He ran past the densite towards the shoreline John had directed him to. Searching for any signs of @Anathema, expecting to hear the sound of @Heda's footfalls following him down to reach the loamy coast.

Everett sent out a howl for the girls, @Ava Amara and @Dinah included. If Ana was hurt, he believed the sisters would have gone after her, and perhaps even now could lead them to find her. All the while he parsed through the wolves who shared Sweetharbour with them, trying to remember if they had a healer here.

But no faces came to mind.

Ana clung to her sister in the aftermath of her attack on John. She startled at every noise, hackles lifting at the slightest provocation. Even her clicking had quieted, become sparse; she was silent, haunted.

It was her fault.

She could not forget the blood. The look of pain in his eyes. When Everett howled she turned stiff with fear, whale-eyed, retreating to the safety of Ava's flank. Ana would hurt him, too. She knew that she would, though she did not want to. So she hid, and perhaps some small part of her prayed to the God of Sweetharbor, that He might take pity on the darkling soul in this if nothing else.

But Ana was far beyond reach of the light of any God.

an alarm sounded its' klaxon blare in ava's head and heart. her growls grew ever louder to drown out the bleating scream of her panicked brain. she did not hear everett call for them, she only knew they were in danger and 

they were in danger they were in danger they were in danger they were in danger they were --

her widened eyes turned to ana, who pressed against her —
they were in danger they were in danger they were in danger they were in danger they were -- meanwhile ava’s endless snarls rolled over the land like a broken siren, over and over and beyond all recall to reason.

they were in danger they were in danger they were in danger they were in danger they were IN DANGER THEY WERE IN DANGER

THEY WERE IN DANGER

He found them by Ava's snarls. A warning to stay away, but he was not afraid. As he drew near the place they hid he slid to the ground and crawled his way forward until he could see them.

Ava stood like a gargoyle protecting its patrons; Ana cowered. Everett could hardly see her beyond her sister's shield.

Ava, he said, unsure if he'd be heard over the girl's alarming cries, Ana.

And he reached out his paw as an offer for the children to come. To know.

Whatever had happened, they were never out of reach.

ava was inconsolable alongside her sister. it was not long before everett was joined by heda; the two adults murmuring in soft voices 

ava saw nothing but red. her vision whirled in particles of merlot and alarming white

it was hours before the panic in her blood settled. hours before anathema woke up besides her doting mother, hours before they fell to fitful sleep while chaos prowled in grey steps outside their door.