Dawnlark Plains in the blink of an eye

it didn't take a genius to figure out that dawn hadn't slept, but the question had came anyway, more as a formality than anything. still, at her negative response, he cuddled closer, wrapping his long tail around her haunches. he wanted so badly for her to find rest in his embrace; it was a longshot, but he would stay here as long as she needed. he would hold her through any slumber that came.

"no one knows," aditya responded softly, also not speaking of sleep. "you just. . .do." catori, shale, the pups. . .they just would. nobody had a strict plan for moving on, but it happened--it had to happen, out of necessity. no amount of wishing brought the dead back.

he thought of his mother. just weaned, he'd gone to sleep under the watchful eye of his uncle, his mother promising to return as soon as possible. going for a hunt, she'd said. but hadn't returned. despite her apparition that visited him in dreams, aditya had never gotten closure on whether she had truly succumbed to some terrible fate that day--or had left him. he woke up and she was gone.

"your mother is gone," vishal had said, voice choked with emotion. gone, not dead. he wondered whether his uncle had crafted that message so to soften the blow, or if she truly had just. . .left. he'd never seen a body. vishal. just a few moons later, adi had found his body, cold and stiff. much like grayday's, at peace, like he'd gone in his sleep. he never knew--never would know--what took him.

aditya hadn't known how to go on, and if anyone asked him now, he still wouldn't have an answer. he didn't know how he'd move on from this monumental loss, either. he was always so full of words and advice for his mate, but now, he came up utterly empty.