Lark certainly hadn't expected to learn his parents were leaving the pack. It was temporary, they had assured him, but it still felt wrong. What was Abaven without Bass? Without a Destruction to rule? Allen didn't seem to him to be a bad leader, but it still didn't settle well with him. His instinct had been to go with them. Surely Finch was going, and it would surprise him if Sparrow didn't too. But what about Shrike and Starling? This place wouldn't feel quite like home with even one of them gone, let alone half of them.. or maybe even all of them. He shuffled his paws before him as he moved, pacing aimlessly near the rapids. No matter what they chose, he knew something for sure - he had to stay here. There had to be at least one Destruction here to make sure things were running smoothly, though the thought of his family leaving left an aching in his chest. A sigh left his lips as he considered it, finally dropping to his belly and letting his paws dangle close to the moving water.

The news of Bass’ leave shocked her, but not to the core. She had always been somewhat carefree, and believed that if a wolf wanted to leave, they could. Why should this not apply to leaders if it applies to all other wolves? As far as the young Oceana girl could tell, Allen would be able to hold his own at leaders. She wondered how many of the Destructions were leaving. Were all of Bass’ children going with him and Wren? She hoped not. She had not been around this pack for her entire life, but she had been there long enough to make friends. She had two friends. Exactly two. Lark, who was a Destruction, and Tinaro, who was another Abaven orphan. Her parents weren’t dead, but they might as well be. When she caught Lark’s scent, a bit of hope flickered inside of her. He hadn’t left, and that meant she still had two friends she could talk to or even hang out with. “Lark?” She would ask as she put up a slight jog to catch up to him.

His entire life had always been so stable. This had been quite unpredictable, and he found himself wildly uncomfortable with the thought of his family leaving - whether it was all of them, or most. Neither sounded very appealing. His attention would stray to this for awhile. It was rare he found himself moping, but he'd been so engrossed in his thoughts that he barely realized Calypsei's arrival. His moss green gaze slowly lifted to find her, his brows furrowing as her assessed her. "What?" He would ask, though his blunt question was not necessarily meant rudely; his straightforward nature simply did not allow him to deal with the niceties that so many were accustomed to. His head would tilt as he turned slightly, wondering if she would sit with him or not. "What's up?" She was one of his few friends outside of his family and he didn't want to piss her off.. though she seemed too stubborn to be scared away easily.

The young wolf could only be led to assume that her carefree nature when it came to stability had been caused by her early kidnapping and the fact that her father turned her away when she fought to return home. She had shrugged off what was happening, and had not thought that others might feel different about the whole ordeal. Lark had been moping, but Calypsei hadn’t noticed. When their gazes met, he asked a very blunt question. That was just like Lark. Her mind thought up possible retorts but she bit them all back, realizing that something was bothering him. Suddenly, she had a mission. “I just wanted to see how you were holding up – and I almost wondered if you would go with your father. I’m glad you didn’t – I would ‘ave missed you.” Her words were that of a friends as she gave him a soft smile. “Not much has happened with me. Just training mainly. What would you think of Calypsei, the best spy in the world? And what about you? What's up?” There was a sense of humor to her tone as she looked over towards him.

His expression was as stony as usual - though perhaps tinged with a slight bit of worry and frustration, likely only noticeable to someone who knew him fairly well.  "No," he told her quickly.  "I can't imagine leaving Abaven entirely, with my parents gone." It seemed wrong. Though he was still young, he felt like he had a duty to his family's pack, and like he ought to stay here and make things were going like they were supposed to. Though it seemed almost as strange that they were going somewhere without him. His brows furrowed as he considered Calypsei's words. She would have missed him? Did she mean that she would just notice he was gone, or she might actually wish he wasn't gone? "You'd survive," he'd retort lightly, offering a gentle snort. Just as he would survive his family leaving for a short period - though he wasn't going to love it. His ears would twitch as she suggested she was training to be a spy.  "Who do you plan on spying on?" Abaven didn't really have any enemies - not that he knew of - so he was curious why this was her chosen plan of study.  "I haven't been doing much. Want to do more fighting though."

Part of her heart went out to him as she sympathized with his words. He was making the best of the situation he had been placed in and Calypsei could respect that. She wasn’t sure whether or not she should smile or frown at that, so she kept an impassive face, her blue eyes reflecting the worry she had started to feel for her friend. “It won’t be forever at least, and Allen is a good man. He can keep things together until they return.” Her words of comfort didn’t feel all that comforting, and she was almost trying to reassure herself that the pack would be fine without Bass at the helm. She would gulp, a small smirk growing on her face as she shrugged. Yes, she would survive, but her friends list would be essentially cut in half, which she did not plan on telling him. “I don’t know, it just sounds like a cool title. Plus, spies can be the best of warriors too. I wouldn’t have to spy – maybe an assassin would work better with that though…” She started to trail off when she looked at him. He would answer her question and she would give him a soft smile which lacked the sarcasm of the one before. “If it’s a fight you want, you can always call for me. I’d love a spar, or two, or three. Anything to improve, right?” She wanted to be the best she could be for Abaven.

Lark averted his gaze to the water once again, studying it as though it held some sort of knowledge that he might obtain from gazing into its depths. It was quite unlike him to mope, but it was also unlike his parents and sibling to up and leave home, too. It felt stupid to even mention to Calypsei, as he remembered she'd been orphaned long ago. At least his parents were coming back. He certainly had no right to complain; and he wouldn't, at least not out loud. "He's alright," he commented with a shrug. Sure he would be an okay leader, but he wouldn't come close to his father. Not a chance. "Still won't be like my dad ruling." And he would be damned if Allen let the pack fail - hell, Lark would even step up if he had to, though he truthfully didn't know much about ruling a pack. Anything would be better than it crumbling in the absence of his father. "Assassin sounds way cooler," he'd comment with another soft snort, the faintest hint of a grin tugging at his lips before it slipped away again. "We should definitely spar soon then." Lark gave a nod of agreement, wanting all the practice he could get. But talk of future roles brought his mind to a slightly darker place, and he would tilt his head as he glanced sideways at her. "Think you could actually kill someone?" His eyes would sparkle as he glanced up at her, honestly wondering.. since that was what assassins did, right? For his family, he had no doubt he could kill another wolf, but it still felt strange to consider and he hoped Calypsei didn't find the question too disturbing.

Lark did not appear to be as confident in Allen’s capabilities as his father had been, but that was alright. It was difficult when changes like this happened, and Calypsei knew that better than anyone. She was about to speak about the matter but Lark added a comment to change the topic. She could have sworn that she saw a smile on his face, if only for a second. She felt her a grin on her own face, knowing he wasn’t completely mad and irritable. He agreed to the spar which made the ocean girl simply nod. She placed a stoical expression on her face as she gently sat down across from him, her tail curling around her front paws. His next question haunted her, bringing inner demons to her eyes as she looked at her paws. Could she actually kill someone? She felt her heart beat faster and tightness in her chest. “I’ve done it before.” She murmured, unsure if he could even hear her. Part of her hoped that he couldn’t because she was sure he would never look at her the same, and he might not even believe her. It was true, because when Caecia had died and she had tried to escape, she had killed Aquarius. She had almost died herself, had it not been for her ability to swim against more intense currents than her captors. She preferred not to think about it, but it was difficult as she tensed up, her eyes staying at her navy blue paws.

Though he was still young, he was not totally oblivious. He knew the world was not always a great place. He'd seen the state his father was in when he'd returned from trying to bring his aunt Rhythm home. Though the thought of actually killing someone was quite abstract to him, he knew it was a reality that he might have to face someday. What if someone even threatened Abaven - or worse, his family? His demeanor grew a bit more serious as Calypsei spoke. Wait - did he hear that right? His ears swiveled toward her, his eyes widening a bit as he stared at the girl as she looked away. "Holy crap, really?" he'd ask, his voice level still, though slightly incredulous. Had she done it on purpose, he wondered? It didn't seem like something she wanted to talk about necessarily, and yet he couldn't help but go on, driven by his curiosity and an insatiable need to be answered. Though he knew it was wrong to probe when it might make someone uncomfortable, that wouldn't stop him. "Why'd you do it? Did it feel.. weird?" Lark felt like he ought to be appalled by her admission, but instead he merely felt inquisitive and a bit stunned.. and maybe even impressed.

Even with the surprise of Lark not bursting out at her, Calypsei could not look up. She kept her gaze down as if there was something very interesting near her paws as he continued to ask about it. She didn’t want to talk about it but she had brought it up in the first place, and it would have been rude to not answer such a question. She could not blame him for his curiosity. “I… my captors were kind, in their own way, but only if I was alone. I had this friend… her name was Caecia. When they found out…” She trailed off as the topic stung further at her heart, her mind trying to stop the bad memories that she had repressed for so long. “They killed her, because I became her friend and I just got so angry, like this hole that still doesn’t feel as if it has healed. In this confusion, I ran… but Aquarius, a boy my age, whom was my captor’s son, he followed me. He had been the first and we fought…” It still wasn’t any easier to talk about as the girl’s jaw clenched. “I killed him because he killed Caecia.” Everything about the girl was tense as her muscles bunched and her jaw clenched even further. Her toes dug into the ground as she fought ever emotion she had felt since that day rush back into her. The compartmentalization that she had worked so hard to establish had fallen apart in a split second. She would speak again, her emotions overflowing out into her tone so Lark could hear her pain, her anger, her sadness. He would see how truly broken she was. “The only reason I’m not dead right now is because I can swim. They couldn’t catch me through the rapids.”

Killing wasn't something he'd ever really discussed with anyone before. It felt taboo, like talking about mating or something. He definitely knew what dying meant, but actually killing someone yourself was a whole different stores. His eyes widened subtly as he watched Calypsei speak, but as she began to actually explain what had happened, he found himself looking down toward the water. It felt raw and emotional, and Lark almost felt like he shouldn't be listening to this at all. The most reasonable thing to do right now, while she spoke, was definitely to drink some water. He felt an emptiness where he knew empathy should be; the pain echoed in her voice and her posture, and he knew he ought to comfort her. That was what friends did, right? But instead all he could do was lean his head down to the rapids, gripping the soil with his claws as he leaned to lap greedily at the stream. He didn't fault her for being emotional - he assumed he probably would be, too, had he gone through what she had. But the difference was that he wasn't her, and he couldn't feel her pain, though he could hear it clear as day. And he wondered if it was such a bad thing that he felt mostly impressed with her story, rather than sad for what she had gone through. He could imagine killing someone who tried to kill one of his family members, easy. Maybe even a close friend, if he ever had someone close to him other than family. "Wow," he said finally, exhaling softly. "I'm glad you can swim." If not, she'd be dead now, and she wouldn't have ever come to Abaven and met him. And right now, instead of listening to her story and ignoring his own worries, he would be sitting here wading in his own frustration and worries. "I'm sorry your friend was killed," he said finally, because it seemed appropriate to say, and he did feel like it sounded awful and he knew he wouldn't want a friend of his to die.

Calypsei’s raw emotion had normally been hidden from view so she appeared an iron fortress – nothing could crack her and nothing could scare her. It was the terrible memories that haunted the cyan girl’s past, and these memories alone, that brought out the worst and most vulnerable of her. And she had just shown it to Lark. She was sure he had enough to worry about, so why had she burdened him with such a story in the first place? For that matter, why did she have to bring up assassins and why did he have to bring up killing? The Oceana girl drew a deep breath and held it for a second as she regained her composure, falling back into the impassive masquerade that she felt ever so comfortable in. Lark would speak, giving the usual subtleties that she had become so used to hearing. She didn’t tell her story often, but when she did, she heard answered that compare closely to the ones she had just received from her friends. I’m sorry your friend was killed. He had no idea. She looked up, her eyes not revealing the emotions she had shown just a moment ago. “The past is in the past. It is the future you have to look towards and the present that must have your mind.” She shrugged off his comments as her muscles finally calmed and her claws were pulled out from the ground. “What about you, Lark? What are you going to do?” She was asking this question in reference to pack roles and the bountiful amount of options he had. He could do anything, but would he?

Lark felt a sudden, aching emptiness. He knew he wished that stuff hadn't happened to her, and he knew he ought to feel sad and distraught at her story and all she had been through - but he simply didn't. There was a disconnect there that suddenly hit him and he stared down at his reflection, considering. Calypsei had seemed so stubborn and cold to him before, without much warmth at all, and now he saw this side of her. He didn't fault her for it, but he also didn't know quite how to deal with it. He didn't know if his silence helped or not. She seemed to recover quickly, turning to speak to him again. The words she spoke about the past and the future. Lark would not solemnly in response.  "That's a good way to think about things,"  he agreed slowly.  "I want to continue fighting. To help guard Abaven and my family."  And that was it. He didn't know anything beyond that, and he turned to eye her with a shrug, wondering if she had wanted a more thorough answer.

Calypsei was never quite sure about what she should expect from Lark. They were friends, a list that consisted of two names in Calypsei’s book, but she still didn’t have a grasp on his personality and therefore had no idea how he would react to specific things that she said. She kept her stoical form, refusing to break the impassiveness as he spoke again, giving her an answer. There was certain comfort to her in the silence that ensued because there was nothing she could say wrong or do wrong in that time. She would start to walk, looking towards him. “Want to walk?” She asked casually as she started towards her favorite spot on the rapids, memories suppressing themselves in the process. She would reach the edge of the rapids and she would sit down, placing her paw in the water to watch the water flow around it with force and control. She loved the water, it was freedom to do what you want, and for her, it couldn’t ring more true than that. Water was, quite literally, her escape from everything bad.

Lark liked Calypsei. Not necessarily in any kind of romantic way, but in a way he hadn't felt toward anyone else - mostly because she was not family, not his blood, and he owed nothing to her. The fact that she was in Abaven meant he felt some sort of protection over her, for one could contribute greatly to the entire group. And yet he enjoyed her company now, more than he had before, and it was a strange feeling to him. The silence was not awkward, but it was heavy, and he would stare at his reflection quietly as their conversation fell away. He was grateful when she asked if he wanted to walk, nodding slowly as he turned to face her and pull himself onto all fours. "Okay," he would answer her after a moment of thought. Lark, for once, was content to follow - a rarity for him. Finally he would settle near her, maintaining a comfortable distance as he plopped down on his stomach. His own paws would dangle over the edge of the ground, his neck stretching slightly as he shuffled closer to the water. Suddenly, one paw would dip into the water, moving quickly to splash some water up at her as he turned to face her to assess her reaction.

She listened carefully but only one word followed. She sighed a bit, knowing it gave her time to think rather than acting out and saying something else she might regret admitting. She would look at the water, noticing that Lark placed his paw in and let the water stream past it, diverting its path for the unknown obstacle. She liked Lark, and it was because of that which she could talk to him about personal matters such as her life. At this point, she could only really do that with Lark and Tinaro. They were her best friends, but alas known teenage demeanors would soon make her question everything. “Do you ever wonder if there is more to life then what you’re doing?” She would ask aloud, aiming it at Lark but wondering if anyone else would answer too.