Redsand Canyon ustulo

this is a farewell post for ruenna <3 the traveling party will be germanicus, @Reyson, @Tierra, @Valiria, @Aquillius, & @Cornelius besides rue & ali. apologies in advance for the second round of tags that will be coming <3 reply once here with a howl or a word! this is also an opportunity to decide to have ur char join the procession <3 also no posting order!

the actual journey/departure is linked here

 

germanicus and ruenna spoke long into the night. as the morning began to pale the eagle's reluctance became resignation. 

her pain was too great. she wished to seek the help of healers outside the teekon. the imperator was rendered only a man, and perhaps in his yellow eyes she saw grief and affection.

he busied himself with packing the items she would need. alivia would leave with her mother; alivia, his sweet, gentle girl.

it was with an unreadable expression that germanicus called to mereo. (@Aquene @Towhee @Maxim @Glaukos @Zahir @Fennec @Sybol @Siku @Jack Snipe @Nanuq) with their praefectus still mending, the imperator had not chosen to take her with them. it was a choice that he had found almost impossible to make. he visited however, lingering as long as ruenna liked if only for the sake of being at her side.

now he addressed the gathered pack.

"lady ruenna will be leaving mereo to seek outside relief. little alivia and young cornelius will be going with her." it was very hard to say aloud. "in my absence, the matrona will be your leadership, supported by the tribunus and the legatus."

he offered his wife a gentle small smile. "your absence will be very difficult. all of mereo will remember you."

more words, more speaking, more farewells, and then the eagle was organizing his soldiers and his children. they would need to set out before the light began to close. 

it was a slow and somber column of wolves which made its way from the redstone canyon.

Reyson heard the howl, the gentle pain behind it. Though the Imperator fought to keep it quiet. He was still a man. A leader first perhaps, but only just a man. And all too quickly he knew the pain that love could thrust upon you.

So with careful steps he moved into view. Adding his own howl where it was needed. He need not say goodbye to anyone, for he was not close with anyone but Maxim and Aquene. They would know they could hear.

Aquene heard the call, but she had already known it was going to come. She sat outside the tablinum, feeling in that moment she had failed the Matrona, wishing she had a better treatment for the woman that could keep her there.
 
She would raise her maw to the sky, offering a call back, her own song lingering with sadness at the woman’s departure, but promising to hold things together in their absence. In that moment, she wished even more for her husband’s return.

Glaukos was doing a patrol in the liminal hours before dawn. When the howl came he noticed the first tendrils of sunlight with it, and knew not to waste time finishing his work.

The news came that Ruenna and two of her youngsters would be leaving them. Those of rank would be expected to pick up the slack while their general was seeing them away, and to that Glaukos gave one nod - but otherwise, he was his usual stoic self.

There were farewells; such moments were for the family, and so Glaukos took that as a dismissal and returned up the canyon to resume his patrol. He saw from on high the procession of wolves as they made their departure, and watched them until they had dispersed from Mereo entirely.