Lionel had been quiet, one more thing to be guilty about, and had sulked mostly. He was aware that he needed to be around more and help Leo out with pack duties, but he found it hard to kick-start everything. What was he supposed to be doing? Finding Selene had been slightly helpful - it helped him get past his own inner dilemmas and at least focus on her a little while. After all she'd shown up to the borders half dead, starving, and she looked sick too. It at least got his mind off of Bright Moon and Quelt as well as their kids. He'd done a patrol earlier in the morning, just to give him the feeling of being useful for what felt like the first time in forever, before he headed off to the falls. While the mangroves had a homey allure to it, the falls was his favorite spot to sit and think. He could sit for hours and listen to the bird song and the water cascade down the falls before it rushed into the pool below. It was beautiful and serene and he couldn't imagine himself being anywhere else. Ivory paws shifted as he sat with his eyes closed. A light breeze tickled his fur and had a faint whisper of coolness to it. Autumn wasn't over yet, but imagined it'd get colder here before long if the leaves were anything to judge by. He definitely would have to kick his ass in gear before winter rolled around - he was sure Jackson would need help with hunting to help feed the pack. Walk, "Talk" Think

Roza had left, Alfred wasn't in a good place, Heather's condition was troubling her. It seemed like more and more his children were either slipping away from him or falling into some kind of unease. For a moment he had to put the pack and Carletta on the back burner and focus on his children to make sure they got back on their paws. In particular his attention was on Lionel today since he hadn't seen his look-alike son in some time. He had caught his scent here and there from time to time so he was positive that he hadn't left. It just seemed like he was being distant. After his last talk with Alfred he had come to realize that he needed to be more proactive when he realized that his kids were drifting away. He found Lionel's scent and followed it to the falls. He found his russet form sitting by the water and a soft sigh passed Leo's lips. It felt like not all that long ago he had been sitting in a very similar place contemplating his future after Svetlana had disappeared. His children were too young to have such heavy feelings on their shoulders. He padded over to Lionel's side and settled down next to him. He didn't say anything for a moment. Instead he just looked out over the falls and look in the sight. "It's lovely here, isn't it?" he asked as he glanced over to his son with a soft smile. "Talk" "You" Think

He sat quietly so absorbed in his own thoughts thoughts that he didn't hear his father's approach. He wasn't aware of the other man's presence until he sat right next to him. Leo was silent for a moment and Lionel was happy to sit in peace for a minute before his ears flicked towards him. He was half expecting Leo to ask him what he'd been up to, why he hadn't participated in much lately, but was surprised when it wasn't anything like that at all. His gaze shifted towards the waterfall at his words and he nodded softly. "Yeah, it's beautiful." He murmured. "You picked a good spot." Not that the hot springs had been a bad spot, he'd been there a couple times after they switched territories, but they still had nothing on the falls. he glanced towards Leo again, doing his best to offer a small smile, before glancing back with a feeling of embarrassment. He found it hard to look at him when all he could think about was his previous failures of late. He'd originally expected so much from himself and now he was just falling short. "I'm sorry I haven't ... done much lately. I feel like I'm drowning. I've tried to get past it, but every time I look at Bright Moon and Quelt's kids it just brings it all back. I tried so hard to help them, but I was late and then I get to thinking that maybe if I'd gotten there earlier they'd still be alive and those kids would still have their parents around." Walk, "Talk" Think

Leo could tell that something was weighing on Lionel's mind and he was content to wait for his son to talk about it on his own accord. They sat in a peaceful silence for a few moments before Lionel finally shared the problem that was eating at him. Leo's gaze shifted to look at Lionel as he spoke, giving him a small nod of understanding. Leo felt guilty for not checking in more with Lionel and perhaps even Tiburtius after the attack. Really he hadn't even checked on the children as much as he should have. He had focused more energy into doubling up on his patrols and scouting the areas near the pack for the bear's scent than he had making sure everyone left in the wake was okay. "I don't mean to point blame at anyone, especially anyone that's passed, but Quelt and Bright Moon shouldn't have tried to take on that bear on their own. Bright Moon wasn't a fighter and I'm sure she was already badly injured by the time Quelt arrived. Quelt was a fighter, but he was older and certainly couldn't handle a bear either. Bright Moon should have called for help the second she saw that bear. There was nothing more you could have done for them, Lionel. The more important thing is that you, and partly Tiburtius, saved those kids and kept the bear from getting to anyone else in the pack." He gently pressed his nose to Lionel's cheek for a moment, trying to comfort his son. "You can't let that eat you up like this." "Talk" "You" Think