Sparrow couldn't hide the fact that she was proud of the yearlings. They were taking their first steps into adulthood. As she had said at the meeting, these wolves were the future of Abaven. Now, she could only hope that their futures shone brighter than hers had.

Sparrow was surprised, however, that Lark had approached her and told her that Lillianna had been sick for some time. He said that nothing they tried had worked and asked her to help. She understood that asking for help on behalf of his mate had put Lark in a tough position given their past, but he was still family and Sparrow would help Lillianna for his sake.

The frequent storms in Abaven had drowned several species of herbs so Sparrow had invited Lark to help her look for a fresh source to cure Lillianna with. He had agreed and the journey thus far had been pleasant. The two hadn't really had a lot of time to catch up these days, but Sparrow was glad to have a moment to catch up.

She told her brother about her struggles and failings as an alpha. She even touched on her once-crush on Peregrine and Ashmedai. She was a little old for crushes now and had all but given up hope on finding love or starting a family. She admitted that her happiest days were the ones she spent outside of the pack and that she envied Lark for finding someone within the pack.

It almost felt like the first real talk they had had as adults.

As the two drew near the Stone Steppe, Sparrow slowed.

"So I think that we might be able to find some fungi and things here," she said in Italian. "If not, we can move upland a bit. Surely the rains drained from there quickly and we can find the herbs we need."

Future. Lark hated that word. He still remembered the kinds of dreams he'd had growing up, of being trained to follow in his father's pawsteps and taking over Abaven and maintaining his family's glory. However, time had changed him - it had changed them all, honestly - and he'd denied the opportunity not once, but twice. Leadership was not a role that suited him, or at least that was what he'd convinced herself. Sparrow was definitely better suited for the role, and he was proud of what she'd done with Abaven, despite the circumstances. He couldn't help but wonder, occasionally, if his father would be proud or if he would be disappointed in how little they had achieved - though on the other hand, why should he give a damn at all about what his father thought? He'd abandoned them, just like their mother, and like most of his siblings had. Dwelling on the past never brought him any comfort, so he chose to live in the present as best as he could. Lillie's sudden sickness had put a damper on his normally quite peaceful life, and after nothing seemed to help he'd been forced to ask Sparrow for him. Weirdly, asking in itself was quite difficult and awkward for him - as time went on, it had become increasingly obvious that his sister and mate would never like one another (in fact, he was certain what they both felt resembled hate) but he'd chosen to conveniently ignore that fact. Too much of his younger years had been spent dwelling on his own internalized angst; rehashing whatever had happened to bring about this kind of tension wouldn't help things at this point. He'd been pleasantly surprised by her invitation to join her, and he hadn't hesitated in agreeing quickly. An afternoon with his sister sounded like a nice change of pace. Their conversation as they traveled was surprisingly pleasant, as Sparrow opened up about things she'd been feeling lately regarding Abaven, as well as things she'd never told him. He, too, shared things with her that he hadn't expected to; his own fears that he wasn't strong enough to properly support his own family, let alone be a valuable member of Abaven. Of course they talked about their father, and their mother - how their abandonment had affected them both in different ways. Slowly they began to shift into the tongue that their parents had taught them. His Italian was rusty, since it'd been a long while he'd really spoken it, but he felt nostalgic as they neared the Stone Steppe and talked. More freely now, like when they were kids, and Lark felt honestly at peace with his sister, the first time he had in so long. Why hadn't they done this sooner? It was too bad that they'd only taken an outing because Lillie was sick, but he supposed it was better than not spending time together at all. Finding the language he'd been taught in his youth coming much easier, he'd loped back into familiar speaking patterns more easily than he expected.  "You're the expert," Lark commented playfully, flashing his sister a light grin before pushing onward. He'd let her lead the way - no matter how much he sniffed at the air, he couldn't quite distinguish most plants and herbs from one another, so trying to was futile.

Sparrow felt lighter than she had in what seemed like years. Maybe it had been years. Sparrow couldn't remember a time when she had felt any more free than when she had taken a break from Abaven. Maybe that's what she needed. As Sparrow led the search for the herbs, she stopped between sniffs to talk to Lark.

"When we're done with this- and after we know no one's sick anymore- I'd like to go on a holiday," Sparrow said, turning to her brother. "It would be nice to see if I could find Brandr and Corentine again and see how they're doing. I feel like I haven't had a break in ages."

Sparrow laughed lightly, but she wasn't joking. She felt like she had been sprinting full speed ever since their father left. Maybe she could find some companionship on the journey. Maybe she would find Peregrine again. Okay, that was wishful thinking. At this rate, Sparrow wasn't going to settle down with anyone, but she figured she might as well give love one last chance.

A wistful expression cast over Sparrow's face.

"As much as I don't maybe agree with who you chose, I'm glad you found love. Your children are amazing..."

Sparrow's eyes flicked to Lark's for a moment before she quickly busied herself again. That was the closest Lark would ever get to her accepting his relationship and she didn't want to press the issue.

Sparrow turned and kept searching for the herbs, occasionally plucking one or two out, observing it with a frown, and tossing it aside.

"All of these plants haven't matured. I think the weather this year has kept them from growing how they normally would."

The two walked through the lands for some time. Sparrow tried to keep a general direction towards the mountains just in case. There should be more herbs that way. The brush was thicker the closer they drew, so Sparrow was hopeful the rain hadn't drowned everything here.

Sparrow was so focused on pushing through the foliage and scenting herbs that she didn't hear the rustling ahead until she was too close. As she poked her head through a bush, she heard a startled snort nearby. When she looked up, her eyes met with the beady eyes of a bear.

"Uh. Lark."

A holiday? Lark found himself grinning slightly at the thought of traveling with his sister. He wondered if she meant for Lillie and his kids to come too, but he didn't want to break the mood and ask seriously about it. That'd be a plan they'd figure out when they were ready, but it was a nice thought to hold on to. "That does sound nice," he agreed, sighing contentedly at the thought. A break sure did sound appealing, and he wondered briefly if Archon would allow it.. or if they really needed to ask permission? He hadn't spent long thinking about who ran Abaven now, or why things were they way they were, and he wasn't about to start right now. As Sparrow began to speak, initially he felt his heart sink. He knew she didn't agree with his choice of mate, of mother of his children, but she didn't exactly have any say in it and for a moment he was wondering why she was bringing her up at all. But.. her next comment made him smile, a wide, genuine smile - and Lark decided he honestly had not been so happy in quite some time. Only if Lillie was feeling better soon, things would really be looking up.  "Aren't they?" His face had a hint of playfulness as he flashed Sparrow a look, glad she didn't blame them for who their mother was. As long as Sparrow tolerated Lillie, that was more than enough for him, and he had long-since stopped hoping things would be perfect between them.  "It's strange to even imagine that we were responsible for them. They're getting so big already..." Somehow, they were already yearlings, no longer tiny bundles of fur but actual individuals now, a fact that still blew his mind. The moment was fleeting, but something Lark wouldn't forget for a lifetime. His own smile softened as Sparrowed busied herself with actual herb collecting, shuffling quietly behind her. She admitted the plants weren't fully matured yet, which meant... it'd be harder to find medicine for Lillie. Damn. He was quiet as they walked together, though after some time she paused, obviously distracted by something. He tilted his head, lifting his snout to the air and sniffing carefully at it. "What-" He started, though he saw the bushes rustle in a way that suggested something much larger than them might be nearby. For a moment he froze, unsure what to do and if his senses were deceiving him. "Sparrow... run!"

The moment seemed to drag on forever. Her blood turned white hot as her mind tore in two: run with Lark or fight. If they ran, they could both live, or they could both die. Given the proximity... Sparrow wasn't sure. Lark had a mate and kids. If she fought... the outcome was clear, but Lark could get away.

There was fear so strong that tears pricked at the edges of her eyes. On top of that was a powerful feeling of love. Her brother's kids would grow up with both parents. Lark could live Sparrow's dream of having a happy family.

Sparrow turned and took a few starting steps with Lark, making sure he was on the move ahead of her. As soon as she was sure Lark was on the move and she was sure the bear was after them, Sparrow pivoted on her hind legs. She faced the bear head on. There was no winning for her- she knew that. It was just about buying time.

Sparrow went for the bear's shoulder. Jumping away, the bear followed. Good. Sparrow breathed a sigh of relief mentally.

The fight after wasn't long. Sparrow did her best, but it was no contest. It wasn't the quickest death. It wasn't painless. But Sparrow didn't regret it.

She could feel the bear still tearing at her body, but it didn't hurt anymore. Her flesh tore and twisted, but it the sensation was void of pain. What a peculiar feeling, she thought, knowing it was the last thing she would be able to feel.

There were a lot of thoughts left even after her body stopped moving. The past, the future, none of it mattered. She saw laughter and happiness- whether it was true or just what she wanted to see she wasn't sure. Slowly, the thoughts faded away as what was left of her body cooled.

It wasn't the way she thought she'd go. It wasn't valiant nor peaceful. It was a pathetic attempt to do damage control- just as she had always done.

Everything moved so quickly that Lark almost forgot he had the ability to move at all. One second they'd be chatting like close siblings - somehow, in the span of a single afternoon, they had repaired what felt like had been a gaping hole in their relationship. They talked easily, casually, like the siblings they'd always wanted to be rather than the ones they'd ended up as. One moment they'd been laughing quite happily, and the next.. Sparrow was staring danger straight in the face. Lark had a few options. He could stand his ground and try to take on the bear with Sparrow, but their chances of surviving were slim, if at all. Maybe they could hold him off to get away, find a way to distract him somehow.... but if Lark caught his attention, the two of them might have an even worse chance of survival. Lark froze for a second too long as he tried to figure out what the fuck he was supposed to do now. But Sparrow acted first, before he could think to unfreeze himself from the ground, rearing back and up toward the bear. She planned to fight it, to give him a chance to run and save himself before both of them ended up his victims. She didn't have to say what she was doing, but it was painfully obvious to him. She was sacrificing herself to save him, and she wasn't giving him any room to question it. He backed up, more slowly than he should have, flinching as she watched the bear's teeth come down on her shoulder. What the fuck, Sparrow? Are you insane? At that moment, he felt more anger than sorrow - not at her, but at the situation. He didn't linger long before turning to run, running hard, as hard as he possibly could. Eventually he felt the sting of bitter tears reach his eyes, anger and grief coursing over him like an ocean wave. He couldn't go home, not yet - so he just kept running. It took an alarmingly long time for him to admit in his head what had happened - that his sister was dead - but he wasn't sure he had the heart to return to the spot to see. If she had intended to fight the bear, to keep him distract, Lark knew there was no chance she had survived the ordeal for much longer, and if she had? Well, he was too cowardly to find out. -exit Lark-