Morning had come in Ethne and it was colder than the woman would have liked. She had been keeping on her cloak, partially for warmth, and with a yawn she slipped out past the waterfall. It was chilly, and with the clouds threatening to bring more rain it likely wouldn’t warm up much more than it already was. The woman had been tempted to spend the day in her den, curled up and sleeping, but now that she was home she wanted to check on her loved ones. Hay was doing well, but what of her other children? They had all done so much growing without her… and though they were now the age to be considered as adults Bellamy would always look at them as her babies.

She knew that Dorian had made his den out by Cattail Creek, surrounded by trees and foliage and a much gentler flow of water. At one point in time Lucy and Bae-Syl had denned out here too. Though that had been more for safety as Bae adjusted to pack life. She was glad she had given him that chance. It was funny… the two of them weren’t too different. And he made her daughter happy. What more could she ask for? But today wasn’t about them. It was about her sandy colored son, and hopefully spending some time talking to him and seeing how he’d been managing.

A soft call came for her son. She might not have known exactly where his den was, but she knew her little Dori would hear her.

"Speech," 'Thought.'

Laying on the plush furs he had piled into a modest bed for himself within his den, he had his head laying across one foreleg while his other paw lightly brushed across the surface of the fur just for the sake of having something to fiddle with as he continued to lay sleepless in his bed. A good, deep sleep was a foreign concept to him at this point, though it had gotten slightly easier since he moved further away from the falls. The roaring of the falls had been replaced with the softer, gentle trickle of the stream and that was usually enough to lull him into a fitful sleep most nights. Last night had been a particularly rough one with dreams constantly pulling him back awake just as he was beginning to drift back to sleep. The only solace he had was that the herbs in the garden had all but gone dormant for the winter so his only real task today was a patrol sometime later in the day so for now he could rest and try to get a couple more hours of sleep in before then.

However, a nearby call from his mother interrupted that plan, making him lift his emerald gaze up toward the dimmed sunlight outside. Despite his exhaustion he couldn't deny his mother so he lifted himself to his paws and after a quick shake to smooth out his fur he stepped outside to greet her. He found her a short distance away in her distinctive cloak and he gave her a smile as he walked over to her, pressing his nose to her cheek affectionately. He realized in that moment that he now matched her in height, the thought catching him off guard a bit. He remembered a time when she had seemed impossibly tall and now he could easily look her in the eye. "Hi, Mom," he said as he sat back on his haunches beside her, giving her a curious look. "Did you need something?"

"Dorian Kedieo"

There was something serene about the land of the creek, Bellamy thought as she let her gaze slide toward the water. How long had it been since she had enjoyed a landscape just for the sake of taking in natural beauty? A thoughtful frown crossed her face. Gavroche had always been good at getting her to pay attention to such things. To let her guard down and appreciate simpler things. Her green gaze softened, ears twitching as she heard the pawsteps of her approaching son. No longer so little, he rivalred her in height. But no matter how old the sandy colored wolf became, he would always be her baby. Dorian pressed his nose to her cheek and Bellamy would lightly lean into the touch, a warm smile finding its way to her lips.

He looked tired, as if she had caught him before he had managed to get any sleep. Yet still he had come to her, asking if she needed anything. The woman shook her head, speaking in a calm tone. “I wouldn’t say I need anything, Dori.” She let her gaze sweep over him. How long had he been out here? Isolating… wasn’t healthy. She had learned that the hard way. “...But I was hoping I might be able to share in your company for a while. It has been so long since we had some time together, just mother and son.” Her smile faltered a little. “Although if you need sleep first, you should rest.”

"Speech," 'Thought.'

Dorian gave a little nod when his mother told him that she didn't need anything in particular and allowed himself to fully settle back into his haunches. It wasn't as if he assumed his mother would only come to him if she needed something from him, but more often than not these days the only reason he was called for or someone came to him was tend to some injury or help someone in peril. It was a rare thing to have someone seek him out just to visit. She confirmed that thought, adding that she just wanted to share in his company since it had been a while since they had done so. That was certainly true–at the very least he hadn't been one on one with her since before she was swept away to the Hallows to get help. There was still a slightly bitter taste in his mouth about all of that–not because he wasn't grateful to the Hallows for being able to help his mother, but because his whole purpose behind learning what he had about healing and herbs was to help his family and if he couldn't help his mother when she needed it most then what was the point?

He shoved the thought away quickly and his gaze refocused on hers as she insisted that he should get some sleep if he needed it instead of spending time with her. He gave a little shake of his head as he replied, "I'm fine, I'd rather spend time with you." It wasn't as if he was really getting any sleep regardless. At least this way his time felt valuable instead of wasted laying in his den staring at the wall. He leaned gently into her shoulder as he asked, "How are you feeling?" He hadn't had a chance to really check in on her since she returned and it was far easier to focus on her than to try and talk about himself. "I'm glad you're back," he added with a little smile. He of course wanted her to take as much time as she needed to recuperate, but there had been a notable emptiness in her absence. He already had one parent that he couldn't get back, he wasn't ready to lose another just yet.

"Dorian Kedieo"

Bellamy worried for him. Adult or not, Dorian was her child, and she would fuss over him and his well being. But he denied the need for sleep, a little shake of his head as he insisted that he would rather spend time with her. That made Bells happy, her heart warming at knowing her little one wanted to spend time with her just like she wanted to spend time with her. He would lean into her shoulder and Bellamy gave a gentle nuzzle to his forehead. Divinities above, he rivaled her size now. He had gotten so big, and like all of her children had needed to grow up faster and harder than she would have wanted. He asked her how she was feeling, also adding that he was glad she was back.

“I’m glad to be back. I hated being away from you and your siblings… Even as I mourned, I mourned for being absent from you guys too. I missed you all terribly.” The woman was bound to her children, and her heart was here in Ethne. She had founded the pack, but her loved ones made it up. They were the true life of Ethne for her, and she smiled, drawing back and giving him a little space once more. “Better than when I had left. I… though I spoke to the wolves of the Hallows, I don’t think true healing began until I started speaking with a dear friend, and when I met Little Gav there.” She had been grateful for their kindness and aid, but the ones who had truly helped with her mind had been Acere and Gavroche.

“I wish you could have met Acere. He was a great man, the sort of leader that I had only thought was real in stories, after how I lived my childhood. He was a big inspiration for me founding Ethne.” The woman explained softly. “I’ve been meeting with him, somewhere between the world of the living and the world of the stars where souls are watched over by the Divinities. In my dreams, we met, and he offered comfort. He knew your father too.” The woman explained. She grinned, tail wagging back and forth.

“Your father was lucky, it takes a very special soul to be reincarnated the way he had. But for the rest of us, never forget there is a place for us among the stars. A place of warmth and light, and, if I have anything to say about it, it will look just as Ethne does now, a perfect paradise for all of us, when the time comes. For now though,” The woman rose, moving before her son and dropping down into a play bow. “I’m not planning on kicking the bucket any time soon, and you’re going to help keep me feeling youthful. Come on Dori, how about a race to the end of the creek? Are you up for it?”

"Speech," 'Thought.'