Dragoncrest Cliffs This bond we share, it's the most real thing to me.

ofc!! <3

Many of the motions were just the same as they had ever been for him. He patrolled, trained, patrolled more, interspersed with other tasks now and again as duty dictated.. but the absence of what once was still stung. He supposed it was easier every day to rise and get moving, but wasn't it still painful? He ached more deeply than any flesh wound had cut him--as pained as he had felt when the Rise fell and the Giamalvas finally lost and then some, for he was not so spry and resilient as he had once been moons ago.

He missed the quiet moments, the early mornings before the hustle of the day set in, the walks to the beach, nosing around the garden, and finally, curling comfortaby where she fit so perfect, cozy, warm, beloved.

Maybe he struggled more than he let on. 

After Portia's waterlogged corpse had returned to them.. their last two young seemed to want their distance. He didn't blame them, and maybe even understood. Loss after loss cut deep, and scars took time to set in. He was so proud of them.. for persevering and staying and then fighting with the pack against their invaders, yet he couldn't let himself crowd them, even if they were the most tangible reminder of what was now gone. But he was there for them--to help clean the blood from their brows after the fights, and make sure they may rest soundly at the end of it all, and he hoped that they knew his love was there, always.

It was a routine patrol, otherwise, and despite the cloudy thoughts (and skies above), all was as he had last left it. When his route began to overlap onto fresh trails of Dacio's, he was, in truth, quite relieved and picked up his gait enough to hopefully overlap them soon. 

When familiar silvery furs shifted between the trees, he trotted closer to the boy's work. The wocha was glad to see him out, and for his son, he chuffed a low greeting before joining his company in otherwise silence.