?had been there since she had woken up, trying to comfort her and keep her still. She wasn't fit to make the trip back to their den yet, but every day she spent within the confines of Erani's alcove the deeper she could feel herself being engulfed by the awful pain her missing heart caused her. She found herself continuously weeping for the tiny girl she'd only met within her dream. She was devastated her lavender eyes would never behold her beautiful form. She didn't want to sleep at night because all she would see we're horrendous nightmares that had her waking up in sweats. Erani was insistent about her health, being right next to her. Still she was loathe to accept the herbs or food given to her. She would regurgitate all that was given to her promptly. If by choice or not she was unsure, but it would begin to show soon enough. She wondered where Themisto had gotten off to, she had caught wind of his lingering scent within the den, she knew he had been there at some point. Had he seen Fern too? Sighing she would place her dainty head upon spent paws, she had too much time to think. To many thoughts centered around her stolen time, and not enough thoughts of future. She felt so dead inside she couldn't think of tomorrow, getting through today was difficult enough.?

He had not seen or heard from her in a few days now. Erani had taken Twig into her den after the birthing and he hadn't seen her since, but today her perfume seemed to linger elsewhere. He would pursue her until he had ended up within the moor, a thick fog dropping all around him as he blindly continued on."Twig?" He would call to her, his nostrils quivering as her scent engulfed his lungs. "Twig, are you here?" He would come to a stop as he whispered her name again, his eyes squinting as he peered into the fog. His sunset hued gaze would dart from left to right, but the mist was too thick to see far. He would wearily continue on, his movements slow and cautious, and his senses on high alert. His audits would suddenly flick toward his right, and his head would follow as a reticent sigh ensnared his attention. He knew that sigh anywhere, and within a few moments her form would finally become visible. "Twig!" He would bark, his tail wiggling happily as he reached her in a few lengthy strides. He would stop in front of her, his head dropping as he aimed to nuzzle her gingerly with his snout. He was so excited to finally see her that he let the current events temporarily slide from his mind. ~Themisto Mathias~

She would hear whispering in the fog, the dense water vapor would play tricks on her frail mind. Whisps of white clouds would combine and shift to form the shapes of young pups playing just out of her line of sight. She knew she caught the sight of Fawn as she dashed in and out of delicate existence. Royal purple optics would watch, completely ensnared as the apparitions danced around her. Slate backed ears would swivel behind her as gentle lyrics would reach her, a gentle calling of her name of the breeze. Twig would not be moved as the voice would persist, it's clarity building as his form drew near. She would hear his footsteps before his sun lit gaze would part the mists to join her at the moore's floor. His reaction so happy as he would stride towards her confidently. His smile should have been a comfort as his touch would be. She could feel herself leaning into his warm embrace as his sweet scent would flood her senses. She would feel her anxieties drain as her lids slid shut over her lavender eyes. A calmed sigh would escape her marked lips as she felt a wave of sorrow wash over her mind. He was so happy, had he forgotten how miserably she had failed her only child? She would feel her tears return, as her broken heart would throb for the lost. "Hello." she would choke on her word as it fell from her lips. Even the sunny eyed healer would not burn away her blackened clouds.?

Not even his kind gestures could bring a smile to her lips, her greeting a meager hello that he could tell had been forced. His gentle smile would fade, a more somber expression enveloping his features as he comes to sit beside her. He would lay down on his belly, close enough to where their hairs could intermingle, and their warmth could become one. He would lay his head on his paws, his ears falling flat against his skull as he looked out into the moor. He would see nothing but a thick fog and faint beam of sunlight above, and he would sigh before turning his gaze toward her. "How... How have you been?" He honestly didn't know what to say, knowing that he could do nothing to help her was defeating. "You were with Erani for a while... I missed you." His head would raise from his paws, his snout seeking to press into her neck gingerly, his nostrils flaring as his lungs engulfed her perfume. It was so hypnotizing, so alluring that he couldn't help the rolling of his eyes and the sigh that followed. Even in her darkest moments he couldn't help but admire her. He would recoil, pulling his face away so that his warm eyes could rest upon her welling purple stare. He saw no warmth in those eyes anymore, and it saddened him deeply. "What am I going to do..." ~Themisto Mathias~

The girl would keep her orchid gaze upon the healer as his expression would change, he had not seen her since the day of Fern's birth. She could not grudge him the smile he would first bring to their meeting as she knew he was so happy at heart. Not like her, not like she had ever been. Happiness and joy did not come easily for the she wolf, and now during one of her most trying lessons yet she would have all the more trouble grasping for such emotions. Themisto's somber expression would elicit a whine from her lips as he drew near to come lay by her. She would place her crown upon her own paws, close to his own defeated features. He would sigh, and her gaze would move to look upon his golden eyes. His voice would be given to her as he asked of her well being. She would shake her head sadly, "it's so hard to keep going, Themisto. It's not only my heart that hurts but it's taken me wholly. My body, my mind, my soul. I just want her back so bad." he would continue, telling her that he had missed her as he would nuzzle her. She would lean into his touch, his presence still able to bring butterflies to dance inside her. She would regret as he pulled away, as she found she wanted nothing more than for him to hold her tight. "I missed you too. It doesn't.. It doesn't hurt as bad when you're next to me." her words were like a simple breath upon her lips as she let herself get lost in his gaze.?

His sunset kissed stare would rip away from her orchid gaze when she spoke, a wave of anger and defeat coursing through his veins. Her words chilled him to the core, his brow furrowing as he stared aimlessly into the moor, keeping his eyes anywhere but on her. Despite her comforting words he would huff a heavy sigh, his legs unfolding beneath him as he rose to all fours, and to his full height. His head would hang unusually low, his ears falling lower than his shoulders as his eyes clenched shut. It would take him a moment to regain himself, but he would not turn toward his mistress when he spoke. Instead he would keep his back to her, his lips curled slightly and his lids slipping open as his sight fell upon an insignificant tree. "I get it Twig, you're hurt, and I'm sorry- but what about me? How helpless do you think I feel? How frigid do you think I freeze every time I see a tear drip from those beautiful eyes?" A growl would bubble within his chest, rage welling up within him fueled by his hatred toward her attacker, and his failure to prevent what had happened to her. "I know your broken Twig, and Im sorry. His head would sharply turn as he tossed it back toward her, his somber gaze welling with tears as he expressed his own feelings to her, not holding anything back as he had before. "I'm sorry I hadn't come in time, I'm sorry I couldn't hunt him down, I'm sorry that I promised you I'd protect you, and failed you...." A single tear would shed, rolling down his cheek until it had intermingled with the plush fur around his throat. "You deserve better Ashley. You deserve someone like Jinxx, or Pulsus, who can actually protect the ones they love." So unknowingly he had confessed his true feelings toward her, but at this moment he was far too enveloped in sadness to see it. He would sigh again, his gaze leaving hers as he fell back onto his haunches, his back still facing her as he stared aimlessly at the ground. ~Themisto Mathias~

Swiftly his demeanor would change, he would rip his gaze from her own becoming ever more distressed. She would move to nuzzle him, wanting nothing more than to feel his grasp around her. Instead he would pull away, climbing to his full height, she could see how much her grief was hurting him. The hate that would swim within his gaze, he would turn away determined not to leave the rays of his gaze upon her. Her own ears would fall back, sorrow still swimming within her bloodstream as he would reply. Harsh words would drip from his clenched jaws, he would collect the blame and place it in his shoulders. Twig's gaze would soften as he would bring his features back to her, his own eyes filling with unspilled tears. He would recite unsaid failures, apologizing to her for every one. She would whine pitifully as he let a single tear roll down his beautiful face. She would shake her head, She didn't want him to take upon such a burden. There was no way he could have been there when she was attacked, her own family had not been. He would go on, as far as to address her by her first name, telling her that she deserved better than what he could give. That he was not capable of protecting his loved ones. He loved her. She would whine again, this one Offering a longing held within its depths. She would crave him beside her, sharing his warmth and comfort but still he would not face her. "You can't say that Themisto. My own family could not have been there with me, but you came. You were there when I woke up, only Pulsus can boast that accomplishment. You are here now, and I know you came when I went into labor. I.. I want you. I want you by my side." she would try to push her legs underneath herself, scrambling to bring her form upright. She wanted to be next to him, she needed his sweet touch and comforting warmth.?

Her grieving whines would only amplify the sadness he felt within, his ears folding flat against his skull as his eyes clenched shut. He hated when she made those sounds, he wanted nothing more than to comfort her and take all the pain away- but how could he when he himself was in pain? How could he make her whole again if he felt responsible? How was he supposed to help her if he couldn't have saved her the first time? What if this happened again, but it was much worse? He would be enveloped by his doubts, and when she would speak to him he would not turn toward her, but instead would remain where he was with his back still turned to her. Tears streamed silently down his cheeks, his lips remaining creased in a somber expression as he muttered the words "Sometimes the things we want aren't what's best for us..." His head would fall even lower as the upper portion of his body began to slump limply toward the earth. He felt so useless, so weak, he didn't know what to do with himself. ~Themisto Mathias~

He would not bring himself to look at her, his saddened features hidden from her as he slid further into his own misery. Had her heart been whole at that moment she knew that it would have broken into a hundred million pieces, but as it was her gaping heart hole would throb as sadness rolled off him in waves. She could do nothing, her limbs had fallen back under her uselessly and her muzzle would not be able to offer a comforting touch. Her own being so brutally abused that could not bring itself to heal on its own. She was completely powerless to help her friend, but would feel a pit open up within her stomach as his words would meet her ears. "what.. What are you saying Themisto?" her voice was small as she would beg his presence, she didn't think she could ever want someone beside her as much as she wanted him. Those captivating eyes and care free attitude had ensnared her. She wanted his smile and... She wanted his love. "I couldn't have made it this far with out you." what would she had done the day of her attack? Pulsus knew not how to heal her, and didn't he see how much better he made her feel? Fern would be on her mind for a long time, but his sunny face would work to burn away the fog of misery. She needed his presence.?