Broken Antler Fen greathawk

set after this <3

teya returned from redhawk caldera when the sun had turned to gold just above the horizon. she stopped, panting, for a drink of water, before desperately seeking out @Eljay.
she'd fucked up she'd fucked up — a breath and a ragged clench in her throat, for teya was not about to fall apart again.
"i went to caldera," was all she said when she found him, a trembling mumble as she stared at his gentle face.

Eljay was close to the den, in a small clearing just outside it. Now that the pups were getting more mobile — and they had Ibis' three to boot — he wanted to make sure that everything was more pup-proof around here. His world had been very inward-focused. The only thing he'd done outside of Brecheliant was accept Izumi at its borders, and even then he had felt like he hadn't been doing the right thing exactly, what with Maia hurrying back to the den after he arrived. He should talk to her about this. Why was she so insecure? Was it really because she wanted to hurry back to the pups, or was it something to do with her being a leader, still?

Teya lifted him from his thoughts while he mindlessly was disposing the clearing of some sharp branches, and Eljay lifted his head to look at her. He smiled at her, but when he saw the serious, somewhat downtrodden expression on her face and the quietness of the words she spoke, he sensed something was wrong. What happened? he asked, a little nervously, and he waited to hear. It was hard to be up to date with pack affairs when you had five little children and tried to process a truckload of grief, so he was grateful that Teya came to him.

"bridget away from brecheliant many days. she was taking care towhee," teya explained, the words rushing out of her. "she take towhee home, or she run away again, i — but then redhawk wolves attack bridget. i saw her. she says it is all right, but i was angry."
a breath, sucked in through her teeth.
"so i go to redhawk caldera and demand apology. fennec is one who attacked. she is mean. but ruenna. she give me what i want, and say she will come to visit. i not see towhee."
ears wilting;
"i almost break alliance over this," she said miserably.

Eljay listened to what Teya had to say. He had a hard time following her at some places, but nodded as he followed the gist of the story anyway — Bridget had helped Towhee home after she'd gotten hurt, and then the Redhawk Caldera wolves had attacked Bridget when she brought Towhee home. Eljay wondered who it was that had attacked Bridget, but soon it became clear as Teya said that Fennec was mean to her when she demanded an apology for the attack on Bridget.

It didn't surprise him that Ruenna was the one to smooth things over. Eljay honestly had no idea what things were like at Redhawk Caldera right now. It'd been so long since he had gone there. He wondered if it was time for him to visit them, but honestly, he couldn't be missed by his family right now and he didn't want to take another wolf with him as they weren't many adults right now. It'd have to wait until the children were a little older.

It's okay, Eljay said as Teya admitted that she almost broke their alliance. You did it only because you care for Bridget. Even if we have alliances, the pack always comes first, no matter what. So you did good. Eljay smiled softly, reassuringly at the Raven. Alliances and putting them over pack — It was something that had driven Wraen away from the Copse at the time. Eljay'd never understood why the wolves of the Copse — why Towhee — chose their alliance with Moonspear over their leader and friend Wraen. He knew that if he were to be a leader, he didn't want to make the same choices. He said: Ruenna said she would visit..? How'd you leave things at the Caldera? It sounded like Fennec was a hothead — not surprising — and Ruenna was the one to smooth things over. And Towhee... Hopefully she was alright. It wasn't like her to not show up to a spat at the borders.

eljay's smile steadied teya, and she dropped her gaze to focus upon a series of steeling breaths. "left it well. ruenna and i speak for a bit." the woman had truly been kind, and guilt raked at teya again, that she had been so cruel. 
eljay, too was sweet, and not for the first time did teya appreciate him here. with maia, with his gentleness and clear love for his mate and his children. 
"i think caldera in some trouble now, with towhee sick. i not think ruenna need to come here, but." she shrugged, tail waving behind her with a bit more confidence now that she had received such reassurance from eljay.

Eljay was visibly relieved to hear that Teya left things at the Caldera well. He was glad that it meant he didn't have to go over there right now. He wasn't sure he was even ready to face anyone there right now. He'd never returned after saying good-bye, after all. To show up as Auspex of Brecheliant and try to be political with them... He wasn't so sure he could. Whenever he was alone with Towhee, Eljay still felt like the incompetent waste of space that she seemed to think he was when he was younger. It had gotten better with the years and he knew she appreciated his skills as a medic. But his skills as a leader? She probably didn't think he had any of those.

At the thought that Redhawk Caldera was in trouble with Towhee being sick, he frowned though. What happened to Towhee? he could not help but ask, finding himself worried for her. They were family, after all, and they'd known each other for almost all their lives. Even if they didn't always see eye to eye, he still cared a great deal about Towhee. He also added: Fennec can be a bit of a hot-head, she sometimes acts faster than she can think. But when it comes down to it, she's a good wolf. Eljay smiled knowingly at Teya and said, a little hesitantly, as though afraid he was overstepping: A bit like someone else I know. Teya had rushed off to Redhawk Caldera after Bridget'd gotten wounded, after all, to demand an apology. It sounded like a typical something Fennec would do, too.

teya staggered through a thousand emotions after eljay made his gentle comparison. she was nothing like fennec! and yet through the surface of her indignation broke sensible thought. teya knew herself indeed to be impetuous and unthinking. wasn't that why she was with eljay now, confessing that she had almost severed their alliance?
humbled and touched, teya shook her head. "ask bridget for specific thing you want to know. i uh, fight with her. before i go ... to ... caldera."
why was she saying so much? what was it about this man that forced teya to upchuck things she would rather have left unsaid? horrified that she had developed some sort of unknown crush upon the mate of her co-leader, and her auspex no less! as it if it were tradition for her now! teya hastily searched her thoughts, but found no romantic inclination.
she chose, however, not to tell him about kynareth.

It was hard to gather what Teya thought of his words. She seemed thoughtful and introspective for a bit, insulted initially but then seeming to come to terms with what he said. It was easier for Eljay to be more direct with Teya than with others, because he felt such a fatherly touch for her through all that happened combined with her age being that of Elfie and Weejay. With others, he would've stumbled back and apologised for his intrusion, but with Teya, he just waited.

While she didn't reflect on his words directly, she did share information in regards to his question: Bridget knew about what happened with Towhee. Then she shared a tidbit of personal information: She'd had a fight with Bridget. Eljay knew that the two of them were very close, and he frowned as he heard the news. Oh, he said initially, not sure how to respond. Then after a second or two he added: What was the fight about? I mean — only if you want to share. Eljay wanted to make it clear he was here on personal business now, not wanting to push her into confessions that she might not be ready to share.

her gaze faltered; she looked away from eljay.
"ah —"
lip-bitten and then dragging herself back to an answer;
"i very angry when she come home, injured. i threaten caldera. she say i wrong. she say towhee need help. she say — what i do — how i act, when wraen die —" and now the angry tears welled up again, "is ... like the way towhee act here. i insulted. so — i lie then go to caldera."
there it was, thrown all it, strewn like pine needles. 
teya waited, eyes and figure downcast, but still with the strange sense of relief she felt when confessing things to eljay.

It was clear to see that this was difficult for Teya, and Eljay felt a little guilty for asking her about it now that she started to explain. He almost wanted to stop her midway and tell her it was okay, she didn't need to share, but he also thought that maybe talking about it would make her feel better, so perhaps it was better to have it all out in the open after all.

It seemed that Bridget had said something that hurt Teya deeply, something about why it was that she got injured. Eljay wasn't sure he understood all of it, but he didn't know if it mattered in the end. It sounds like you two have a lot to talk about, he said with a rueful grimace. He hoped talking about it with him helped to take away some of the heartache, but he knew that talking about it with Bridget was the only way to really smooth things over.

teya nodded, biting her lip. "yeah." but she did not think bridget was ready to speak to her, and she herself was definitely not going out of her way. it was pride, it was haughtiness. and yet teya had found a way to justify it all. 
suddenly, eljay having such a successful life dragged heavily at teya. 
"i will say i sorry to her," the girl decided, drawing into a shaky, resolute breath and glancing to their auspex for input.

It was hard to figure things out when you were at odds with one another, Eljay knew. He just waited in silence while Teya figured it all out, practically on her own anyway. Then the caretaker smiled at her when she said that she would say sorry to Bridget. She didn't sound too happy about it, but then again, saying sorry was never an easy thing. It made sense that it might take her a while to get to it.

Eljay smiled and nodded at this statement. That sounds like a good idea. He didn't want Teya to do it because he thought it necessary in any way, but he sure wanted her to do it because she herself thought it was a good idea and wanted to.

<3

eljay's validation pressed a whoosh of air from teya's lungs. she came toward him awkwardly, seeking to give and receive a shy embrace.
"i be back later, with uh, something. for the kids to play," she added.
she would wait for his answer, then turn and seek the edge of the fen, steadying herself before she sought bridget out.

Eljay smiled when Teya sought an embrace and leaned in gently as she neared. He felt something wholesome in his heart — Teya was truly family to him, not just by title because the pack decreed it but because she was Teya.

Teya then excused herself, saying she would bring back something for the kids later. Of course, Eljay said with a nod. See you later, Teya. He smiled and watched as she left his side, feeling at peace.