Rhydian and Bryn made it back to their pack early the next morning having walked most of the night.
The pack was a lot quieter than Rhydian remembered and looked around as Bryn hurried to their mother's tent.
"What are you doing here outsider?" A voice called from behind him a growl on his voice.
Rhydian smiled softly as he held his hands up turning around slowly. "I know I've been gone for a while, but I don't think it's been that long."
The redhead looked at him for a moment before her eyes widened. "Rhydian?!" She called jumping down from the tree she was in.
"Hello Jana." He said smiling as he set his backpack down next to him. "It's been a while."
She smiled as she rushed over and hugged him close. He smiled and hugged her back spinning her around. "You smell like them." She said as she pulled back.
"Like whom?" He asked raising an eyebrow as he looked at her.
"The tame Wolfblood's." She said her lip lifting slightly as she held back a sneer.
"I'd be surprised if I didn't considering I've been with them for the last three months." He said chuckling softly. "It's good to see you again Jana. I've missed you."
"We've missed you too. Though I wish you hadn't come back. At least not right now."
"What do you mean?" He asked furrowing his brows as there was a noise from his mother's tent.
"Rhydian what do you think you're doing here?" His mother called from where she was leaning against a tree.
"Mum." He said as he walked over towards her. "What are you doing up? You should be resting. Bryn told me what happened."
"Don't worry about me now I'll be fine." She said waving him off. "You have to go back."
"What? Why? I thought the elders sent for me." he said as he looked too his brother who was looking down at his feet sheepishly.
"Bryn. I told you not to go after him." Ceri said as she turned to look at her youngest. "He shouldn't have bothered you Rhydian."
"Mum. It's okay really. Let's get you back in bed and you can tell me what's going on." He said as he gently guided her back into the tent.
Jana carried his things in as well as he got her laid down getting her some water. "What's going on?"
"I don't know. It started a few days ago. Nothing had changed but, me and two of the elders had started feeling sick."
"It's only affected the three of you so far?" He asked as he sat on the bed next to her.
She nodded and sighed as she closed her eyes. "At first it wasn't that big a deal. I started getting cramps and didn't think anything of it."
He nodded along as Jana stood near the opening. "Soon after Creel got sick. He started throwing up." She said walking over to them.
"Davina was next." Ceri said letting out a breath as she leaned back.
"Here, lay down." Rhydian said as he sat up and helped her lay back.
She nodded as she laid back down coughing slightly. She looked up at him and smiled softly. "Thank you for coming my boy."
He looked at her and smiled softly. "Of course, mum." He said as he held her hand. "We'll figure out what's going on."
She smiled at him as she let out a shaky breath. "Thank you. I'm sure we'll be fine but don't let us get in the way of what you want."
"I won't." he said kissing her hand. "Get some rest I'll talk to you later."
She smiled at him weakly and nodded as she let her eyes drift shut.
Rhydian smiled softly as he looked to Bryn. "Come on." He said gently guiding him out of the tent.
"Are you mad?" he asked looking up at him as they walked out.
"Mad? Of course not. You did what you thought you had to do. I'm glad you came to get me." he said smiling at him. "Now go hang out with the other kids and we'll talk later."
Bryn looked at him for a moment and smiled softly before heading off.
Jana looked after him and hummed as she walked with Rhydian. "Before we go into everything about the sick how is she?"
"Who Maddy?" He asked raising an eyebrow as he looked at her.
"Of course. You've been wooing her for the last three months." She said nudging him gently. "I want to know what she's like. Are the two of you getting along?"
"Yeah, I suppose you can say we're getting along. She's got two friends Tom and Shannon. They're her best friends. A few days after I got there, she told them about being a Wolfblood."
"They're humans?" She asked a little surprised at that.
He nodded as he looked around the camp. "They are. But they're rather nice. Accepted me with little issues. Though there are a few that aren't the best. Though that goes for both us and humans."
She nodded as she looked at him. "You look happy. Happier than I think I've ever seen you." She said smiling.
"With them, I feel like I belong. Not that I don't belong here. It just feels different." He said sighing. "That probably doesn't make sense."
"No, no. I think it does." She said nodding. "While this is your home, and you will always have a place here you have a new place in your own pack away from here."
He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Okay, who are you and when did you become so wise?"
She chuckled and shook her head. "You know as well as I that I'm to take over the pack when father steps down."
"I know but this is a side of you I didn't know. But you will be a great alpha." He said as he squeezed her hand.
She smiled as she hummed. "You know I just thought Bryn went after our hunting party. That's where dad is currently."
"That sounds like him. Though I figured he wanted me to come home anyway." He as he took a deep breath. "I might bring Maddy out here to visit some time."
"I think we'd like to meet her." Jana said as there was a scream.
"That sounds like Camden." Rhydian said as they took off towards the far end of the camp.
"What's going on?" Jana asked as they knelt beside Camden who had his arms wrapped around his middle.
"I-I…I don't know." He said squeezing his eyes shut as he curled in on himself.
"It's okay." Rhydian said running a hand over the boys arm. "I know it hurts but I need you to lie on your back."
The boy groaned as he slowly rolled over with Jana's help.
"Okay, now where does it hurt specifically?" Rhydian asked as he gently pressed around his stomach.
"My stomach." He groaned as he tried to take a few deep breaths. "It's been hurting all morning."
"Okay." He said nodding as he looked at him. "What have you had to eat today?"
"Just some little snacks we had from our trip into town a while back." He said through clenched teeth.
"Okay, well nothings stuck which is good." He said as he looked at Jana. "Let's get him to his tent and make sure he has some water and a bucket."
Jana nodded as she looked to those that gathered around and ordered them to get what they would need. "You know I always did say you had the best chance of being a healer."
"I still don't know what's going on." He said as he helped Camden up as they took him to his tent.
"We should probably talk to the other's that were affected before now. See if we can figure out what they all have in common." She said as they walked out.
Rhydian nodded and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, we'll go see Davina and Creel next." He said letting out a breath as he headed towards their tents.