Maija Artenie carried herself at a brisk trot toward Solstice, thinking only of Sibelle. Her sister had been given back to her home, but any scarring that had been done was what she worried about. Sibelle didn't deserve everything that had been thrown her way, but it made the woman stronger and a survivor. The closer she got to Solstice, the more proud Maija was of her sister. Arcanum was a tough place to live, and being a prisoner who survived it deserved a medal. Alongside Maija, the familiar frame of Cezar jogged on short legs and large paws. He didn't like going as fast as he was then, but he didn't complain to his mistress. Instead, he dealt with it and continued to carry on beside her long, golden legs. His beady eyes looked out for anyone unfamiliar whom wanted to strike at her, silently licking his teeth beneath pursed lips. Maija's pace began to slow and he silently felt relief. Nevertheless, he continued to remain on guard. Maija slowly stepped over the invisible border, pace remaining slightly less brisk as she walked through the unfamiliar set of trees. Even though she had visited Sibelle in the forest before, she hadn't memorized them before leaving. Her mind had been boggy due to her hormone levels because of her pregnancy. Traces of her recent birthing remained -- the smell of fresh milk, puppy kisses and Neo's slightly fading scent -- but her mind was as sharp as ever. She walked with silent footsteps, carefully stepping around the shallow streams that ran along the numerous trunks. Leaf-green eyes slowly searched the many shadows that seemed to creep out from the darkness, but she lowly growled instead and continued to listen out for anything noted from Cezar. They worked together and Maija's nose quivered as she tried to find Sibelle's scent. speech here

Life in his sister's pack was...nice. It wasn't exactly the life of leisure, but at least he wasn't fighting for scraps like he had been for the past few months. He'd been spending time with her, just patrolling the borders like he'd been doing since he got to alacritis, trying to adjust to living in a pack again. It had been quite some time since he was just a regular pack member with no real responsibilities. On one hand it was nice to be able to just lounge around and do nothing with his ridiculous amount of free time, but he had been a warrior at one point in time. Fighting, patrolling, protecting had been the name of the game. He couldn't do any of that anymore. His lack of vision made him basically completely useless. Perhaps there was a way for him to learn how to fight blind, but he had yet to find someone to teach him. The next time he went to visit his mother he would inquire to see if she knew of anyone that could teach him. Being useless was not something that Taurig was content to be for the rest of his days. Sibelle had been busying herself with pack affairs and of course her children, those of which he had yet to meet, so the titan had been making himself scarce, trying to stay out of her way without making it seem like he was going to completely disappear again. He made it a point to check in with her every night to let her know that he was still very much here to stay. He wasn't sure if she needed it, but it made him feel better to have her know. Tonight was just like the other nights since he'd arrived in Sibelle's lands. Quiet. Well the forest around him was quiet for the most part; his mind was another story. Thoughts of Maija plagued his every waking moment and he couldn't find a way to turn them off. How could he when he loved this woman more than his next breath? Not that he deserved her any longer. The heavens only knew that she deserved someone better than him, who had abandoned her twice already. But just because he wasn't worthy of her anymore didn't mean that he would stop loving her; or thinking about her. Sleep was a long ways off for the titan, so a nightly stroll seemed like the perfect way to pass the time. Tonight's particular destination? The border. Old habits seriously did die hard. Sibelle didn't seem like she needed anyone to patrol her borders, since Alacritis seemed to have settled into a relative peaceful time, though how long that would last was hard to tell, but patrolling the border was familiar to him. He'd been doing it for so long, both in the Ice King's pack and with his own, that it had become almost like second nature. Worn paws of charcoal would pull the scarred behemoth through the darkness, sightless eyes seeming to glow beneath the light of the moon as it danced across his pelt. His pace was slow, measured as he moved along, his senses alert to the night. He didn't expect there to be any trouble that night, but one could never to be too cautious. He padded in silence, his paws nearly silent against the earth, tattered ears moving this way and that, listening to the night hum around him. Scarred nostrils quivered every so often, taking in the scents of his new home. His body knew before his mind even registered. His hulking mass came to a complete stop, the organ in his chest thumping painfully against its constraints. A knot rose to his throat, his chest tightening. It couldn't be...Maija. She was here. Now. Coming towards him. All rational thought escaped him, his body having turned to stone. He couldn't move. He could barely breath. Maija was coming towards him and all he could do was stand there like the blind idiot that he was. Hell have mercy on him. "Burn Baby Burn"

Her senses remained on point, higher than usual due to her permanent paranoia. She was not familiar with Solstice's territories like she was with Arcanum's, making each step more unnerving than the next. Tenderly, she would place one paw in the other, weight evenly falling upon perfectly golden pads. Leaf-green eyes continued to remain open for any signs of something...or someone...that could potentially leap out and attack her. That was when it happened. She was only a quarter of a mile away when his scent rose in the breeze. Her eyes widened and she gave a sharp intake of breath. The atmosphere became colder, making her regained breath leave her body in thin, misty puffs. She remained frozen in place, body stiff as a board for the first few minutes. All of her senses screamed at her, telling her that it was just an illusion, just a figment of her imagination; JUST a mere paranoid thought come to life! Her chest slowly rose and fell, trying to keep hold of the rapidly beating heart. It couldn't be... Cezar slowly walked past her, tail twitching behind him as he looked in the direction she was. Maija may have thought it was an illusion, merely because of his scent, but the honey badger saw the man, alive and breathing. His little brow furrowed as he collected the information he could from such a distance. There wasn't much he could get, but what he did get was something Maija didn't want to hear. "Alive," Cezar stated as he retreated to Maija's right side. "Breathing, existent." His words made Maija's heart leap from her chest and fall to the ground. Her stomach fell as well and everything she knew that kept her grounded for all of those months -- her children, her new lover, her newfound home beneath Cat's wing -- fell away with her sense of reality. No...not again...Her body crumpled to the ground in a golden heap, moonlight shining down upon her beautiful form between two tall trees. For however long it was, her world went black. Cezar immediately turned to her and began to nudge her with his large front paws, squeaks coming from his closed lips for her to be aroused. He had never seen his mistress in this kind of state, surely it was all an act! Then again, Maija never played dead for anyone. Speech,

Would hell even have a place for a man like him? That was a good question. Who knew. Maybe there would be a special spot reserved just for him within hell's fires. Or maybe he wouldn't go to hell. Maybe he just be sent into nothing to be forgotten...Wouldn't that be a blessing. He could feel nothing except the thunderous thumping of his heart against his chest and the chill that crept into his bones as the realization that Maija was here sunk in deeper. He hadn't expected to see her, at least, not this soon. He'd been expecting Sibelle to fill him on what his wife had been up to since his departure before he came across her, not run into her before any of that happened. His first instinct was to immediately seek her out, but experience told him otherwise. He had tried that the first time he'd come back and his advances hadn't been exactly welcomed at the very start, so he assumed that's how it was going to be this time as well. Assuming she even stuck around to talk to him that is. The breeze would berate him with her scent, faint at first, but then pungent, telling him that she was very very close to him. Just how close he couldn't tell exactly, but she was at least within hearing distance, or so he assumed. The sound of pawsteps stopping would reach his ears and he felt his heart freeze inside of his chest. Maija. After so long, here she was, right in front of him, only a few paces away. As he stood breathing in her scent, a strange sound caught his attention. Someone was speaking and he knew it wasn't Maija. Alive. Breathing, existent. He tested the air again, finding a strange new scent that he hadn't noticed before. A...honey badger? His wife had a companion now? Well that was certainly...different. He didn't know Maija was fond of having companions. Then again, what did he know about his wife anymore? And then came the sound of a body hitting the ground and Taurig snapped from his frozen state. Maija! he called out, immediately moving in her direction. Something had happened to her. Was she ok? He moved without thinking, needing to get to her side and see if she was alright, completely disregarding the little companion she had with her. He just needed to know that she was alright, his absence and return be damned. He still loved her and cared for her just the same. "Burn Baby Burn"

Cezar's attention upon Maija was unaffected until he felt the change in atmosphere. The ground began to shake beneath his small frame, his mistress's name was called, and a dark blue presence appeared faster than he anticipated. Nevertheless, he smoothly moved in time to not get stomped by the large, charcoal paws that stopped beside Maija's crumpled frame. His own dark paws moved him onto Maija's other side, tail rising and jaws running teeth over each other in anger as he began to get ready to defend his mistress's unconscious form. However, the honey badger didn't have to use any of his honed attacks. Maija's subconscious pushed her back to the light (or darkness) of the real world and her senses began to connect with her brain. A large being, familiar and yet unfamiliar, stood near her and was breathing, talking, and seeming to exist. Her ears picked up on the soft crickets of the woods, the hot respirations by the being. She felt the cold ground beneath her body, keeping her from falling into endless oblivion. She tasted the saliva and faint tint of blood that had come from her biting her tongue. Her nose moved and she smelled his scent...one that she had left behind when she gave up the island. All that was left was her vision...and a part of her was afraid to use it. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, leaf-green pools that shimmered with open confusion. Her vision was blurred, but after blinking a few times, she regained the sight she had missed for only a few minutes. In their sockets, they rolled up to the breathing source in front of her and disbelief fell over her body. Her body's neurons began to work and she felt the ability to move again. Shock rolled over her again and she raised her head to see the face that had haunted her dreams until she met Neo. Ears flattened and she found the ground with her paws beneath her form. He could not be here...he just couldn't! She found the strength to move and when she did, she didn't hesitate to back away. At first, she remained crouched and moved like a crab, but then she sprang up and stood to her full height. Her paws worked like they were on a dance floor and she smoothly retreated from where she had been. "You're not here...YOU'RE NOT HERE!" she screamed, Romanian voice tinged with disbelief, shock, and anger. "You're dead...you left and never came back!" Her chest began to heave, breaths quickly coming in and leaving, all the while taking in his scent and making him more real. "You're only my imagination, it's not true...IT CAN'T BE TRUE!" Her voice wailed in desperation, green eyes began to show tears that threatened to fall. Her heart began to break, the feeling of which hadn't happened since the last time he had left. "Speech"

He was at her side in a few strides, for the moment forgetting that he hadn't seen her in months. He wasn't met with any resistance, the little badger having moved out of his way, allowing Taurig to move up closer to Maija. He inclined his head towards her, cursing himself for not being able to see and see if she was physically okay. He wanted to reach down and touch her, to make sure that she was still breathing, but he had a feeling that if he did the badger was probably going to try and rip his face off. Not that he particularly needed his face, but he had enough scars on it to last him the rest of his life; he didn't need anymore. So instead he just cocked his head to the side, extending his right to listen to her breathing, relief washing over him when he heard her breath rise and fall through her nose. Good, at least she was still breathing. But his relief was short lived. Her breathing quickened in its pace only to be accompanied by the sound of scrabbling paws. Taurig pulled his skull away from Maija, taking a step back to give her some room, ears flattening against his skull as her voice pierced the darkness around him, slicing right through him, just as Sibelle's had when he'd come across her. You're not here...YOU'RE NOT HERE! You're dead...you left and never came back! You're only my imagination, it's not true...IT CAN'T BE TRUE! It had been so long since he had heard that Romanian tongue of hers. It sounded just as he remembered it, only instead of whispering words of love, she screamed at him, unable to believe that he had really returned. Crown would sag between his shoulders, milky eyes staring at nothing as his gaze fell to the ground. Feels like I should be dead right about now...but perhaps much to your misfortune, I'm not... His voice was barely above a whisper, a strangled whisper at that. He could hear the emotion in Maija's voice and it tore at him to hear her like this, knowing that it was all his fault and he was just making it worse...Why had he even bothered coming back... "Burn Baby Burn"

She still couldn't believe that he was actually standing there. His presence could be an illusion, something that some underlying mental illness could be causing. However, since she didn't have any knowledge of such a thing, she knew that she could either be dreaming or....that he was living and breathing in front of her. Disbelief and shock rolled into anger, which mixed with all of the past feelings she had buried deep within her chest. Slowly, they rose to the surface. She watched him as he lowered his head, grief evident on his blind features. Maija felt her anger vibrating in her chest, forming into growls that rose into her throat and the negative ball of emotions swept through the rest of her body. Cezar silently lowered his defenses and backed into the shadows, only becoming a set of blinking eyes amidst the darkness. He figured what was coming and he didn't want to be in the middle of it. The anger brimmed at the surface of her words when it was her turn to speak. "How...DARE you show your face again. How...DARE YOU!" Her growls rumbled in her throat as she took a few steps backward, knowing that her anger was rolling off of her in waves. Taking a step or two to the right, she flicked her tail angrily behind her as she watched him continue to remain passive. "One time was enough, but now..." she gave a dry laugh, "...there is a completely different game being played." Her vibrant green eyes shimmered as she continued to let the beginning of her wrath drag. "Don't you dare speak about my misfortune, stranger." She growled lowly, Romanian voice not caring if emotions were displayed. "You have no FUCKING idea what I have been through, what I have had to deal with when you left again..." She would tell him later, just to put salt on the wound. "You have no RIGHT to be upset, to be sad...it makes me sick." She looked away from him, growls growing ever louder as she stopped walking. Maija was now ninety degrees away from the cobalt man and she reclined to her haunches, body still shivering from the fresh waves of anger. "YOU make me sick..." Talk like this

As silence settled in after his words, he knew it wasn't going to last long. He could feel the tension fill the air around him, making the hackles on his nape stand to attention. He knew what was coming; he had expected it. Maija had never been one to hide how she was feeling and he knew for a fact that hadn't changed. As much as he wish this wasn't happening, it was bound to happen, sooner or later; clearly the universe had sooner in mind for him. He lifted his head, leveling it with his shoulders, ears coming to stand to full attention atop his massive skull, body rigid. He wasn't sure he could prepare himself for the onslaught he was about to be dealt. He didn't even bother bracing for it; it was going to hurt either way. How...DARE you show your face again. How...DARE YOU! One time was enough, but now.....there is a completely different game being played. The titan's jaw clenched together, teeth mashing together as he was dealt the first blow. Each word she spoke was as if she'd struck him with her talons, slicing deep into his flesh. Each heartbeat now hurt and he was acutely aware of how alive and not dead he was. Perhaps this was the universe's way of punishing him, by keeping him alive to pay for everything he'd done instead of letting him get away with it by being dead. Death didn't seem like such a bad thing right then. Don't you dare speak about my misfortune, stranger. You have no FUCKING idea what I have been through, what I have had to deal with when you left again...You have no RIGHT to be upset, to be sad...it makes me sick. YOU make me sick... She let him have it and this probably wasn't even half of it. Ebony plume slashed the air behind his haunches as she called him a stranger, his chest tightening at the word. Stranger. Is that what he was to her now? A stranger. He continued to stand there, listening to her tell him just exactly how she felt, pain echoing through his body as she expressed how repulsed she was by him. He wasn't surprised. He was a terrible sight to behold, he knew that, but add to that everything he'd done and he was a monstrosity. Emotions rolled through the behemoth, one after the other, all rolling together into a giant ball that stuck itself right in his throat, barring any words from escaping. Not that he had any words to say. What could he say? I'm sorry? Please forgive me? From what he was hearing, forgiveness was not something he was ever going to see from the golden beauty. So Taurig stood there, ever the emotionless cobalt statue, slowly breaking from the inside out. "Burn Baby Burn"

She was angry and there was nothing she could do but let it run its course. Her eyes closed and she tried to fight the storm that was tempting to cause havoc over the two wolves. Nevertheless, she pushed through it anyway and dealt with the fire that she began to walk across. "You never fought for me..." She softly stated, delicate words laced with the Romanian tongue's obvious hurt. "You left and never gave a second thought about what may happen to me...to your family...to our kids." Maija was tired, she was tired of dealing with the continuous battle of emotions that never seemed to stop. Her ears remained flattened, eyes remained closed, as she continued to speak. That was the only way she could keep calm and not explode at him again. "I was disappointed in you, for just up and leaving when you PROMISED me that you wouldn't disappear again...I lost faith and I lost the ability to even see myself move on..." A shuttered sigh slipped from her lips and the tears began to fall. "I had told myself that you were it, that you were the one I would spend my life with...After Dragomir disappeared, you had become my knight and stole my heart...and now..." She gave a soft hiccup, tears finally slipping between closed eyelids. "you have nothing to say? After all that has happened?" She became frustrated and wailed, "YOU HAVE NOTHING TO SAY? SAY SOMETHING, FOR GOD'S SAKE! I AM WORTH A FUCKING EXPLANATION." Talk like this

It was far too late to try and take shelter from the storm that was Maija. Not that he could anyway. He had already hurt her enough by disappearing from her life; the least he could do was listen to her tell him everything he deserved to hear. You never fought for me...You left and never gave a second thought about what may happen to me...to your family...to our kids. Her voice softened by several octaves and he could hear the tears she shed from the way her voice broke. I was disappointed in you, for just up and leaving when you PROMISED me that you wouldn't disappear again...I lost faith and I lost the ability to even see myself move on...I had told myself that you were it, that you were the one I would spend my life with...After Dragomir disappeared, you had become my knight and stole my heart...and now... Her words buried themselves deep beneath his cobalt pelt, working like double edges knives. Part of him wanted to run to her, to embrace the golden woman, to comfort her and take away all the pain he had caused, to somehow prove to her that this time was the last time he was ever going to disappear on her. But he knew that was just wishful thinking. The other part of him wanted to turn away and disappear into the night, to find some deep dark corner of the lands where he could rot away like the pathetic man that he was. Yet he did neither of those things, his ebony limbs firmly rooted to the soil that he stood on, his face completely void of all and any emotions as he listened to Maija speak. Standing here, listening to Maija tell him how badly he had failed her, had to be one of the worst moments of his life. The maiming from Isardis didn't even compare to how much this hurt. He would rather go through the maims time and time again if it meant that he never had to hear these words from the golden beauty. These words would haunt him for the rest of his days, even if by some miracle she managed to forgive him, he would never be able to be the same around her or possibly any of his family ever again. You have nothing to say? After all that has happened? YOU HAVE NOTHING TO SAY? SAY SOMETHING, FOR GOD'S SAKE! I AM WORTH A FUCKING EXPLANATION. And then the temporary calm gave way to another surge of rage as she demanded an explanation from him. He swallowed down the emotions that threatened to crack his facade, making sure to keep his voice emotionless as he spoke. You're right. You are worth an explanation...I don't have one. I don't have excuses either. I can't apologize because what I have done is far beyond the realm of forgiveness. It's inexcusable and unforgivable; listening to you know has helped me come to terms with that. He would trail off for a moment, working to keep his composure together. He couldn't let her see him break. Not now and probably not ever again. I don't know what you want from me anymore, if you want anything from me at all. I will not beg for the forgiveness I know will not come. I will not ask you to allow me back into your heart. If a stranger is what I have become to you, then it is a stranger that I can remain if you so wish it. I have nothing to offer you anymore; nothing that is of any real value to you any longer. And just like that, he could feel the ice begin to creep over his heart, encasing it in a crystal cage. Even if Maija did forgive him and wanted him back in her life, he wouldn't do it. He had caused her too much harm for him to deserve to be anything more than a stranger to her any longer. It hurt him to think like this, but it seemed like it was the way it had to be. He had lost the fight. "Burn Baby Burn"

Taurig spoke and the words that came from him broke her. There were no excuses, no explanations for his absence. He didn't want to fight, didn't want to push her over the edge. His heart was too good, his personality the very opposite of what she was. Maybe that was why they were such a good combination...key word being were. So much had changed and he didn't know about her recent expeditions. A shattered sigh slipped from her lips, followed by tears of frustration and pure ache. She had never known such sadness, such despair, such agony...even when she had dealt with him leaving the last time, it hadn't been this bad. The feelings that she thought had disappeared remained hanging in the air, like a dark cloud above her golden head. She felt the figurative rain descending upon her spiritually broken frame, causing her to be drenched with the past and all the memories. She clamped her eyes shut, attempting to keep any tears from pushing their way out. Emotions that hadn't been properly worked through rose to the surface, causing her to fall beneath the waters. She tried to stay afloat, thinking of anything to keep her heavy frame from sinking. Sibelle...her children...Cezar...even flashes of Neo's sneering face rose to greet her closed gaze. She began to find the floating pieces of driftwood that would maintain her weight and she struggled to hold on as the currents began to pick up. She lowered her head so it angled to the ground, nose pointed directly at her front paws. Her body shivered from the aches that began to move throughout her mind and soul, desperately trying to keep the information inside. A part of her wanted to keep it a secret, but the other half knew he would find out eventually. "I...I..." she murmured, unable to come up with anymore words that would work together. Tears fell from her eyes as they opened as she finally chucked up, "I wish...that things were different." Her voice was so soft, but not the beginning of another storm. Maija was done; she was tired and worn out from the rampage. Ears remained flat on her head as she took another shuttering breath, causing more tears to run down her face. "I wish...that you had never left. That our family could be whole...that I wasn't..." Maija turned her head to look at him, her gaze blurry due to the tears. "I met someone..." Even as she said it, it felt like a knife had run through her chest. She had been happy when she met Neo, but the man had been absent lately, causing her to feel abandoned once more. It was something that hadn't been shared with Sibelle. "And...I had another child..." Her darling daughter, one she wouldn't take back for anything in the world. The news had been delivered in a big, messy package. Her heart, usually so solid and protected, was now laying at her front paws. Maija felt so low, so deprived of the love she had that was taken from her. She was broken, a side of her that had never showed itself to anyone...not even Taurig. Now, she was raw, exposed, a simple wolf that was like everyone else...Her own worst nightmare. "I waited...for so long, Taurig...I held on for so long..." Her body began to shake again, becoming weak from the many waves of emotions hitting her soul. "I still love you..." That was why she had been so angry for so long, dealt with so much horrible emotions and internal fights. Her feelings had remained, buried deep until he had reappeared. It was more than Maija could stand. Her body lowered itself to the ground, softly and silently. Her head rested between her front paws as tears continued to fall from her eyes. She surrendered to it, stopped fighting and let it consume her. Soft sobs racked her body, golden fur falling flat against her slender curves. The world fell from around her, leaving her all alone in a darkness she couldn't get out of. Her subconscious took over, taking the autopilot controls. "I need you..." she whispered, voice wet from the tears and rawness of everything. "I need you..." she repeated, tears falling faster and warmer than before. Another sharp intake of ragged breath and she cried, "I need you!" She could feel her reality slowly slipping away, unsure of when it would return... Talk like this

He stood like the soldier that he had been trained to be since he could properly walk; unmovable and unfeeling. He had to push down all the feelings that were threatening to strangle him, to drown him. If not for the sake of his own sanity, then simply for the sake of not breaking down in front of Maija. He had done enough with reappearing in her life. He had no right to feel sorry for himself, especially not in front of her. She already thought so low of him now; to show weakness would be to further taint his already blackened image. But in all honesty, what did it really matter anymore? Maija was going to resent him probably for the rest of his life, so why not just make it easier on her? Why not really just give her a reason to hate him so that she could push him out of her life for good and save herself all the pain that she was harboring now. And yet, despite all that he'd done, he would never be able to bring himself to make her hate him. That just wasn't the type of man that he was, if he was even still a man at all. The scent of tears was strong, teasing the cobalt's nostrils as he stood before Maija, his unseeing milky eyes staring into the darkness where he assume her figure to be. Silence descended upon the two, weighing heavily on both, yet Taurig did nothing to break it. He had said all that he could say; there were no words left. I wish...that things were different. Me too. He echoed in his mind, the words unable to find their way past his thoughts. What use was it to wish that things were different? It was an inescapable fact that was probably never going to change. Things would never be the same for them from this point on. He could sit and mope about it all he wanted, but it wasn't going to change what he did. There was nothing more that he could do except accept it and move on, as much as it hurt to think that nothing was it once was. Her voice had become soft, loosing the ferocity and anger it had held before. The storm had taken its course and now they were only left with choppy waters. I wish...that you had never left. That our family could be whole...that I wasn't...I met someone...And...I had another child... Part of him, a part that he had refused to acknowledge, had known that expecting Maija to wait around for him was a foolish thing. That part of him had taken into consideration that the lack of support would drive the golden beauty to seek it elsewhere...He just never thought he would be hearing it straight from her. The glass case that had begun to form around his heart shattered into a million pieces, each little shard embedding itself inside his chest cavity. The organ in his chest stuttered and the titan fought to regain his breath. His chest seized, tightening painfully. She...had another child...Taurig's legs buckled, threatening to give way beneath him but he held strong, keeping his statue like stance while he crumbled on the inside. The way she said it, it was as if she hadn't wanted to tell him. Would she have kept this a secret from him? She very well could've. She was under no obligation to tell him...and he desperately wished that she hadn't... I waited...for so long, Taurig...I held on for so long...I still love you... His milky eyes disappeared from view as ebony lids fell over them, tattered ears falling flat against his skull. She had found another to share her den, carried his child and yet she still loved him....His first instinct was rage. He wanted nothing more than to find this other man and rip his trachea from his throat for having taken his treasure from him. But...he couldn't. By leaving Maija alone, he had basically offered her up to whomever happened to pass by. His short-lived rage gave way to pain...unadulterated, soul wrenching, heart shattering pain. How could she still love him after all of this? Why had she even bothered telling him this now? She had found someone else, had another family. She didn't need him anymore...she didn't... I need you...I need you...I need you! Maija seemed to think otherwise. Her wails tore at the behemoth, clawing at his control. He found himself involuntarily taking a step towards her, his body knowing what his heart and mind wanted to ignore; he needed her to. No matter where he went, he would always need her. He would always want her. He would always love her. But what did that matter now? No...you don't need me...Not anymore...I bring nothing now but pain and you don't need anymore of that in your life... He took a shuddering breath, his voice a low murmur as he struggled to keep a tight rein on the emotions that raged within him. You've done so well without me...I know...I know you can keep doing it.... He was letting her go, giving her the chance to be happy, to be free of all the pain that he brought her...even if it killed him to do so... "Burn Baby Burn"

She was now at her worst, falling apart at the seams and there wasn't a needle or thread anywhere in sight. She was raw, a golden shell whose innards had been scooped out. Nothing about her was hidden anymore, at least, not in front of Taurig. She had dwindled down to a mere spectacle, a mess of tears and matted fur. Her mind began to work through the tangled webs of emotions, grooming them so they became more focused and neat. His words did not fall upon eager ears, but she took them in anyway.
Slowly, she rose from the ground, telling herself that she needed to be strong. Her tears continued to fall, threatening to try and bring her down again. Her muscles worked with her bones, pulling her up to stand on all four paws. She looked at him, leaf-green gaze glassy and continuing to be blurry. Words didn't come from her, not this time. She had said them all; what else could she tell him?
Maija began to walk towards him, not afraid of what may happen. Her face, still drenched from the tears that had fallen across her cheeks and muzzle, remained smooth as she looked him over. His fa?ade had gotten really good, something she was impressed to see. The last time he had disappeared, he had shown his emotions upon his cobalt sleeves, only making her angrier. Now, as he pushed her away, she couldn't help but want to crack open the shell he had made. It was as if they had become the opposite of what they stood for. How could it be?
Without words, she took the bold steps she needed to reach him. Her golden head gently clashed against his, soft golden fur meeting cobalt blue. Maija rubbed her cheek against his own, eyes closing as she took in his scent and familiar touch. Oh...how she had missed him, even if things had changed, she would still be torn over how right it felt in that moment. So, she took her advantage and rubbed her right cheek against his left one, letting the fur combine like it had so many times before. Nostalgia rose around them, making it hard for Maija to tear away from him. If he rejected her touch and pushed her away, she would step back and watch him before becoming enclosed once more. She still loved him, which made it all the harder for her to see her future with him back, but not with her. Maija would have to push those feelings down...even if she hadn't realized that it would be an option again.



speech,

He was doing so good at keeping his emotions from taking center stage across his facade. The last time they had had a reunion, the titan had been in Maija's paws, unable to keep his emotions in check whereas she had been the stoic one. But the tables had turned now. She was falling apart at his paws and Taurig was desperately trying to restrain himself from going to her. If he went to her, everything would go to hell. If he went to comfort her, he knew there was no way that he would be able to keep himself from her. He would seek her out as much as he could, try to integrate himself back into her life and if the father of her new child returned, he would chase the bastard off. He would do everything in his power to reclaim his golden treasure...That was something that couldn't happen; something that he wouldn't let happen. She was no longer his to reclaim. Silence followed his words. Had she taken his words well? Did she understand that he was trying to do what he thought was best for her? That even after all that he'd done, by allowing her to live her life as she'd been doing, he was trying to show her that he still loved her? He would never know. In the absence of words came the sound of movement and he could only assume it was Maija was who was moving. Was she getting ready to depart, leaving him with no parting words? He stood silently, a stone in the darkness, awaiting to see what was to happen next. After the storm she'd dragged him through, he didn't expect her to want to be near him any longer; being at a few paces away way surely enough for her? And then hell froze over. Maija's scent became overwhelming in his nostrils, her golden head pressing itself against his cobalt neck. All rational thought fled from his mind, his heart slamming against his ribcage, threatening to break free of its cage and deposit itself at Maija's paws. Right then, every once of iron will broke. Without thinking, the titan would curl his ebony chin around Maija's nape, holding the golden woman to him. His scarred features remained as emotionless as before, the only clue to his surfacing emotions coming from the flattening of his ears and slashing of his tail. If hearing her tell him all the things she felt and had done hurt, touching her again burned him. Her touch seared his cobalt flesh as memories of their many embraces and loving touches flooded his mind. As each took its turn, the want to fix things only grew. She rubbed her cheek against his own and the titan found himself returning the gesture, pretending for just that single solitary moment in time that things were just as they had been before. That they were still man and wife, living happily together on their little island with their children and extended family. It was such a beautiful moment, to simply feel Maija, to know that she still loved him, even if her loving him was going to kill him. His mind screamed at him to let her go, to push her away and reject any of her advances, but his body and heart would not comply. He savored the moment as long as he could, knowing that this was quite possibly the last time that he would ever feel something like this. "Burn Baby Burn"

She had heard the strangled cried just as she caught wind of her sister. Fear filled her to the brim. But it wasn't fear for her physical wellbeing, no it was her emotional state that the russet woman feared for. She would rush to the den Cru shared with her children. She wasn't sure why, but he had isolated her upon her return, sleeping with their children away from her. It still pained her. She wasn't entirely sure why she was going to find him, it's not like he would notice her absence within the den. But she did, and she told him what was happening. As soon as she concluded, she would turn and race towards her sister. It had taken forever to pinpoint for her brothers trail and then follow it. He had been moving along he border, just as he always had. If not for the circumstances, she would have been pleased, happy even. But no, he had found Maija. What was the golden woman even doing here? Had she come for a surprise visit? Her paws moved rapidly against the earth, eating the ground until she found them. The scene that unfolded beneath her was something out of a sad romantic movie. Taurig looked as though he might collapse at any moment. His ears were pulled against his skull, milky eyes were closer. And her poor sister. The golden woman was in a crumpled pile on the ground, tears wetting her cheeks. Immediately the Queen became defensive. Her eye would narrow, ears pulling back against her skull. Her brother had done this. She and Maija had picked up the pieces together, out eachother back together. And as soon as she had laid eyes on her brother, she knew his presence would destroy the golden woman. And she had been so painfully right. There was no way he sister would recover from this. And just when things had gotten better, she had a child, a new man in her life. And it was all gone. She would halt, startled by the scene that unfolded before her. Maija pressed herself against Taurig, seeming to enjoy his touch. Tears wet her golden cheeks, the air was so thick with tension she could touch it. Her brother was unmoving as he returned the embrace. This was not good. She kept about ten feet between herself and the ex lovers. "Maija." her voice was soft, gentle, hoping to shake the woman back into reality. Before the woman could see it, she would wipe the pity from her eye. Her and Taurig would eventually make up, they were siblings, tied together for eternity. But him and Maija.... He had broken her heart on more than one occasion. She had moved on, picked up the pieces to her heart and moved on. And she would be damned if she let her brother break the golden woman again. "Burn Baby Burn"

The atmosphere between Taurig and Maija was stuffy, considering everything that had taken place. Even as Taurig broke down and returned her actions, Maija knew it would not last forever. She wanted to relax and fall into his grasp, be assured that she would be safe from the rest of the world and its horrors...That was how had been. Now, as the present slipped through the cracks, Maija knew it was too good to last. What also helped her pull back was Sibelle's voice hitting the silence like a whip. Slowly, Maija pulled back, torn between staying near him and going towards Sibelle. In the end, the latter won, and she softly voiced, "Sibelle" as she rose to her four paws. She slipped a glance at Taurig before walking towards her sister, a slight twinge of guilt evidenced in her eyes. Maija wasn't sure if Sibelle was going to yell at her or not say anything at all -- either one would suffice. The golden temptress wiped the remaining tears from her eyes with a front paw, reality slowly coming back to her. "I was coming to see you...to make sure you were all right..." Cezar appeared from the shadows, bringing a small rodent in his mouth. He looked up at the wolves before huffing and returning to a small spot near a dug up tree root. He began to eat and watch them carefully as Maija looked over her sister's form. Physically, she looked well. Talk like this

And just like that, the moment was gone. The familiar voice of his sister Sibelle broke through the thick silence that had wrapped the two up, shattering the momentary peace. His hold on Maija would loosen, allowing the golden beauty to pull away from him to turn to Sibelle. He could feel the hesitation in her presence, as if she didn't know whether to stay with him or go to Sibelle. Ultimately, his sister won out, taking Maija from his side. As he was left alone once more, the mask fall back into place, each strap secure in its hold. He was acutely aware of the empty space in his chest where his heart used to be. It was a strange feeling, but one he assumed he would get used to in time. Taurig would allow his frame to slip back into its statue like appearance, tattered ears coming back to full attention, plume hanging placidly between his hocks, milky eye returning to view, fixed on the spot where Sibelle's scent was coming from. Maija spoke up, explaining to the russet queen that she had been coming to pay her a visit and see how she was doing. If only the cobalt titan had heeded the call to sleep, despite his lack of actual exhaustion, he could've saved himself the pain of having to confront Maija here and learn everything that he had learned. But everything happened for a reason, didn't it? He would stand quietly to the side, almost blending into the shadows as he waited to see what it was that Sibelle was going to say, if she had anything to say. Would she upset at seeing what she had just seen? "Burn Baby Burn"

She didn't know what to think or say. Her voice would pop the bubble that surrounded them, bringing their attention to her. Confusion was evident on her tattered features, her gaze resting on Maija, knowing that the golden woman would see it. What was going on? Maija would be the first to break their touch, moving closer to herself and away from her brother. She would watch the woman with uncertainty. She couldn't imagine that her sister would forgive him quite so easily, or so soon. Soft words would reach her ears, causing a small fake smile to tightly lift her lips. "Memories are returning and I'm healing, but I can't say the same for Cru." Her words were soft, though Taurig would have heard if he wanted to. She had no gotten to see her sister since returning home, so she had not been able to speak of the strain that drove a wedge between her and her mate. Her gaze would drop briefly, before quickly flickering back her sister. This was not the time to discuss her martial issues. This was about them. "Are you doing ok?" Her voice was even, her true concern flickering across her features, so as to go unnoticed by her lurking brother. Her gaze would harden as she looked past her sister to her brother, who stood silently, his face expressionless. Hackles bristled before lying flat again. She should have told him, warned him, to stay away from Maija. They had both come to far in their lives to have it all ruined all over again. Tension tightened her shoulders, her concern and anger battling for the upper hand. She had nothing right now to say to her brother, she didn't even know what to say. Had Maija told him about her child and lover? Or was she going to keep it a secret? Questioned filled her mind and her eye, but she was unable to speak them just yet. Perhaps her sister would stay for the night, if she was willing to leave her youngster alone for the night. "You should stay with me tonight. I don't want you traveling alone at night." She made her point perfectly clear while extending the invitation to the golden woman. Taurig would end up tied to a tree if necessary. "Burn Baby Burn"

Maija read Sibelle's expression without much effort. She knew that her sister was concerned and the fact that she hid it from Taurig made Maija feel all the more lucky to have her. Her leaf-green eyes shimmered, a rare thing to happen, as she softly said, "I have...definitely been better..." She would wait to tell the russet-furred Queen about what had happened, but only when they were alone. Her tail flicked behind her as she saw Sibelle move her gaze towards Taurig. The coldness came off of the woman in silent waves, something that Maija wasn't used to, but nevertheless, it felt nice. She needed the harsh sense of reality to kick her in the butt, for she knew if she wanted to live in a dreamland, she would have looked towards possibly working things out with Taurig. The life she had with him before he disappeared was what she wanted and needed, but now...it was so different. Ecaterina would be fine if she didn't return home. She knew that Basanti had taken a liking to the young pup and her company would be appreciated. She deeply inhaled and silently let it out as she decided to fold the circus tent. There didn't need to be any more monkeys for that moment. "I will accept your offer, Sib." She perked an ear in the direction of her ex lover, waiting to hear if he did or said anything. "You're gonna hear me roar"

Everything that could've been said or done had been done and that was that. There was no use dragging on something that was clearly finished. Sibelle had thankfully come to the rescue, cutting his interaction with Maija short. He would stand a few paces away for a few moments longer, listening as his sister invited the golden woman to sleep with her, clearly implying that Taurig wasn't allowed to be near Maija. That was completely fine with him. He hadn't been trying to spend more time with her than he already had. Deciding he was no longer needed or wanted, the titan would allow his limbs to pull him in the direction that he had come from, only pausing to give his sister and subsequently Maija a brief nod of departure before he would continue on his way, heading back to the abandoned dens Sibelle had shown him the first day he'd arrived. He doubted he was going to get any sleep that night, especially after he'd found out, but he would rather be alone than near the golden beauty any longer. EXIT TAUR "Burn Baby Burn"