Neverwinter Forest I loved you to the moon and back again.

Please let me know if I need to tweak any of the assumptions I’ve made here (namely that they’re still hanging out together in NWF). Also, this can be a single round or even a read only if that’s what works best, since I know there have been a ton of tags and threads flying around!

She wasn’t ready, but it was time to go home. Towhee briefly entertained the idea of staying behind and asking @Killdeer to keep her company for a few more days. She knew he would do it. But her grandson had more important things to do and she really couldn’t stand the thought of being apart from @Maxim and @Jack Snipe. If they needed to be close to Leona, she would just have to learn to live with her little girl’s ghost.

Pearly winter sunlight pierced through the bare treetops as Towhee gathered together with her husband, son and grandson. This place had provided them a peaceful refuge for the past couple days. Leaving it wasn’t the hard part. Going back to the haunted vale was what stole the breath from Towhee’s lungs this morning as they trudged eastward toward the river gorge and the mountains beyond.

maxim found it was better to not be alone. so he clung to towhee and when she needed space or wandered, he searched for his son. maybe even convinced killdeer to track with him! as if it might keep at bay the brunt of his emotions.

but they must return at some point.

to the vale, to the grave, to a silent little slice of the mountains. that felt so horribly shrouded in mourning now.

epoch had seemingly been paradise. now it was punched again and again by forces beyond.

he moved to ruffle a nose at towhee's fur. to inhale her scent and ground himself for the journey home. a soft sound was sent out for jack to keep close.

-I'll drop you off at the Vale and head back to Mereo,- he promised before they began their journey. He now walked alongside Towhee, letting Maxim cling closest but still remaining well within range of the two.

His attention mostly lingered on corralling Jack and bringing him back home.

He'd never lost a sibling. He'd never had a sibling. He imagined it would feel something like finding Caracal dead, and the thought of it pierced him to his core.

Killdeer marched on, silent and stalwart, swallowing his own emotions whole.