“@Akavir?” Eshe called, leaving @Wren to rest. “Akavir—where are you?” She was a pitiful sight, covered in blood and mud, with disheveled fur and haunted eyes.

She kept looking, her feet getting heavier with each passing moment—it felt like walking in mud. She felt delirious; the culmination of the events of the day were catching up to her. She wasn’t sure how much longer should could keep going, but quitting now wasn’t an option.

Akavir held Eshe, shielding her from everything—she was safe now that she was with him. She fell into him, letting him support her, and buried her face into his chest. She allowed herself to cry—to release everything she’d been bottling up for the past few hours—and breathe him in.

“Oh, it’s awful,” she said, her voice rocked by a sob. “I-I found Moss dead with an baby beside her—alive,” oh, how she yearned for that beautiful child. “S-Some wolf was standing over her, and there was a man n-nearby, too. I-I tried to save the baby … rushed over, but Mae appeared and grabbed the child, and r-ran away—don’t worry, she’s safe. I made sure she made it out.” There was a temporary strength to her voice—a promise.

She tried to steady herself with a shaky breath, but it didn’t work. “Wren showed u-up, too, and fought the man … the other one who was standing over Moss, s-she chased Mae and grabbed onto the puppy’s tail—she tore it off when I rammed into her to g-get her away from M-Mae,” it was horrible—it made her sick to her stomach and shake with rage. “Mae f-found Arric, a-and he decided to take the baby to Kva—but, Akavir … I wanted that baby s-so bad, wanted to save it—I was s-so selfish.” She was ashamed of herself; the baby was safer without her and her self-serving motivations. “Mae … she went with him, she w-wanted to stay with the baby and I-I think she wants to stay with her.”

“And Wren,” poor poor Wren, “S-She fought the man and apparently did a number on him. I found her when s-she got back a-and tried to calm here—gave her a few p-poppies and tended to her wounds … and S-Silvertongue showed up when I was caring for her, too,”

She looked up to him, battered and bruised, with wide eyes. “I-I’m so sorry I had t-to dump that on you,” sorry she couldn’t have done more—that she had allowed it to all escalate like this.

He held her, kissed her, and made her feel safe—even when he tensed and growled. It was everything she needed and more, and it helped her begin to regain her composure. Still, despite the step in the right direction, she continued to cry freely and her body still quaked with anxiety every so often.

“I-I can, I … just r-really need to sleep first,” she replied, “I didn’t w-want the puppy to go … but A-Aric,” she hesitated—“I-I offered to try and make my milk come in to help—he s-said it was dangerous, a-and that h-he wouldn’t l-let me try u-until w-we spoke to other healers.” Which, now that she replayed the events in her head, made her realize how insulting that’d been. Did he not trust her abilities—her expansive knowledge? Had she not already proven herself? “I-I don’t even t-think he remembered Bellatrix with everything going on, I-I think h-he j-just went with the first w-wolf he r-remembered was nursing. I-I don’t blame him, that poor b-baby was wailing and starving.”

“I-I know I-I’m being s-selfish, but I want that puppy back here—where she belongs.” She admitted, studying his face and wondering what he thought.

When he asked about what’d kicked off the attack, she paused for a moment as she tried to remember. “T-The man s-snapped at M-Mae when she grabbed the p-puppy, and then Wren attacked, and I tried to grab Mae and the baby as she fended him off.”

She took another deep breath, just as Arric had taught her, and exalted slowly. “Y-You’re right,” she agreed, feeling guilty now. “The mama bear in me came out when I was trying to save the children—it’s hard for me t-to reel it in once I’m in it.” Hopefully, he’d understand.

He seemed overwhelmed, which was completely understandable given the situation. She reached up, kissing his cheek and meeting his gaze if he allowed it.

“I-I’ll help however I can when I wake up,” she promised. “Just let me know what I need to do.”

His embrace and kisses were exactly what she needed. She sighed happily, buried her face into his neck, and nuzzled into into him. “Thank you,” she whispered, kissing him a few more times on the neck before he withdrew. She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light, but a dreamy smile was on her lips.

His offer was perfect. “I’d love that,” she replied. “I could use all the snuggles right now—“ she paused and grinned.

“You should join us when you return to the den.” She’d take the children out to play if they woke up, and she’d be waiting for him when he returned home.

His voice and expression told her things that his words didn’t. “I will,” on all counts. “I’ll stay with the boys, too, if you want.”

She stood and took a step back, feeling suddenly sullen now that she could see his face. He already looked exhausted.

Then, before turning to leave, she said: ”let me know if you need anything.” She hesitated. ”And, please … try and remember to take care of yourself, okay? I know it’s hard with everything going on, but … please try and make sure you’re rested and fed.” And she knew this would be a challenge to accomplish.