Deathbelle walked slowly over the unfamiliar territory, her pace hesitant as she hadn’t fully convinced herself to make the journey. Bright lavender eyes beheld the volcano and how much it had changed after the eruption and the year of turmoil afterwards. The place where she lost her husband was completely changed. A crater enveloped the once proud side of the mountain and as Deathbelle came to a halt at the rim she lost her breath. For a long time she tried to forget about Archon and how much she meant to her, how much his loss changed her and her life. How much of her heart she had given to him.

Tears welled up in her eyes as the loss was felt brand new. So much changed since she’d been forced to say goodbye. She’d been through so much. Soon their children would be of age, and again Deathbelle was obsessed with the question of when her heir should take the throne.

Why was she here? Who knew? Sometimes the girl just wanted to wander. Now that she was on the cusp of being a year old, she could do whatever she wanted, couldn't she? The girl had filled out nicely. She'd lost the majority of her baby fat which suited her just fine. She was lighter on her paws this way. She'd never be tall or skinny, but she was getting to be rather shapely. If you were into that sort of thing.

With Ashur at her side and Pip clinging to the leopards fur, the trio had gone a'wandering. Funny that she should meet someone that she knew up here on top of a dormant volcano. It wasn't her first trip here. The girl had snuck here with Bast ages ago despite being told not to leave pack lands. Oops.

"Aunt Deathbelle?" The girl questioned softly as she drew near to the speckled woman. She could tell that she was crying, but she didn't know why. She did know that she rather liked her unofficial aunt and she didn't want her to be sad. Asla seated herself beside the older wolf. A silent presence. She would talk if she wished.

Deathbelle took in a deep breath as her gaze looked over the volcano, the last place she had seen her husband alive. The thought of him still lived strongly within her, but with each passing day it seemed like he was farther and farther away. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she mourned the time they had together, how unprepared she had been to fall in love with him. How safe she had felt in his strong arms…

The sound of paw steps pulled her from her visions violently as she whipped her head around to see Aslatiel walking towards her. The Empress relaxed her shoulders as the girl questioned her lightly before sitting beside her. Belle smiled softly, unable to ignore the storm of emotions inside.

”Hello, Aslatiel.” Wasn’t she a bit far from home? She was almost a yearling now, capable enough to care for herself. especially with her companions along. ”What brings you all the way out here?” She asked curiously instead of accusingly. ”Everything still looks so.. desolate.” She didn’t know what she had expected, maybe a miracle? That she would return here and find Archon waiting for her to take her away to the fairy tale ending she had been expecting.

A tear ran down the older wolfs speckled cheek and, without even thinking that it might bother her, Asla raised one dainty paw to brush it away. She listened to the woman speak and as she asked what brought her to the volcano, Asla gave a little shrug. "I like places like this." She looked towards the mouth of the volcano. "They remind me of how good things are in our world." The volcano had ravaged the land. It had taken countless lives. Yet now Ashen and the Armada were thriving. Wolves were having children. No one was sick. Everyone was fed. Things were good.

Deathbelle spoke of the land looking so desolate and the girl flashed a soft smile. "Aunt Io tells me that the land is just asleep. It's resting after being hurt, but soon it will come back to life." She believed every word that came out of Iolaire's mouth. "She's pretty smart, you know?"

Stretching, Asla slid down to lay upon her stomach. "Why are you so sad? Did something happen?" She gave her head a tilt, purple gaze fixing upon the Empress.

Aslatiel reaching up and wiping away her tear was unexpected, but sweet. Deathbelle felt herself smile lightly as the girl went on to explain Iolaire’s view on the aftermath of the volcanoe. Belle loved the dainty little healer, ”She is very smart. You should always listen to her.” She chuckled softly despite the dark mood. Sirius’s young daughter stretched herself out and looked up at her, questioning her sadness. Deathbelle wondered how much about the volcano’s eruption that Asla knew about. Not much it seemed.

”This is where my husband died.” Deathbelle spoke simply, still feeling her heart clench tight at his memory. He wasn’t her first love, but it had been real. She felt like her soul had been bonded to his, and when he’d died… She shut her eyes tightly, willing away the overwhelming emotion. Another sigh left her lips as she released the air and some of the sadness that strangled her.