Redhawk Caldera beneath with me

Oh you nosy sister!

Elwood and Finley had effectively become recluses in the days following their own personal tragedy. The whole atmosphere of the caldera had changed that day, so their absences likely were not noticed outright. They spent the majority of the daylight hours curled up together in their burrow, usually not talking; there wasn't much to be said. They just needed one another.

Eventually, Finley decided that she was ready for some air, and while Elwood offered to accompany her, she insisted that she needed some alone time. He couldn't argue with her; how could he? He simply watched with sad eyes as she departed, heading out of the territory and into the free land to the north.

He did leave the den for a short while, only because his stomach was twisting with hunger, but when he returned with a full belly he was surprised to see that there was a visitor lingering outside their door. The Beta stiffened, his mind whirling. He and Finley had decided not to share the death of their children with anyone else; no one had even been aware of Finley's pregnancy, and it was something that they felt they needed to deal with alone. Concern was already etched onto Tiger's face, but Elwood wiped his expression clean, trying to appear as neutral as possible as he approached. "Hey, Tiger," he said, giving a weak wave of his tail. Surely any odd behavior would be dismissed as a lingering effect from Junior's slaughter.