Blacktail Deer Plateau I am home, Countess

Essay incoming. :'^)

Grezig was first to greet him. She looked absolutely exhausted, and the question of what happened in his absence floated back to the forefront of his mind. Her voice was just as weary when she asked if he'd come to rejoin. Corvus was surprised she didn't ask what happened, but perhaps she was just too tired. He felt obligated to explain himself, regardless of whether anyone asked it of him or not.

Yes, He replied simply, offering a small nod. Two unfamiliar faces appeared, one black and one white. Corvus didn't pay much mind to them, though he wondered if there were more who'd joined in his absence.

Among those who came to the border was... Minori. She was fuming upon her approach, which was honestly expected. Still, he was relieved to find that she was in good health. Corvus opened his mouth to speak, to merely utter her name, but she would have none of it. Minori snarled heatedly and turned her back on him to walk away. It stung not because she hurt him but because of the hurt he saw in her eyes: the hurt he caused. It was the first he'd seen of her in over a month, and she was already walking away from him. Though he expected this sort of reaction, nothing could have prepared him for it.

Despite the pain that brief interaction wrought upon his heart, Corvus kept his composure. They would discuss it later... if she'd let him. He acknowledged the possibility that Minori's walls had gone back up and may never come back down. Corvus would not blame her for doing so, hard as it would be to bear. However, Blacktail Deer Plateau would need to welcome him back before he could even begin to iron out that issue.

A vaguely familiar pale agouti woman appeared next, and the first words from her mouth were "We were worried." Corvus took note of her different stature, indicating that she'd risen significantly in the ranks. Interesting. It was then Kavik neared, supporting her statement. He wondered briefly if the alpha were displeased with him, but of course, the kind-hearted man said it was good to see him. It was still difficult to adjust to just how positive Kavik was. His absence likely didn't help with that. Corvus respectfully dipped his head.

Likewise, He replied, a bittersweet grin finding its place on his face.

"What happened to you?" Kavik asked. And there it was: the question that had been lingering tangibly in the air ever since Grezig arrived on the scene. Corvus took the cue.

The bear got a good swipe in, to say the least, He began, turning his head to display the gnarly scars from its wretched claws on his neck. While covered in scars from his mercenary days, these were by far the largest. Even so, they didn't bother him now that they no longer gave him grief. Straightening up, he continued. I lost a lot of blood but managed to drag myself away before I lost consciousness. I awakened in an unfamiliar place to an estranged woman. She said I would have died if she'd come any later and that I was fortunate my artery wasn't pierced. She nursed me back to health, but it was a very slow process, as you can see, He finally finished. However, Corvus wanted to make something very clear, even if his words weren't taken in earnest. His expression became deathly serious.

My only regret is not being of more use in that battle and being absent as a result. If I am allowed to return, I will serve this pack to the best of my ability; even to my death. That is my oath as a mercenary.

Reminder that there is no posting order from this point on to keep things moving.