Elann’s need to help others was unfortunate to Noah. He wasn’t so selfish to not want to aid others, like Aimee, but the degree in which Elann did so seemed excessive. To him, it would’ve been more than fine to reside in the company of one another because of what they had witnessed and been through in the raid, and no amount of time in her lingering would satisfy the want within him. Dragged, he went with her to Emery and Alena’s family. Elann had protected them, and so they were okay. Alena was being held by her mother and Emery was assessing all that happened.

Noah all but ignored Emery and his wife, meeting Alena’s eyes as she looked up from her mother’s chest to see the approaching trio. Aimee showed her a smile and checked in with Emery’s wife, Helena, as Alena was set down. The girl came to Noah and hugged him around the legs. He rest a hand on her shoulder and the other on the back of her head, the strands of her hair felt under his burnt palm. There was relief in him to see her alive and a small sense of joy in having her see him walk as he had promised she would see. Like Aimee, Noah ventured to Helena. Alena held both his and her mother’s hands while the male was just looking around as the guards prepared to move again. Aimee talked quietly with Helena while Elann and Emery went about to tend to the grieving, fearful, and wounded. Those who had died were to be cremated, and the guards were going to tend to that.

The chimes ticked by and Noah didn’t stay at Elann’s side. The swelling emotion in his bondmate for all the people wronged by the raid was channeling down their bond and was approaching heights of threatening whelming. Since he was not near her, he could not ask her to close off her end. It was clear what Elann’s priority was, annoyingly enough, but Alena drew his mind away from his bondmate’s actions. As if in shock, she brought attention to his walking and asked how he felt. He answered earnestly, saying he was sad but he felt better. He turned the questions on her, asking how she felt in return. Their conversation went on aimlessly until the fires of those to be cremated were lit and the wagons were being reloaded. In that time, he was waiting for Elann to return.