Redhawk Caldera heartstone

Teya tried to explain, but Eljay just didn't understand. He, too, had bad memories -- wolves that died here, the many misunderstandings and rubbing each other the wrong way he had with Towhee and others who didn't understand him... But all that changed. It was different now. And it wasn't the Caldera that reminded him of it. The Caldera was home. He considered if they should move again, if this was what Teya needed, but he couldn't bring himself to suggest it, even as he felt Teya's paw reassuringly on his. He would go to great lengths to make his family feel safe, but he couldn't bring himself to break his own heart again by leaving Redhawk Caldera yet another time.

He did not understand, but he knew that he had no choice but to accept it, even though he felt abandoned and like Teya was following insanity rather than reason. He looked at her, pleading, as she made her case, and whispered in hoarse desperation, Let us help heal your wounds. He was fast running out of energy to fight this, and could feel his breath catching in his throat and tears threatening to spill in a painfully familiar way. Maia tried to explain what she'd gone through, but Eljay was out of words, at this point using all his energy to keep himself from entirely falling apart -- and held together largely by Maia's fur pressing against him.

What Maia said was the right thing to say, of course -- they'd be there if Teya came back -- but Eljay could not bring himself to say it, or even to nod in agreement.