Broken Antler Fen I want to watch wisteria grow right over my bare feet

After her brief conversation with Teya and Bridget, Ibis had meant to stop by the den shared by the pair of lovebirds (and new parents, which was exciting!), eager enough to meet the new additions to Brecheliant while also introducing the idea of Eljay as the new Auspex; but she had to stop at her own den first, as she had left her children for about an hour on their own. They had been sleeping — and when she checked on them, they slumbered still.

A deep breath, a sigh; Ibis wanted them to hurry up and grow, at the same time she wished they would stay the same, unchanging, so that she could always be there to look after them. No harm would come to her children this time; she was hopeful of that, although not naïve enough to trust in that hope indefinitely.

She checked in with them carefully, not wanting to wake them. There was a small mess around @Roswell and Ibis hastened to clean him up, feeling guilty that she had not been present, wondering how long he had been sleeping in his own waste. Once he had been tidied up and carefully arranged with the other two children, Ibis removed herself again.

She paced outside of the den. It was nice to have time to herself, even if it felt wrong to take it. Her mind wandered to the strangeness of Teya and Bridget, the absence of Wraen, and then to @Akavir, who had been living on the outskirts of Brecheliant lately. He had lingered among them but kept his distance too, and Ibis knew someday she would have to face him again.

By the time she decided to head over to Maia's den to meet her children, the time had slipped away from Ibis. She found her way by following Eljay's scent; at some point it met up with that of the other Ravens, and as Ibis crossed by freshly tilled earth she did not think much of it; perhaps they had thought to discuss things with Eljay too, taking initiative — she had yet to realize the truth beneath the patch of dirt.

She was, as always, preoccupied.

And as she came upon the new mother's den, she found it unguarded. There was a weight to the air that Ibis found concerning, as it reminded her of familiar grief, and at once she was hurrying to inspect the area. Had something gone wrong with the birth? Where was @Eljay? Ibis was not about to invade the other woman's sanctuary without an invitation, so she crooned a soft note to @Maia and took a few steps back, settling against the grass to wait.

There were many things that could have gone wrong, but Ibis was oblivious to all the changes taking place within Brecheliant.

Gonna say Maia's found out at this point, just for timeline sake <3 since I intend to have Bridget give a call, and Maia's den is close by

She'd cried herself to sleep by the time Ibis came. She woke up with a headache and immediately felt horrible, but at first she didn't remember why. Then she did, and the same despair submerged her that had before. This time it was colder, and a little less angry, but it hurt the same way. She wondered what would happen if she just stayed where she was until Ibis went away. She didn't want to talk to anyone right now.

She couldn't do this. She couldn't...

Maia gritted her teeth and tensed, then pushed herself heavily to her feet, no doubt disturbing both of the children who slept against her. She bent down to touch them each gently, pausing while she did, trying to collect herself, but knowing she still looked awful. If Ibis said anything, she didn't know how she was going to keep it together. She didn't want to hear it.

But she still stepped outside, wincing in the light, and looked around. As soon as she saw Ibis she caught her with a look that was a mixture of apprehension and exhausted grief. She dreaded what her niece was here for way too much to open with any conversation yet.

I'm gonna say that Bridget's call sounded when Ibis was in her den, and she missed it. For... reasons.

As Maia made her slow but steady emergence, Ibis felt a pang of regret for having disturbed her. She looked tired; more than that, she looked — well, there weren't really words. Beautiful and glowing were often thrown around for pregnant women and new mothers; there was an aspect of that, but a darkness too. As if for all her glowing, there was an even greater shadow to lend a deep pall to her face.

I—... I should have waited. I'm sorry to disturb you, Ibis rambled, her tail thwacking at her hocks once or twice before stilling, curling at the end. Ibis knew the difficulty of the birthing process well by now, she had some empathy.

And to make matters worse, she had hoped the call would draw forth the woman's husband if he was hidden inside the den, not the new mother. I was looking for Eljay — but he isn't here, so, where had he gone? He seemed the kind of man to devote himself wholly to his children and his absence disturbed Ibis, which was selfish of her.

But Maia looked harrowed by grief. Ibis slunk closer, concern upon her face. Are you alright? Did everything.. go well? She didn't know how to ask after the children, not faced with such a familiar, dreadful look like the one upon Maia's face now.

Makes sense!

Eljay. Maia blinked, realizing she hadn't even wondered where he was. Her thoughts were sluggish, and she felt a slow pang that she'd forgotten about him for a little while. She didn't know where he was, but she suddenly wished very much that he was here. That way she could hide and let him handle things for a while, just as she'd done for him when he first arrived here.

Ibis didn't seem upset, which dawned on her slowly as she listened. That didn't make any sense. They're fine, Maia answered, almost automatically. But thinking of her newborn children helped, and some of the grief lessened. Two girls, Sylvia and Hymnal.

She should invite Ibis to see them, but it hadn't quite dawned on her yet that Ibis didn't know, and that felt like inviting more conversation than she wanted to have. I don't know where he is, she added, and suddenly she felt more tired than ever. I can't do this. I can tell him to find you.

She was going to start crying again, she could feel it. It was lurking there, beneath the surface, spurred by her sister and the fact that she suddenly needed Eljay here with her more than anything else. This front wasn't going to last long; it was already cracking apart as she stood here.

Two girls; like her two, now gone. They shared that in common, twice-over. It was good news — so why did Maia appear so upset? Ibis smiled widely and said, Wonderful! I'm so happy for you. The exuberance in her voice, her face, everywhere — it was genuine, a bit over-the-top as Ibis tried to make up for Maia's low mood. Perhaps there had been more; Ibis wouldn't ask, knowing how hard it had been to lose her first-borns, siblings that Lilitu and Arielle would never know.

I don't know where he is, sighed the mother, looking more exasperated now. Ibis glanced to the fen around them, the darkness of the den behind Maia, and then away, aware of how she was imposing and feeling terrible for it. At least Maia could redirect Eljay if he did appear.

Yes, that's... It's not super important right now. You have obligations now, so, just.. Whenever he surfaces, that'd be great. Ibis smiled again, reaching out to lightly bump Maia's broad shoulder with her nose. If you need anything please, call me. Anything at all.

But she didn't leave immediately either, giving Maia some space, and some time — lingering in case there was anything she could do here and now.

She was ruining this. This was supposed to be a happy occasion and Ibis was right, but Maia could feel her discomfort and was still unable to force herself to put on the show. Despite her earlier joy, she felt like she had nothing left, and the slightest hit would send her crumbling to dust.

Yeah, okay. She managed to get the words out with some effort, but she held herself back when Ibis came forward to touch her shoulder. A part of her wanted to collapse into her and take the embrace, cry it out and let herself fall apart. But she was starting to recognize that Ibis didn't know what had happened, and Maia wasn't strong enough to be the one to give this news.

She couldn't bear to see Ibis fall apart, not when she couldn't even hold herself together.

Instead she took the coward's way out and disappeared wordlessly back into her den. In the end, this would only make her feel worse, and she'd spend a good part of this time silently choking back sobs. But she couldn't take that step back outside, couldn't even bear to hear the words out loud again, even if she was the one saying them. So she hid and hoped, somehow, someone could do what she couldn't.

There'd been a lot of loose ends to tie following the finding of Wraen. Eljay had stayed with @Teya a while, but after a while he realised that Bridget had howled and that must mean that Maia... He had excused himself eventually, when Bridget was done with the digging and they had moved the body and buried it. Wraen, gone...

He washed himself at a nearby fen, as he thought it might make Maia feel bad to see him covered in dirt; the dirt that had been used to cover her sister's body. Maia losing Wraen was like... Like him losing his parents, he imagined. He needed to get home soon.

When finally Eljay arrived, Ibis was there. Is everything alright? Eljay called out towards her, clumsily picked words, a light note of panic in his voice. He saw Maia's pained expression as she turned around back towards the den, and felt the tension in the air. With an apologetic grimace at Ibis he pressed past her and poked his head into the den, reaching out towards Maia's face with his nose and muttering, Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry... There was nothing we could do... As he felt tears come to his own eyes at thinking about Maia's state of distress.

because I love to make things awkwaaaaard

The hollowness that followed Brecheliant after Bridget’s howl had caused the frost-maned man to settle against a tree, inhaling... exhaling. His thought drifted to the generous woman, her short life. She hadn’t been old, had she?

His first thought had been to seek out Ibis... to see how she was. But her words still haunted him and he wasn’t quite ready to accept the implied truth of what she had said to him. 

And so he went to Maia—kind Maia, naive in so many ways and yet terribly endearing. Ibis might have lost an aunt, but she had lost a sister... and thus far, had been the only one to extend an olive branch of friendship toward him. 

And so he rallied to him a small meal for the new mother, his heart heavy as he sought her out. Only when he came to her home’s did he hesitate, his eyes falling on Ibis who he had not expected. He moved past her then, to the den entrance and noted a man embracing the gentle Maia, who he assumed to be Eljay. 

Dropping the hare toward the couple, his champagne eyes flitting behind and over Ibis only momentarily, he directed his attention to them once more, bowing his muzzle lower. I’m so sorry, Maia. She was a great she-wolf... He paused, a sigh escaping his lips. Anything that either of you need... don’t hesitate to ask.

Knowing how badly she had felt for her own lost children, Ibis presumed (wrongly) that Maia's depleted energy and red, wet face were products of a difficult birth. When the new mother began to retreat Ibis watched her go, her heart aching with sympathy, wishing she could do something to ease that pain for  her.

Then Eljay arrived. He was still damp from his wash, and Ibis found the scent of him peculiar in passing; he moved to console his wife with sombre words and while they were mostly private within the den space, Ibis could piece together some.

It felt wrong for her to be here - just like when Tambourine had passed and she had stumbled upon his body - Ibis was not meant to be a part of their grief no matter how familiar it was. So she quietly moved, beginning to leave — only to see her husband.

He had brought a gift  The sombre look on his face drew Ibis' eye, but he moved beyond her to the den mouth where he placed the hare, speaking carefully to the new parents. He shared a kindness with them that Ibis somehow lacked; but she was confused by it too.

Akavir's scent had not been here when Ibis had arrived. This was, therefore, his first visit to their shared den. How could he know of their loss? Unless Eljay had told him; or perhaps they had mourned together, commiserated as they buried the little girl.

She looked at Akavir anew; studying his dark coat for signs of mud and dirt, which she did not find. It was all so peculiar.

It will be alright, Ibis attempted to sooth things, wanting only to help Maia and ease her pain. Your two girls will not miss her as they grow. After all, Lilitu and Arielle did not miss their litter mates, Taku and Borras; they did not know of them.

Thinking this would be some comfort, Ibis did not recognize how cold the words may come across.

Maia was curled up tightly when Eljay arrived, eyes closed. When she heard his voice however, she immediately began to move towards him. And as he pushed into the den, all of her resolve shattered along with her heart, all over again. I'm sorry. It repeated, words that just cemented in reality the thing Maia couldn't bear to think about right now.

She crumpled into a crying mess on the den floor. She couldn't speak. Eljay's presence set her off, but Akavir and Ibis' both compounded it, especially Ibis. They wouldn't miss her. They wouldn't even know her.

It didn't make sense for Ibis to say something like that, and Maia didn't really even hear it come from her. Everything they were saying was in her own mind anyway and she was too far gone, inconsolable, to be making any sense. Nothing but wordless and broken sobbing, and she wouldn't be contributing anything else to the situation anytime soon.

last for me! Feel free to continue this however long y'all like <3

Eljay moved to Maia's side and he tried to comfort her best he could. Some guy he didn't know at all showed up to offer his condolences, and Eljay grimaced as he watched him, looking appreciative of his offers. Thank you, he said with a solemn nod. He didn't know this man, but he seemed like a good person if he would come here and offer his support despite that. He must be someone that Maia knew, considering the circumstances. He came bringing a gift to boot. It would be nice not to have to worry about hunting for a little bit.

But then came what Ibis said, and Eljay knew that Maia would explode. He was barely containing himself following the death of his long-time friend, and he felt an immediate anger at Ibis for saying something like that. Eljay didn't know how to deal with this conflict, especially considering how Ibis seemed to be completely unaware of how painful her words were. Ibis was a good person. She didn't mean to be out of line. But she still was.

Eljay frowned and said, I think it's best if you leave for now and let us grieve. His voice was level and collected, though it was clear from his face that he was barely holding himself together at the moment. Thanks for stopping by. He didn't at all understand the miscommunication, and his own state — tired, having been with Teya and Bridget to bury Wraen, all of it — didn't help. He stood stiffly before the den, waiting for Ibis and Akavir to leave them be.

Last from me in this thread? Can be assumed he walked away from Ibis, or if she wants to catch up we can do a new thread?

Maia’s sobs tore at him a certain way—had he not just considered her to be unbroken from the world, only a week or so ago? Completely untouched by pain, he had believed… and now she had lost her sister. His eyes slid over to the silver wolf who protectively hovered over her, and before he could respond and take his leave, Ibis came forward, the coldness of her words reaching him, causing him to freeze in place.

His champagne eyes snapped to her—incredulous—unable to hide his confusion to her words. The sobs of the broken raven worsened, and even before Eljay’s demand interrupted the now-frigid air, Akavir’s muzzle came out, gently pushing at Ibis’ shoulder to excuse them both, a frown marring his features as he now wondered who this woman at his side had become.

“The hell,” he hissed at her under his breath, his thick tail giving a lash through the air as he continued to move away, not waiting to see if she followed after him.