Stone Circle Home again

It had been months, just how many Illecebra wasn't sure. Mawk and her had gone to attempt a rescue for their son Cyron, but had come back empty pawed. This had killed a part of Cebra and she had wandered off track on the journey home, getting lost in a snowstorm. She had wound up purposefully staying away from easthollow, her depression making it so she didn't want to return home. Home to the questions from Rowana and Burr about where Cyron had gone,was he coming home. 


She hadn't eaten a solid meal in weeks and her body was thin,fur ragged and lackluster in shine. Her tail was a bloody mangled stump cut off a few inches from the end of her spine and she was missing half her left ear. Her breathing was water and short but she drew in a breath deep enough to smell the borders. The enticing smell of home hit her nose and she stumbled through the snow with more purpose, sending up a pleasing and relief filled howl for her @Mawk and the alpha female @Valette. Once she uttered the cry she couldn't move any further and dropped to the snow,eyes peering into the woods silently and waiting their arrival.

Valette was surprised to hear the familiar howl of Cebra. She got up to her feet and made haste to arrive at the border. They hadn't heard from her in a long time, and Valette wondered at the time if she was alive. When the alpha saw the female she felt almost right. Cebra looked very beaten up. She was missing part of her left ear and a good part of her tail. Valette was rather shocked by it.

Cebra!," she spoke in shock and approached her quickly. The alpha female nosed over her. She looked skinny and underfed. What had happened to her? 'What happened?," she asked, there was no question they wouldn't take in Mawk's mate.

The relief was overwhelming and she whimpered with  delight the remainder of her tail stub jerking around rather awkwardly. The sound of valette's voice was like music to her and she was immediately glad she returned home. The question asked was something that put a damper on her mood a bit, but she replied in a raspy voice anyway "I attacked a blackfeather fucker that I stumbled upon. It wasn't the brightest choice in my state of health" she was honest at least. 

she wouldn't mention the fact that the blackfeather member was a young one, probably not more than a year. Not only was that wrong on her part but it was embarrassing that she has been so brutalized by what she considered a pup. In an attempt to properly greet valette she struggled into a sitting position,her limbs quaking to hold up her frame. "I staggered too far behind mawk and lost my way. I... I have up for a while, didn't want to return home..i was selfish" she spoke apologetically her ears flattening back and head fucking low, eyes directed toward the ground.

Ahhh sorry this post is crap o-o

The call, in a voice he held oh so dear to his heart - the sound was easily recognisable as his mate, and the shocked man wasted no time in rushing to the source. Cebra... she was okay? Mawk felt his heart pound, each beat sending shocks of realisation jolting through his body as he ran, paws racing across the snow-topped ground. She was alive... and okay, right? He couldn't think straight, jumbled thoughts rushing through his head and a plethora of emotions wiped across his face - joy, fear, sorrow, excitement.

Amber eyes locked onto the shining eyes he loved so much, the dark fur that struck his heart every time he saw it, she was beautiful. Always beautiful. Yet as his eyes simply sparkled, gazing lovingly at her in shock, he let out a small strangled chuff and closed the distance between them. He wrapped her in the best embrace he could give, resting his head on her back and hoping to make her feel safe. No words... he was speechless, he only hoped his actions could express his relief at her presence here.

It was as his eyes opened once more that his gaze trailed to the stub of a tail that lay limply at her rear, that he took a tiny step back with a suprised yelp. And then, as his focuss settled, he realised just how battered she was. Half of her ear was missing, and her fur was in patches. Mawk's brows furrowed with deep concern, but he had not caught his mate's previous explanation. So he simply placed gentle licks at her cheek, body trembling at the pure joy his heart wanted to burst with at the sight of her.

Valette smiled at the reunion between the two mates. For a moment she felt a spark of jealousy. Only for a very brief moment. Steady would never return to her. They would never have a reunion like this. Valette watched them reunite and stayed in the background. She didn't want to ruin their moment. Mawk seemed so ecstatic to see him. Valette quirked up her lips into a smile. It was a very sweet sight.

However, her thoughts turned to the present and realized that Black Feather did attack one of their own. With the incoming war, tensions were rising even more. Now one of their own was hit. Should they go and attack Black Feather as well? Valette didn't want her family in a war though. She rather wanted to stay in the background. If they didn't join the war then perhaps Cebra would be the only one injured.

"It is okay, Cerba. I can imagine with all your kids gone this is not a fun place to return to. But we have good news as well. Burr is at Morningside, a friendly pack, and an ally of ours, healing." Valette wanted to help Cerba get into the territory. "Do you think you can walk a bit further with our help? Then @Keoni can look you over," she spoke.

Tag for visibility.

Only moments after Valette arrived the pale form that she instantly recognized came speeding toward them. Her heart felt like it stopped for a moment and time slowed as she met his eyes and then the distance closed and she pressed her forehead into his chest,inhaling his scent like it was a drug she hadn't gotten a fix from in months. Her stub of a tail began to jerk and wiggle around behind her rather awkwardly and she made a series of choked sobs and whimoers,unable to properly voice her happiness.

When he choked and backed away she realized he had noticed her tail. She hunched down ashamed and tried to hide it by curling her rear end into the snow, her eyes filling with shame and sorrow. She pressed her sides against his and closed her eyes as he licked her cheek,revelling in the sheer fact that she was home and back with Mawk. She opened her eyes again as Valette began to speak and she quickly stood up her eyes shooting open with alarm "ALL of the kids are gone?" She snapped turning to mawk with horror and fear on her face. "B..but it was only Cyron. Rowana and Burr were here...I left them here to be safe with the pack!" She shouted her anger rising again. She nearly missed valette's words about Burr being safe in Morningside and though that did cool her down a bit she still stared at the alphess with a illogical mixture of anger and blame. "I...you said they'd be safe here" she whispered and began to shake again. "I can walk...I'm fine..I want Burr back here as soon as he's able" she murmured feeling ill and weak again at the horrible news.

Mawk let out a small, still very excited, chuckle at her tail's wiggling movements. "Now we both have strange tails." He pointed out teasingly, glancing back for a moment at his own curled one.

The moment Valette mentioned the missing youngsters, Mawk flinched a little. He had tried, but it had not been enough, had it? Even now, he doubted himself. The clinging fear that he had failed as a father tore at his heart. Cebra's sudden anger was enough to make him take a step back, hanging his head in shame. "I'm sorry..." The man whispered softly, sorrow entering his eyes and dulling the shine. Burr was okay, Mawk had visited him at Morningside and he'd return to Easthollow once able. But Rowana and Cyron... "Rowana... s-she... I assume she went wandering too..." And there he trailed off, unable to continue the sentence.

There was momentary silence from him as his wife continued rambling, both to herself and Valette. It took him a moment but he spoke up once more - "I haven't stoppped looking. I won't stop looking."

Valette watched the interaction between Mawk and Cebra. She noticed that Mawk was submissive to his mate. Valette frowned lightly at Cebra. Valette let out a soft warning growl to make her calm down. "Cebra, don't blame this on Mawk. He has been basically starving himself to try and look for them. Burr didn't mean to run away nor would your other children. It isn't Mawk's fault. I as a single mother know how hard it is to keep track of three kids," she scolded lightly. She was taking Mawk's side. Valette didn't want Mawk to feel even worse.

"They are safe in Easthollow, yes. But if they go outside of our borders without telling anyone then your other pack members can't be there to protect them," she spoke to Cebra more softly. She helped Cebra either way even though she could walk. Valette still wanted her to know that she was there to support the couple. "Everyone is on high alert for any sign of your kids. Don't worry." Besides, where was Cebra when Mawk was here worrying about her too. "Mawk has been worried sick about you as well in your absence. You didn't want to come home yet, which is fine to me if there are too many feeling here, but you shouldn't let that out on your mate. Especially not on him. We are here for you Cebra. Don't worry. You should start healing and we are here to help."

As soon as she had shouted at him she regretted it and shame was plainly written across her features. She flattened her ears back against her skull once more and stepped forward,pressing her face into his neck "No...I'm sorry..I'm sorry. You did everything you could Mawk" she whispered while paying attention to valette's words at the same time. It was still hard to believe to her that everyone in the pack hadn't noticed two children walking away, two small babies on their own wandering away. Yet...hadn't she allowed Cyron to disappear herself while still in the den with Rowana? She couldn't blame anyone here...they all probably felt as bad as she did. "You're right Valette, I apologise for my words...after all this whole problem came from my failure to be an attentive mother." She murmured.


She accepted the help walking gratefully because at this point her legs were shaking and she felt utterly depleted. Turning to mawk she pressed gentle kisses to his ears "I'll get well and we'll search together. We'll work hard together, you won't be alone in this again. We'll find Rowana...she's strong" she whispered reassuringly.