The pieces of my heart shattered into a thousand shards when he brushed past me with little regard, pissing over the closest of my scent markers before moving into my pack lands and taking them for himself. The failure was overwhelming, and I was consumed with memories of when MoonGlow had crossed back into the lowlands of Spirane in the aftermath of her own defeat. She had died trying to keep the pack that she had founded in the soils that had once belonged to her mother. I should have fought harder, should have ripped his pathetic throat out rather than trying to force his submission. I would never make such a mistake again, and deep mahogany eyes cast a look up at the peaks that I had reigned over for five beautiful years. My bleeding snout inclined towards the heavens, releasing a long, mournful call to my pack. I knew that some would stay, but many more would leave. Whether they followed me or made their own way was up to them.

Swallowing hard against the devastation that I felt, I turned away from Spirane. I trusted Taliesin to round up my youngest daughters, knowing that Jericho was probably well on his way to me now. My ears flickered at the distant sound of Roman's call, summoning my pack to him. It made my stomach roil with fury that burned beneath the heartbreak. Slowly I walked towards the southern edge of the valley upon three legs, until finally I reached the river that ran south towards Ruieze Lake. Here I stopped, lowering my hindquarters to the earth as I bent and submerged my snout in the cold water, flinching at the aching sensation from the cuts there. After a moment I withdrew my snout, then lapped at the refreshing liquid. Here, I waited for Jericho, carefully looking over the injury to my hind leg. It still bled, but slowly now. My other injuries had already clotted and were beginning to scab. At the sound of paw steps behind me I lifted my head, glancing around to see the formidable form of Jericho. I could only imagine how hard it would have been for him to restrain from tearing Roman limb from limb, and he could have done it with ease. I buried my head in the soft plush of his chest. "I'm sorry," I said, my voice breaking.

I rested there for a time, letting the steady beat of his heart reassure me that all was not lost. I still had him, I still had my family, even if this would break us and scatter us across Moladion. Someday we would be reunited atop the crowing peaks of Spirane that were ours by birthright. None but Boneclaw's blood had ever successfully ruled the treacherous landscape, and I knew that Roman would be no different from the others. Today was not the last he would see of me. I would come back for what was mine with blood and fire and he would feel the true wrath of the mountainborn. But today I needed to rest, needed to heal. Finally I bumped my nose softly against Jericho's chest, signaling that I was ready to go. I looked back towards Spirane, waiting for any other wolf who might have wished to travel with us.

Rising to my paws I could already feel the stiffness setting into my injured leg, while the bruising over my shoulder throbbed with aching. With Jericho at my side, we began the slow progression across Moladion, passing through the fields that bordered Ruieze Lake and making our way steadily towards Diveen's borders. It seemed like so long ago that Isola and her pack had sought the protection of the mountain. Now I came to her borders seeking the same from her son.

As we grew closer I looked for Taliesin and the girls that I knew would be with him. As soon as I caught sight of his blazing pelt my step quickened, eager to be with him and my daughters. Limping forward, I pressed my uninjured shoulder to his and gave him a meaningful look. In my loss I could not have ascended the mountain to retrieve my children; it had never been a question of if Taliesin would do so, just how quickly. I saw a familiar anger burning deep in his eyes. "Thank you, brother, " I said softly to him, apologies laced deep within my words. But I knew I had to be strong for the girls as I turned my attention to them. I licked Kalseru on the cheek, for she had grown too tall for me to lick between her ears as I once would have. A tired smile pulled at my lips before my attention moved to Visenya, Nymeria, and Sansa. "Did your uncle show you anything cool along the way?" I asked, despite knowing that Taliesin had probably bustled the girls across the border and straight to Diveen as fast as their young legs could carry them. But I wanted to distract them from the loss that surely ached within them, the fear of what would happen next, and of course from the injuries that littered my body.

I lifted my gaze after a moment, glancing around and past Kalseru before my eyes returned to her. "Where are your brothers?" Some part of me knew they would not come here immediately, but I still wondered after the welfare of my boys. Nearing adulthood they were perfectly capable of fending for themselves, but a mother never ceases worrying for her pups - for no matter how big they grew they would always be my children.