Moonspear watch over you

for @Mira, set directly after https://wolf-rpg.com/showthread.php?tid=46291 (if stuff does happen in that thread beyond the few posts we make there, we can say it took place just a little bit after, after any potential events happened.)

When Mira first came into view he merely stopped and watched her, crumbled beside the body of their mother. He recognised it only vaguely, but it was no longer her, that much he realised. It was so much not her that Caelum did not understand why Mira would attach any emotions to her body anymore. He did not even feel the urge to approach, but he waited as a stalwart guardian. One thing he did realise was that his nurturer and leader was gone.

What did the future hold? He offered Mira her time to figure out her grief. Vigilantly and alert he waited. Every time something crumbled down the mountain as a result of the impact he flinched and looked about — a rare moment for him, who rarely looked scared or startled, as little could impact him — but he did not pressure her, instead waiting for her to finish at her own time; and watched over.

Mira knew at some point that someone was beside her, but she only tried to force her sobbing into something quieter, but hid her face still for many minutes in her paws. When the tears settled into something gentler and her breathing became less shaky, she was scared to open her eyes. Mira didn't want to face the world anymore. She didn't want to open her eyes and see Hydra's crumbled body. Mother. What would Mother do? She was always so brave, so smart and confident. Mira wanted to be brave now too. But she wasn't sure if she knew how anymore. Not without Mom here. She blinked her swollen red eyes open and turned to Caelum, trying to keep her expression neutral in spite of the emotions rushing through her. She didn't look back at Hydra. He was there, waiting on her for a while now. Was she in charge? Let's look for Father, She proposed, trying to keep her voice steady and neutral, but failing as it trembled.

Caelum's thoughts were far less crisis-oriented than Mira's; even as he waited for her to process what had happened, he found that his heart was dark and empty. He lacked a purpose, now, a wolf in whose empire to be son and soldier; but he did not find himself missing a warm mother's touch or grieving the loss of a loved one. He did not think it strange; after all, this was what he had always been like his whole life. For him, this was normal.

Mira was the odd one out, to him, with quivering voice and uncharacteristic doubt. But she did give him back the purpose he so desired when she took the reins and suggested looking for their father. Caelum nodded stoically. If he felt any pain from the loss he had witnessed, he did not show it. Where did you last see him? he asked, not remembering precisely, himself.