AARYN

As they were walking out, still receiving greetings and calls from the people as they passed, Aaryn kept his eyes open until he found the disformed he was looking for.

At a table near the back, a group of males had clustered around a circular table and were clapping and jeering at him, winking when he looked at them.

Within them were two other Lupine disformed, and when their eyes met, he formed the mind-link with them—something he struggled to do with normal wolves unless they were very physically close. Though he suspected that had more to do with their reluctance to link with him, than any inability to do so.

Tell everyone: Watch our backs over these days, he sent to them both. Watch the disformed for impatience, and the others for dissension while she is out of the City. Let me know even while we're gone if you sense anything serious.

They both nodded, then glanced at each other. Aaryn was confident of both of them. They were steady males, too young for leadership yet, but eager to please and hard workers. They would spread the word discreetly and call for him if there were any serious problems.

As he and Elreth finally made their way out of the Market and onto the trails in the city, he considered the mind link and his difficulties with the tribe. He wondered if his new status would affect his experiences there? It would be interesting to see. It would certainly be useful as an Alpha to be able to communicate with some of his people without being nearby.

He made a mental note to start experimenting when he returned.

"Let's go see if you're Mom's okay," Elreth said, taking his hand as they started down the trail.

Aaryn took a deep breath. He was nervous, he realized. Not that his mother would be unhappy about Elreth. But just that she might be in bad shape, hating herself because she'd been unable to be there the night before.

He prayed she would forgive herself—he'd already forgiven her—as they pushed the door into the Tree open and stepped inside. "Mom?" he called.

There was no sign of anyone on the ground floor. While Elreth closed the door behind them he headed for the stairs, expecting Eadhye to meet him as he climbed them. But she didn't. He reached the upper level and knocked on his mother's bedroom door… but she wasn't in there, either. The room remained dark, the bedclothes crumpled as if she'd crawled out without intending to stay away. Aaryn frowned.

A quick check of the other rooms, Elreth following him with a slight frown, didn't yield any clues about where his mother was, or where Eadhye had gone.

They trotted back downstairs and he searched for any note… was it possible they'd gone to the market and he'd somehow missed them?

No. There was no way his mother would go to the market this morning when she hadn't made it to the ceremony the night before.

He stopped in the kitchen when he realized he was considering searching the drawers for notes and turned to Elreth.

She tipped her head then came to put her arms around his waist. "Why don't you stay here and I'll circle around a little and see if anyone's seen them?"

"You'll get stuck talking to people," he growled.

She shrugged. "I'll have you as an excuse to be in a hurry. No one will blame me for wanting to be near my mate today," she winked.

He didn't like it, but he agreed that it would be better not to leave in case she returned, so he kissed Elreth quickly and sent her off, warning her not to be long. If they couldn't find her in the next few minutes… well, she should just come back.

El nodded, then hurried out the door while Aaryn paced the living room.

If she hadn't made it to the ceremony, she wasn't going to be in any shape to be social today, so what would have taken her out of the house?

Then he remembered, she'd often been walking in the mornings. He breathed a little easier then. Eadhye likely went with her. They were probably discussing the night before, unaware that Aaryn was planning to visit…

He sighed and sagged into a chair then. That was all, she was walking.

When Elreth returned fifteen minutes later and no one had seen them, Aaryn just pulled her into a hug. "It's okay, let's go. I think she's walking. It's how she processes. She might… she might need some time. She'll be feeling like she failed. She'd got Eadhye with her. And… I think we shouldn't let this stop us, El. Maybe it will be good for her to have a couple days, to recover and rethink. Eadhye told me sometimes having to answer for stuff will just make her worse. So maybe this is just the Creator's way of giving her a break?"

Elreth squeezed him tightly. "I think that's a really good way to look at it."

"I'll leave her a note about where we are and what we're doing, and we can come visit when we're back, okay?"

"Good idea."

So, still sad, but his guts no longer twisting, Aaryn scribbled a note to tell his mother that all was well and she wasn't to worry, that they would be gone, but would return in three days to see her and share memories. She was to rest until then. He thanked Eadhye for all her help, then signed off, took Elreth's hand and led her out of the Tree.

Taking a deep breath as they stepped onto the trail—taking the back route out of town so they could connect with the trail where their bags were without having to walk back past the market—Aaryn's heart felt lighter. This was a good thing. He and Elreth would take their time, then he could give all his attention to his mother when he returned.

"Let's do this," he said with a grin and Elreth smiled back, swinging their arms as they walked the ways she had when she was still small.