Moonspear And into the fire we go

She seemed deeply unhappy as she spoke her response, and for the first time since making it, Gannet second guessed his decision. It was plain from the way she spoke she didn't like the idea of him staying, and while he did not take it personally (she was his friend; how could he?) it did shake him some.

She didn't see in them what he saw. But Gannet did always have a knack for seeing the other side of things. It was why his friendship with Hydra had blossomed despite all of this; it was why he held no anger towards Lyra or Alya or Charon or any of them for this. He knew why they had done what they did and it made sense. As long as that was true, he could handle it. "They don't know us. Redhawk. They don't know Tit." Gannet's ears tilted back with the difficulty of putting his reasoning into words. "I can't make them. But they can know me." He matched her voice tone, keeping his quiet as well. "I'm glad I saved him. But they don't know. They can't." It wasn't fair, in his eyes, to expect them to. It wasn't any fairer than expecting Gannet to let them just kill his brother.

"You think I should go back." He said, looking at her. Was it because of their punishment of him, or was it because she thought he belonged there? He hadn't felt like he did in a long time; even while he was there, he'd been more of a border ghost than a packmate. But back when Liffey was there, things had been different. He wondered if she knew how much his disappearance, and then hers, had changed everything. The new came in; the old left. He was just slower than she and Whip on the uptake.

editing bc SHADOWPOSTED OMG

Then Hydra was there; he hadn't heard her approaching, he'd been so intent on his conversation. He returned her smile, though it didn't quite reach his usual enthusiasm, and wagged his tail in greeting. "Hey Hydra. Thanks."