Natalya had beckoned her small family to take a slight detour through what had once been their home as they moved to the one they were going to claim. Helios knew why, but for the children this would be confusing. Why were they passing their old den, if not to retake it for themselves? As a mother, Natalya felt ashamed the Hermes wasn't at the front of her mind every day. She was constantly preoccupied with the family, the pack, the drama. It that she never thought of him, but part of her believed he should always be most important. Part of her worried that if his memory wasn't the first, middle, and last thing she thought of every day, it would disappear. That it would go to the ground and the gods right along with the child she hadn't been quick enough to save. It was this fear that made her sleep restless, caused her heart to ache. What would her beautiful son think of them now? He had always been so ambitious, so optimistic, and so loyal. Would he have been able to convince Apollo to stay? Would he have hated them for losing control of their home? How would he treat his new siblings, and what would the three of them think of him? Would he understand why she had thrown one away? She wanted answers to all of these things, but she would never be able to get them. Instead, she would visit him now, to tell him about the brother and sisters he never got to meet, to tell him what they had lost and what they were accomplishing, and to tell him how much she missed him. She approached his grave site slowly before sitting immediately before it, knowing it by the mound they had piled over it and the distance from her former hole. She lowered her head and sighed as she waited for her husband to seat himself beside her. ""

Sea, you are the greatest person alive!!!

Helios walked a few paces behind his wife, his thoughts bouncing about as he went. They were approaching lands that had once been his, once been theirs but now only the faintest hint of their scent remained, abandoned by the woman that had bested him. Not by them though, the lands would always belong to at least one of his family, it was his final resting place after all. The russet man knew exactly where they were going, his mind tuned on the grave?s location. Hermes had been on his mind much as of late, never the forefront but always there, nagging. Sometime he lay awake wondering about it all, about how his son would have dealt with everything, would have dealt with what Helios knew he needed to do. He and Apollo had not been close in those last few months but they had shared a bond only understood by littermates? and Helios had to wonder if Hermes would have hated him for what was to come. They drew upon the space, the marker still standing despite the elements and Helios closed the gap between himself and Natalya seating himself beside her. Gaze fixed upon the mound though he leaned briefly against his wife. Speech,

He hadn't been around to visit his brother yet, not since his parents had told him of his passing. He had asked of course, but he hadn't managed to get there yet. He felt heavy hearted, and there was much weighing on his mind these days. He didn't know what his parents were doing, and he hated the fact that he would most likely never be able to join them again. But he did it for love, for his dearest. And now... now he wanted children of his own. Now that he knew that his parents wouldn't be around to see them though, it made him hesitate. Letting out a sigh, he rounded the corner -- only to freeze. Standing stock still he eyed his parents, the albino beast frozen in place as his salmon eyes lingered on his mother. The last words that she had said to him were harsh, and they never left his mind. The boy made no move to get any closer to them, he didn't want to start something by his brothers grave. What did Hermes even think of everything that had transpired? A soft sigh left his lips, the man turning to leave. Perhaps he would come and visit his brother another day, but this was not the time nor place to get into things with his parents. "Hear Me Talk,"'Read My Thoughts.'

Alectrona followed her mother and father to see where they were going. The emerald valley a place she once called home but it was home no longer. Why did they come here this time but she noted the mound that they came across. Alectrona being the bright girl she was she had an idea of what was within. Small tears began to form and slide down her cheeks, she didn't know who it was but the idea of someone being buried there brought a heavy weight upon her heart and she felt like her heart wanted to escape through her maw. Alectrona moved closer to her mum and dah stood in front in the center of them before looking up trying to catch their faces with her gaze "Mum... dah... who... who are we..." she felt herself choke on her words before finishing "who are we visiting?". She then let her gaze go to Apollo, someone who she didn't really know at all but all the same to Alectrona it seemed he was here to also visit the grave site. She was intrigued by his appearance, such a handsome wolf he was or so she thought but she let the thought remain as such. For now was a time to pay her respects to Hermes the brother she never got the chance to know. The more she let the thought sit there the more her tears came about. Hopefully nothing terrible would happen here, after all it was a grave site and despite being young felt that it was for the best if everything remained in a somewhat peaceful state despite how everyone might be feeling. One last time before going silent she spoke up so her young voice could be heard "May we... all... spend this time... together... and let this time be in peace and think about the one we have come to see... I wish for nothing more than to let this day be in peace as we have come to visit someone... someone I believe I never got to know..." She tried to speak as loud and as clear as she could before sobbing even more. Today Alectrona wanted to pay her respects and to for once have a day where everything was at peace and no one was fighting but that was all she wanted this day. "Speech"

He followed along side his father in silence, head held low yet not out of sadness. Hercules was unaware of where the small family was heading, even more unaware of who they would be vising today. The man had been gone before the children were born, and since the young male could walk, talk, hear and smell he had not heard any information about the other older brother who had passed turning an epidemic that took over the lands. So when they had come to a stop before a mound in the ground, and the sight of one of his sisters starting to tear up, he would feel frustrated. Head lifted and ears swung back to lay against his skull. Was he not told about what this was while his sister was? Brows furrowed at this though, to think that he was being left out even though he was part of the family as well. When Alectrona began to speak and sob he simply ignored her and stared down at the mound, firey orange eyes narrowing as he tried to think about what it was, or who it was from the way the girl spoke about it. Silence, since they had left their temporary den after the challenge remained with the still young Hercules. Narrowed eyes were focused on the ground, tail slowly and smoothly moving from side to side behind his growing frame. "Who is it?" He finally spoke, tone curious yet demanding. Orange eyes moved away from the mound to gaze up at his father then mother, before finally going back to the grave. "Should we know?" "Speech" Awesome image by Shelby <3

Chione would trail only a short distance behind the rest of her family. When they all came to a halt, a sense of love, caring, but also sadness hit the group. Chione would sit, her parents joining shoulders, leaning into each other for comfort. Alectrona would make her way in between the two, but before her burst of emotion, Chione was able to eye her older brother off in the distance. She would let her gaze stand upon him for a few moments, and then nose pointed forward as she closed her eyes and ears would pull back to her skull slightly. "This should be your grave, Mommy meant to drop you from the cliff instead of that demented boy." Charon had seemed to get nastier; normally he bashed others but recently he had been hurting her more than anyone. Well if anyone knew what he was saying. Her ears grew tighter with frustration as her sister burst into tears and sobs, eyes remaining closed. Chione had not known anything of Hermes, Apollo's littermate. But in any case, she didn't care. But just as the mood was settling, even though there was still confusion amongst her siblings, she couldn't help but giggle and then laugh. Almost evilly, she would continue until her hearts rest and words spoke to Alec without ever opening her eyes. "Peace." Would end in her laughter. "Peace? Since when has there ever been peace." Optics would not show through her speech, a smile intact that should never have been a smile at all. "We had our home ripped from our paws. That woman might as well should have killed us all for rebelling." She knew not if her siblings had heard of their forgotten littermate themselves and would show a hidden courtesy to hide it. "It's been chaos since our birth. If only you knew." "Why not tell them, what is there to lose? Maybe mommy and daddy will disown you. But who cares, you still have me." Toes would stretch into the soil as her evil grin turned to an unsatisfied line. Shut eyelids would clench as Charon pained her. She was tired of it, she wanted it to stop. If Charon were real, she could just drown him in the ocean. But it seemed that the only way to make him go away was to drown herself. She would tremble slightly trying to make the voice vanish, the world around her slipping her mind.

This was the final resting place of her child, a place as sacred to her as the gods themselves. It was a place of peace and remembrance, yet two things threatened her composure. First, the scent of his traitorous brother floated to her nose, disappearing as quickly as it had come. Apollo had turned away from her brother because of his own stubborn attitude and fear. She was still angry at him for his betrayal, and even more so knowing he couldn't set aside that hatred to join his family in their moment of mourning. The second came as her youngest litter trickled in. Alectrona, ever insightful, plunged into an emotional speech before knowing exactly who they were there to see. The feeling in her words brought a tear to Nat's eye, but it did not fall. Spiteful words and laughter from her other daughter caused her head to snap around and body to react, bringing her muzzle within an inch of Chione's face. It took every ounce of strength within her to keep from attacking the girl and punishing her, but ultimately it was a voice in the back of her mind that drove her to restraint. If she attacked her daughter, here and now, they would fear her. Perhaps even believe that she thought they were as useless as the child she'd attempted to kill. She could not lose anymore children, physically or emotionally, so she contained herself. Let Helios lash out physically if he desired, and she would support it, even endorse it. "Watch your tongue, child," she hissed angrily. "You have not even begun to know chaos. You do not know the hardships we suffered that were far worse before your birth. And you have no right speaking that way, nor laughing, at a grave site!" She rose back up, to her tallest position, and gestured to the mound. "This is the final resting place of your older brother, Hermes. He was taken from us by an illness that took many in this land. He passed after the plague had taken control of his mind and forced him to attack us." Her head turned in Helios's direction and her voice softened. "He was brave and strong, and intensely loyal to his family, and he would've loved to meet you all. I wish he could have." ""

Sea, you are the greatest person alive!!!

The vague scent of the Albino made his shift his position, a rigidity entering his posture still he made no open moves to chase of the boy that had once been his son. Alectrona would be the first to break the silence, an emotionally charged speech that made him all the more proud of the girl?s sense of empathy. His youngest son would approach a commanding question dropping from his lips and Helios was about to answer when the last of his children spoke. Rage rose inside of him and for the first time in a long time he seriously considered taking a swipe at one of his children. And as he rose to his paws so too did his wife respond. He stood stock still, the rage rolling off of him in waves, and as his wife concluded her speech he moved towards the girl. He paused for a moment, turning to where he knew Apollo was still probably lurking. ?This is the last safe refuge for our family, these grounds will see no conflict between our small members. On this grave and this grave only those who are named traitor will be given the title of ?son? or ?brother? once more.? He turned his attention to his daughter. ?Do not sully that.? Then he?d reach down to pick up the child and return to his spot beside his wife. Speech,