The pack had been very quiet lately, and the male had been wondering why. Quake had mentioned something about Qualm being around. Or at least, showing up at that herb training. He'd gotten an earful about that, as he'd totally forgotten that the boy had returned from wherever he'd been so in turn, he'd forgotten to tell her about him. But now here he was, walking through the mud left behind from the melting snow and nobody around to see his struggle. He actually wanted to find Bass, maybe ask him what he might need to do in order to try and rank up. He wasn't used to not doing anything, so now that he'd gotten the lay of the pack lands and now that he had finally gotten Quake to go out on her own to identify plants, he had more time on his paws. Now...where to find Bass. Speech,

   

He had been suffering seeing the decline of his pack, and feeling like no matter what he did, it would still fall even further down. It sunk him into a deep depression, something he was having a hard time containing around his pack mates. He was pretty good at putting on a poker face though. He was wandering aimlessly around the plains after patrolling the borders, feeling more than just lost. A heavy sigh left his lips, and he was about to head back to his den to sulk when he saw Kakashi dragging himself through the mud. Bass was used to it now, it usually happened in spring after the snow melted. It wasn't as bead as a year ago, so he wouldn't complain about a little bit of a dirty coat. Putting on a smile, he picked his way over and dipped his head at the black and gray male. "How have you been faring, Kakashi? I hope the mud isn't too much for you, I'm afraid it comes with every spring," he said with a soft laugh, but he was obviously missing his usual luster personality. It was clear that there was a lot on Bass' mind, and it wouldn't be too hard to assume what that was. "Speech"

He grimaced slightly as the mud sucked at his paws. But, it was something to get used to if it happened often. And as if to answer that, Bass would approach with and tell him so. Crimson gaze looked the man over, the alpha just a couple of years younger then himself. And if he recalled, he and another male were the oldest in the pack, no? He would shrug then, "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger. I'm doing fine, thanks for asking." His tone was respectful, his own face a mask that very few, if any, could see past. He knew of some of the events within the pack, particularly the things that caused a rift to grow among them. He knew Quake wasn't the only one depressed with the things that happened concerning others, but he could tell Bass was as well despite his attempt at a facade. "Quake however, hasn't been doing too well. I've been trying my best to keep her spirits up and keep her busy, but there's only so much I can do." Perhaps by discussing her, he might be able to slowly get the cream male to open up. Kakashi was all too understanding of a man, though his methods of getting others to straighten out was a different matter. He was good at it, and he supposed bluntness and understanding sometimes worked hand in hand for those who didn't shut it out. Speech,

The pale man snorted at Kakashi, it was obvious that he wasn't enjoying the mud one bit. After all that had happened here over the years, the mud was the lesser issue. His stoic face reminded him of Lark, not letting any emotions shine through it. Bass was more of an open book, although he was able to keep his face blank when he needed to. His tone was respectful though, that he could tell. Nodding his head slowly at the others words, he made his way through the mud to stand closer to his side, the suction on his white paws was a lot more familiar to him. "It's not as bad as a few seasons ago. The snow melted too quickly, and the rapids flooded. The whole territory was a sea of mud, and it was quite dangerous," he said softly. When he brought up Quake, his ears pinned back towards his skull. He knew that the girl had been having issues, and it didn't help that Starling was gone. He was to be her mentor, and now... he had no idea where the brown and white male was. Bass sighed, his head hanging slightly. "Do you think it's because she doesn't have a mentor? I could see if Vali wanted to take her on and to teach her things. I knew that she was happy when Starling was teaching her about herbs..." he broke off, growing quiet as he looked towards the borders. Where was the boy? Was he ever going to come home? Blinking, he turned back to the darker male. "I could try to talk to her as well, I've known her for a long time now. I mean... if you think that would help?" His shoulders shrugged. It made him sad that she was struggling so bad, and that it hadn't come to his attention until now. If he would have realized it sooner instead of being wrapped up in his own drama... maybe he could have caught it before it got too bad. "Speech"

He flicked an ear as Bass told him about the flooding having been worse before. Kakashi vaguely recalled that season, but he wasn't living in lands quite like this to notice how bad it had been. He gave up trying to keep the mud off his paws, "Well, let's hope that doesn't happen again.." Bass' reaction to Quake would be expected, and as Bass asked if maybe it might be due to Starlings disappearance, he shrugged slightly. "I suspect that might be the case, but she refuses to talk about him. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she might have gotten very fond of your son. I don't think you're the only one that's missed him." A knowing look entered his gaze, a slight hint of an amused smile peeking through. After all, he had been the only thing keeping her grounded since her parents had left her, and he had been her only friend. He figured she thought very highly of the boy, and the fact that she came close to tears whenever his name was mentioned told him something, didn't it? "I suppose you could see if she'd be interested. Hopefully she hasn't given up on learning." She was a bright girl, but despite his efforts, he couldn't get her out of whatever pit she'd fallen into. His gaze returned to its stoic self, thinking on Bass suggestion to talk to her. There was only one way to find out, right? "Well...it might. It might not. I can't day for sure...she won't even talk to her brother, but I suppose it's self explanatory as to why." Funny. He hadn't been seeking out Bass to talk about his niece. But she was a big part of his life, and although he didn't show it on the outside, he cared deeply for the girl and her wellbeing. Speech,

   

He nodded his head when he mentioned the flooding, it was something that he never wanted to see repeated. He had lost too many wolves since running this pack, and he didn't want to add to that number. Last seasons flooding had been far less then several years ago, but he had no doubt that it would happen again. It was the curse of picking an area with not only a river, but a lake as well. He had considered moving territories before, but the rapids had been part of Abaven since its birth. His kids had grown up there, and had learned to be careful around the waters edge. He was brought back to the current conversation when Kakashi spoke of Quake once more, making the man let out a sigh. It would seem that she was more attached to Starling than he had thought. His absence had effected far more people than the boy probably knew, and it made the Primo a touch angry. He was acting so selfishly, and even though he missed him dearly, he hoped that he wouldn't come back until he realized what he had done. He was too old to be playing games like this. "I knew she had grown attached to him, but I never realized how dependent she was on him. I guess it's because they share similar traits, perhaps he was helping her become stronger herself," Bass offered, eying the older gentleman. He was thankful for him, that he had come here and taken over as a guardian for Quake. While he tried his best, he was already struggling to balance his own kids and the pack. Adding another to the mix... well she hadn't been getting the attention that she deserved, or needed for that fact. He hoped that his son being stupid didn't mess up Quake's chances. He never thought that they would get that close though, but he had been fooled before. The pale man let out a heavy sigh, nodding along with Kakashi's words. He would try to talk to her, but he had a feeling that she wouldn't be the same until Starling came home. Vali was a gentle soul, but would she think that they were trying to force something on her if he sent her her way? The gears ground in his head, and he shuffled from paw to paw. "I can try having a talk with her, I am not sure we can help her until Starling makes her way home... but I won't give up on her," Bass said, his brows pulling together. He wasn't just going to sit by and watch her slip further into depression. "Speech"