She hadn't seen Bass... not really, not since Chrono's death. And it worried her. Where was her fearless, jovial leader? she understood that it was pretty much impossible to be jovial at the current time, but... still. Where was he? It had been Harmony that welcomed Abaven to the Singing Caverns. When certain wolves would go hunting later the day, it would be Motif who led... not Bass. The few times she saw him.. he smiled, but they were never true smiles, and they were quick to disappear. His eyes weren't the bright color they were before; instead, they were duller... darker and more dim.

She could tell herself something wasn't wrong, that she was imagining it... but she couldn't lie. No, she couldn't lie to herself, not about her alpha. Not about one whom she loved like a son, one who she would willingly give her life for so he would live. There was something wrong, and nothing seemed to be helping. Nothing.

A whine escaped her jaws, and she slowly wandered the caverns. Where could he be? Somewhere he could be alone, yes. All she needed to do was catch - ah, there. His scent. She traced the scent from the fading point, nose flaring. It was hard to keep a scent, when the scent of rain and heat was everywhere. The sound of rain splattering just outside, and the humidity making everything so humid was distracting as well. She eventually made it, and hesitating, she stood at the corner that turned to where she was certain Bass was.

"Bass?" she called out, nervous, hesitantly... scared.


"Speech"
'thoughts'

It was with a great shame that he had hidden himself away, a failure to once again protect his pack mates. Chrono had died, even though he nearly killed himself to save him. This was the second pack mate to pass in only two seasons, and Bass couldn't stand it. How could he be a great leader when he couldn't even protect those that he cared most about? Two pack mates dead, and another lost in battle. The great warrior had fallen, his pride crashing down with him. Bass had hidden himself near the back of the caverns, paws still muddy from his little adventure outside. He knew that the nonstop rain would eventually drain into the caverns, so he had spent most of the day digging a wide trench, digging so that the water would run off down the hill. He had dug two of these, one right in front of the enterance to the caves and another one about three feet away, ensuring that his pack would not get stuck within these caves. He hadn't bothered to clean up though, the mud had dried and was clinging to the majority of his legs and belly. A soft voice called out to him, and his ears twitched at they picked up the sound. Bass did not turn his head for a moment, just kept staring blankly at the wall. After several heart beats he slowly turned his cranium towards the russet woman before him, golden gaze looking like dull metal as he seemed to look right through her. "Mirabelle." He said softly, his voice hoarse and unused. He didn't say anything else, blinking a few times as he allowed his gaze to finally rest on her face. A tiny smile tugged on his lips, but it only lasted a matter of seconds. Clearing the cobwebs from his mind he attempted to actually focus on her, to hear what she would have to say. Eyes grew a bit brighter, although they were nothing like they usually are. A spark of hope flared in his own chest though, it had been awhile since he carried on a conversation with anyone. Walk "Talk" Think

The silence worried her. It frayed at her nerves, until she stepped into the room and caught sight of her dear alpha. Breath catching, she stared at him. He looked... terrible. Absolutely terrible. Her eyes skimmed over the dried mud caking his body. It was even worse when he didn't even look at her - as if he had not noticed she was there. Then he turned his head, acknowledging her presence, and she sighed inside. Relieved. She hated how his gaze was so empty; how they were so dark and dull and...dusty. His voice made her wince ever so slightly. She met golden eyes with her own pale yellow eyes; tears glistening wetly in their depths. She returned his momentary smile, hers just as short and minuscule and filled with terror. "Bass..." she whispered again, slouching to lay on the floor. What... what could she possibly do? Her? she was only an assassin. An exiled assassin. She was not trained to please. She was not trained to help others. She was trained to kill them. She had no idea what to do in a situation such as this. Wiggling forward slowly, the femme stretched her head to touch her nose to Bass's. "I worry, Bass. I worry about you. I'm scared." The admission was so soft, so quiet - had she not been so close, he would never have hear it. ooc. crappy post x.x my apologies. ?speech?

It was as if he didn't even hear her words. He just went on staring, looking at the area where she once was. His eyes were glazed over, he looked like a zombie wolf. This was nothing like the Bass that Abaven depended on, he was a crumbling man. He sighed, ears laying flat on his head, the silence spreading. It wasn't until he felt Mirabelle's nose on his own that he blinked and looked down at her. Why was she crying, and why did she look so frightened? He had not heard her words, but he could see the emotions written on her face. The man sighed, his head hanging again. He was failing his members, maybe it would be best if he just left for a little bit. "Have I failed you?" He asked in a whisper, those dead looking eyes meeting her own yellow gaze. His voice was cold, but there was a slight whine to it as they left his maw. The leader had truly fallen, the old Bass would never let his members see him like this.

The man's tail curled around his paws, his head slowly shaking back and forth. "Help me." He whispered once again, his body shaking as a broken sob ran through his body. He needed help to get out of this dark place, it could not be achieved by pretty words. He felt like the worst wolf in the world, already losing three pack mates. He would give his life readily to bring them back. But he was so focused on the lost ones that his mind could not look upon the ones he had right before him. He was blind to how much Abaven truly cared for him, all he saw was the darkness. Their home had been taken from them by the storms as well. While that was something that he couldn't control, he still felt as if he needed to be able to protect his members from natures wrath. His heart was still too soft, it needed to be hardened and protected. He was just one wolf, and could do so little. But he felt that as an alpha, he should be able to stop things like this...