He stood when she did, staying close to steady her - hope running wild in him only to crash when she did at their father’s hooves. Looking to d’Artagnan, Mesec sought comfort that perhaps that she had stood was a good sign, that she was strong enough to live through this, but there was no hope in the doctor. There was nothing but pain as he gazed at his oldest daughter. So Mesec stood where he was, opposite to where d'Artagnan stood with Aviya between them, and watched helplessly as a unicorn mare came and tried to use magic to undo the wounds. He prayed to his mother that she might return and help, spare his sister from this.

Although Aviya’s panic seemed to fade, maybe even her pain, no magic or prayers could bring her back.

Dropping his head, Mesec closed his eyes - he did not have the strength to watch the scene between father and daughter. Their family had already lost Kou and now Aviya was following her. He could not imagine what this was doing to d’Artagnan.Mesec felt like an outsider in the family even here, when his sister was dying. Should he even be here? Did he have the right to mourn her when they had not spoken since they were young?

His name snapped him out of it and he opened his eyes to look at her, heart breaking as their glossy eyes met. When she spoke to him, he stubbornly shook his head at first - tears scattering with the movement. “Avi-ya.” His voice cracked with her name and he couldn’t say anything else to refuse or argue with her. Of course he would accept this last gift from her, though he did not understand why she was giving it to him. Why had she stepped in front of him and tried to protect him?

Aramis' howl sent chills through him but the words spoken were distant. Like his father, Mesec did not yet have the strength to move. He stayed where he was not worrying about the tears that came, or the uncomfortable way his chest shook when he breathed. He could not fathom what had just occurred how could he even consider what to do next? His only movement had been to gingerly take the wolf’s tooth but now he was just staring at it with unfocused, blurry eyes as he tried to convince himself that this wasn’t real. She couldn’t be dead.