Noctisardor Bypass and i swear right now, that no matter what comes of me

@Mahler for visibility! Any from Rivenwood welcome!

After crumbling in the Maplewood, he'd awakened with new resolve. The sun hadn't even crawled a fraction across the sky, yet he found himself filled with familiar energy and in one mighty hoist, he picked himself up, didn't even bother to shake the detritus from his fur, and kept on running.

He ran, and ran, sinking at times into the hostile earth, only to get back up, again and again. Adrenaline had it's way with things, inexplicable in the rotation of day to night day to night. He slept in spatterings. His body and mind, too wired to settle into anything more than a rest enough to fuel himself with the strength to continue forward.

The ugly and awful still reared its head, but now, he felt hope. Hope, because there was hope. Until he saw what had become of the Saints, there was hope. Hope that Ursus had shown them mercy. Hope that the Saints had won. Hope that Kynareth and dad had only disappeared in a ploy to make their enemies doubt their strength. Hope that they had returned, and had pushed all of Ursus back. Hope that the Vale was a place of safety again. Hope that mom had fought, and had found her way back.

There was hope there was hope there was hope. And there was hope now, as the scent of a multitude crested from the fortress just beyond his reach.

"Help," his voice cracked, and he howled louder, "HELP! Somebody! Please!"

He blinked back tears that finally came, and he raced, ever closer, to the encroaching land.

Abel was just beyond the border. His back laid upon the chilled earth. His nose pointed towards the endless, murky sky. He didn’t know how long he’d been laying there. Time turned into a meaningless jumble as he stared up at the rolling clouds.
The day’s silence was interrupted by a sound of distress. Abel rolled to his feet, ripping up some grass along the way. The blades still clung to his fur as he raced forward.
The two boys raced towards eachother. This was bound to end in a collision if one did not slow down. Hey, waitwaitwait! Abel tried his best to come to a sudden stop, but he only managed to trip over his own paws and tumble forward.

Turmeric did not slow. In fact, the arrival of the other excited his heart and compelled him to run faster.

Help, he had found help! Through the shadows of dawn he caught the other's form - a tripping, stumbling boy -

The night had been cold and had slicked the grass with a coating of frost. Even on a warmer night, the recent rains had patched the ground with puddles and mud. There was no wonder the boy couldn't stop - and it was a wonder why Turmeric thought he himself might have better luck. Instead, he too found his paws catching on nothing but ground without any grip, and like the boy, the earth lurched from beneath him.

"AYYEEAK!" he yelped. All he could do was turn his shoulder and brace for their oncoming -

CRASH.

pls tag me on discord if you want to skip if i take awhile to reply! <3

it would be astraeus' second winter. the cold told him the earth's heart was quieting; a rabbitsoft beat chilled with morningfrost. his would mourn the fireplace red and yellows of the trees and stray pine needles on the ground. his holidays would be spent alone besides accompanying his father at times, he wasn't exactly a tom webster.

he was in a languid step in the trodden paths of the bypass when he heard shrieks of two boys. as he came upon the intruder and the child of rivenwood he was quick snap for turmeric neck to hoist him away lest someone stop him from what he would do afterward.

the shouting had alerted the gargoyle.
his was not so hale a step now, but mahler's body knew the lines and crags of rivenwood.
he arrived to find abel tangled with a stranger, and astraeus upon them both.
"vait, vait!" he called out as his tall son aimed to separate the two.
mahler stood with his shadow cast over the intruder, arcing tail over his hips but not yet bristling at the unfamiliar scent of the unknown child.

The boy showed no signs of slowing down and Abel couldn’t brace himself. He didn’t even know he was supposed to. The world was a spinning blur —
— then crash!
The two collide. Abel saw nothing but stars. He whined as he rubbed his face with a paw.
He barely had time to breathe before someone else came barreling towards them. Someone familiar only by smell. His attack on the stranger was swift.
Hey! Abel scrambled backwards as he watched the two with wide eyes. What are you doing?! He shrunk lower when Mahler came, and looked at him with a shocked, perplexed expression.

gonna powerplay this closed; last for me! <3

whoever the stranger was, they did not stay for long. as quickly as they had become tangled in the other children, the child jumped and ran.
under @Astraeus' work they had come apart. the gargoyle chuffed in curiosity and looked toward abel. "are you vell?" he asked.
in time he would lead the two boys from this place, intending to return the youngest to laurel and inform her of what had happened.