay beside her on the rugs. The feeling of a paw reaching out to her is comforting and she doesn't hesitate to slowly inch her paw toward Ember's. She fights back the tears, the frustration, the emotions that had been welling up for awhile now. It takes a minute of silence before her breathing has calmed and she is ready to say words without a total meltdown. If she were to do it front of anyone, it would be Ember.

"I don't know if I can do this," Delphi's voice is a hoarse whisper as she peeks at Ember from beneath her paw. It definitely was easier to say it aloud if she weren't looking at anyone. Reclosing her eyes, she inhales deeply and exhales before continuing. "I don't know how to keep doing it. I just banished Vidarr along with Bjorn from Hemlock lands. Erik is missing. And the rest of the pack seems... absent. I've tried, you've tried and you don't even live here!" Her voice raises a pitch, clearly upset, but not unwholly ready to crumble.

"If I can't be alpha, who will? M-Maki is too soft. The other pups are far too young. I don't agree that any wolf at the age of one is ready to lead. I'm barely two and I'm ready to run away," the admittance is harsh, but it's how her heart feels as it thumps heavily in her chest. "What am I to do?"

"Delphi"

Delphi's paw inched her way closer until Ember was tenderly grasping the smaller fae's, offering her all the support she could. Even if it was little more than a comforting presence. Em listened attentively while Delphi takes a moment to settle herself before letting the floodgates open, admitting the struggles she faced as Curator. The dark femme's ears flicked back and folded against her head, empathy clear as day in her oceanic eyes. Oh, she knew of Delphi's struggles... It had been the very reason why she'd come to Hemlock in the first place, why she continued to stay to offer her aid where she could. Em said nothing while Delphi spoke, letting her newest friend vent all of the frustration, the aggravation, the feelings of hopelessness and uncertainty. It was what friends did for each other after all.

The revelation that Delphi had banished Víðarr and Bjorn from Hemlock came as a bit of a surprise, but not an unexpected one. Víðarr had been in a state since his wife's death, and Bjorn... well, that boy had never been right from Ember's short assessment. Em's expression twisted with a flinch of pain when Delphi mentioned Erik's disappearance. Yeah, that one still stung... She knew it hadn't been said with malice, but it still hurt knowing the boy she'd given so much of herself to had just run off. Delphi's venting came to an end when she confessed she didn't know if she could keep doing this and lamenting her lack of options. It was a tough situation, a very "caught between a rock and a hard place" sort of raw deal. And for the first time in her life, Ember didn't have an immediate response.

The Carpathian fae dwelled on the matter for a moment, blue eyes swaying idly about as she racked her brain for ideas or suggestions, but came up dry. She had no more experience with leadership than Delphi did. If only her father were here... "I don't know, Del," she spoke with a sigh after a moment, her shoulders slumping, feeling like she was failing her friend. "My dad took over the Hallows when he was a yearling, and he's always talked about how much struggle and sacrifice it was, but... I don't know how to rebound Hemlock from its squalor." Em's lips pursed as she mulled over the situation, her paw gingerly squeezing Delphi's. "I suppose the real question is, do you want to keep doing it? Fighting and pushing to keep Hemlock together?"

Em lifted her gaze to meet Delphi's again, giving the smaller femme a resolute look. "If you're committed to keeping the pack together, then so am I. Somehow, we'll find a way. But if this isn't what you want—if leading Hemlock doesn't bring you joy or inspiration—then... maybe we need to reevaluate what's best for you and for everyone." It was a grim thought to consider dissolving the pack, but if Hemlock had just become a weight dragging all of its members down into oblivion, then cutting it loose seemed like the only logical explanation if revitalizing it was not,.

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Open honesty was one of the things that Delphi valued most about Ember. About the Hallows, about Artorias. Their way of conversation, of consoling, of just being seemed and felt so regal that Delphi couldn't even be mad. Even when Ember admitted that she didn't know, Delphi only sighed in response, a quiet nod of her muzzle in agreement. Hell, she didn't know either.

Looking up from her place of cowering on the floor, she listens earnestly to Em's words. If Artorias had been capable of taking on the Hallows at such a young age, surely she was too. The thought didn't sit right with her though. She wasn't Artorias. She wasn't Vidarr nor Sirius or Chimera. Great leaders who were all massive men with fantastic fighting ability and adept at politics. Meanwhile she was... puny and though a decent fighter, she was scrappy and ugh, terrible at politics. Well, not terrible, but she didn't enjoy the whole stuffy diplomatic bullshit that came along with being a leader.

Plus her own relationship with Strai had become strained. He was once at the bottom of the pack. A Thrall. And now? He sat at the top where he clearly didn't belong nor was comfortable being. How could she continue to do that to him? To everyone else? Clearly the rest were just as disappointed with the way the pack was going. Their absence spoke far louder than their words.

Hearing Em say it out loud was perhaps what she needed to hear. Looking at the bright blue pools of Em's eyes, Delphi inhales a deep breath and exhales slowly. Another nod of agreement as she has to look away, her mouth feeling drier than ever. "You are not wrong," she begins. "I never wanted this. It was never supposed to be me. It should have been Erik or Vidarr should have held it together for just another year. He should've done more to help Tenshi. They could have," her nose wrinkles, toes tensing as she stops herself from saying anymore.

"I don't wish to bring the pack down anymore, but there needs to be a plan. I can't just send them off into the unknown. Vidarr and Tenshi's brood have just turned one. I would feel terrible if they were left alone in the wilds without protection. Others are older, I don't know how capable they would be. I guess it's the thought of leaving wolves alone to die because I couldn't handle being a leader is what keeps me from making any moves." Closing her eyes for a moment, Delphi lets the pang in her heart wash over her before she looks at Ember again. "I, I need a plan. Or Time. Or both. Maybe a meeting with the pack. See what they want. Where they could go?" She leaves the question hanging in the air.

"Delphi"

Seeing the stresses and burdens of leadership weighing so heavily on Delphi made Ember’s heart ache for the girl so close to her in age. She didn’t relish in seeing anyone struggle, least of all the wolves she considered her friends. Honestly, it worried Ember some. She had known being an alpha was a difficult task, but her father had always made it seem so seamless, like he was born for it. For as long as she could remember, Artorias had imparted on her and her siblings the importance of responsibility, but seeing Delphi like this… the Carpathian girl couldn’t help but wonder if her father felt the same ways. Was leadership a burden to bear; a weight that crushed all who bore it and he was just that good at hiding it? Suddenly the appearance of silver hairs in her sire’s muzzle and coat didn’t seem to be just a sign of aging…

Em listened pensively while Delphi shared her thoughts and feelings. The pack had never been meant to come to her. It had been a consequence of unforeseen changes. Hearing Erik’s name again made the line of Em’s lips draw tighter, trying to avoid showing how much she was hurting over the disappearance of her viking bastard. She couldn’t disagree though; Heidinn should have remained in Vidarr’s line, not been thrust upon her without consideration to how she felt or her desires. Ember didn’t interrupt Delphi as she vented to her. The poor girl needed this. There was a moment of pause, and then a decision was made.

Ember felt her heart sink some as Delphi said she needed time to make her preparations to dissolve Hemlock. Her head dipped some, realizing this meant her mission had ultimately been a failure. But despite being a tactical failure, Em didn’t feel any kind of regret or defeat. She had made new friendships here with Delphi and done her best to help prepare the younger wolves for whatever came next. She would remain to help them with whatever this next transition involved too. Like Delphi said, she could not abandon them to their fates. That wasn’t the Carpathian way. Em didn’t know how much authority she had to make these kinds of split decisions and promises on behalf of her father or the Hallows, but she was the acting representative for her pack at this moment and she would not leave her friends high and dry.

"I think a pack meeting is a good starting point. It’ll soften the blow of shock and give everyone time to make their preparations for whatever happens next, whether you hand Hemlock off to someone else, or dissolve the pack," Ember agreed with the smaller femme. "If any of your wolves need a place to stay for a while as things get sorted, the Hallows is always open to guests. We can house the young and the elderly, we have plenty of supplies to care for them. It’ll give them a safe place to be and decide what they want to do in the aftermath." Offering Delphi a reassuring smile, Em squeezed her friend’s paw in hers again. "Whatever comes next, you’re not alone, Delphi. But you deserve to be happy and not killing yourself over something you never even wanted." Ember’s philosophy was simple and perhaps a little naive still—do what makes you happy in life and damned be the stuff that doesn’t.

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"