She ran. From what? Well, she was not entirely sure, however, the roots of her problems had been so perfectly obvious. She had ran from denial. She had run from the rejection she was so scared to face. She needed family more than anything in the world; and yet in refusing to be abandoned by them; had she not abandoned her own? Through and through the girl was supposed to be Adravendi. A name that was synonymous with everything strong and powerful, and above all else, loyal. She had turned from those very values. Perhaps, that was how she was alike her mother. That was what tied her to Alice. Alice had left their father when it seemed as though the world needed her most and when he needed her most. Starlite had needed a Queen--and a good one (according to her word) she was, admittedly, though; she had abandoned her people. Still, She had done a splendid job raising her and her brothers. They were a close knit group and they were incredibly intelligent and had a firm grasp on their ideals. Perhaps, though, they were too involved with their lives. Vriel, for example, had not done the typical thing and sought love outside of her familial affection. Nor had her brothers found themselves partners they were ever fond of. Vriel had never had a desire of children or a husband. This was, she felt, related to the fear that she might run from them when they needed her. Maybe now she knew that harboring that fear had been appropriate. She had done just that to her brothers. Though, if she were correct she was not the only one of the three that had ran off somewhere.

As she stood on the valhallan borders she could smell only one and that were Valerius. He was likely the most bold of all of them. He had turned to face that world all on his own. Something Vriel could and had not managed to do even with two of the strongest men she had ever met at her side. She was a warrior at heart and a well trained mercenary; yet it seemed at the sight of love she were a coward. A sigh rumbled free of her lips, but she knew how close to Valerius she was. She knew that if she could just call to him...that if she could just get him to hear her...he would come and she would be able to bask in her brother's touch and his love and hopefully make him understand why she had fled from him so quickly. Never again did she want this world to keep her separate from what was so good for her. Never again could she look at herself if she abandoned them again. Would Cairo have ever done that to those he loved so?

A chilling summons leaked from her inky lips and a look of desolation crossed her delicate features. This was all so wrong now. She had never meant to hurt them or cause them distress in any way, and yet she felt as though; at the least, they would feel a sense of betrayal. Had Valerius told them that they were their family? Had they accepted that as the truth or had they shunned them? If they were the family oriented men and women and children they were thought to be perhaps she was throwing herself into the perfect set of arms. Arms that would make her realize her own true strength. Still, like a mantra she would whisper the same line again and again. She vied for some great strength to come from it and only when she could see her brother would she relent, "Please...don't hate me,"

He had been in Valhalla for over a season now, and had resigned to say that it was his home. Home, however, it would truly never be- until he found Vriel and Vaziel again. Without them, he felt lost- even though he was actually meeting other wolves, and slowly getting to know the rest of his family. He chuckled to himself, as he patrolled along the border, wondering what Vriel and Vaziel would think of the rather large, Adravendi family, and what they would say and feel when they discovered that Cairo, the father they had searched for had passed. He hoped that he'd be the one to tell them, but gods, did he not want that responsibility. He took a deep breath, releasing it in a sigh, when he realized that he recognized a scent in the breeze. Vriel.

His ears flattened against his head for a moment, before pricking in interest. It was faint, but it was most certainly her. Feelings washed over him, relief, happiness and small bit of anger. Where in the hell had she been? He had been worried sick about her, and why wasn't Vaziel with her?! He lunged forward, his long legs pulling him into a lope towards the source of the smell. Any anger he felt, was washed away the moment his cerulean blue eyes landed on her familiar form. He didn't slow his pace until he was nearly face to face with her, and at her words- her plea that he would not hate her. Stepping over the border, he closed in on her, his muzzle extending to kiss the side of her face, his body turning to press against hers. "I could never hate you, Vriel." He murmured, his baritone voice soft, relishing in a pure display of affection. "You're alive. You're here." He whispered, pulling away from her to look at her- making sure that she was in one piece.

Once she had satisfied his inspection, his eyes trailed back to seek her own. "You made it to Valhalla!" He said with a smile, his tail wagging gently in the air behind him. He still wasn't gifted with knowing what to say in every situation, but this seemed to fit, at the very least it was all he could think to say. She was home, she was safe- and part of his family was back.

Erani Adravendi

The call made her fur rise with an odd prickle. She rose from her nap with a start, deep blue gaze puzzled. The song was familiar, and yet completely different. And yet, she knew who it was. So she pulled herself to her paws and took off at a long lope, wind pushing against her fur as she made her way through her territory. It didn?t take her long to find the source. It was like being hit in the chest with a boulder. She looks just like you? And so the female did look just like the male who had sired her. Smaller, more effeminate, but unmistakably Cairo?s blood. Erani hung back, surveying the female quietly, as Valerius arrived, greeting her warmly. Vriel. Finally, Erani forced herself to move forward. ?And your arrival has been long awaited.? And too late to see the father they had never met in the flesh. Her low velvet toned voice was faintly husky as she looked over the daughter of Cairo. The resemblance was uncanny, as though a goddess had taken Cairo?s very essence and molded it into a younger, feminine form. There were hints of Alice here and there, yes; she had sometimes glimpsed Alice when she had first come to the pack, what seemed like years and years ago, back when Valhalla had been Starlite. But the tiny details paled in comparison to the stamp Cairo had made. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think