Already she felt lighter. Valeriya had been... difficult, of course, but in all honesty Raisa had expected nothing else. Regardless of all middle ground it was a step in the right direction and the ex-Queen refused to loose her momentum. There was still work to be done. Word and rumor had led her to this border, to this place her friend now called her own... Could Raisa still call the dark warrior a friend? She had thought of Katja as such, but after leaving her children and her legacy on the woman's shoulders in a blind panic, well... What should she really expect? She let out a shuddering breath, and tipped her head up as if to howl... But the sound would not emerge. As she attempted to strain her vocals, to send her call forth across the rolling landscape, her throat constricted. She brought her muzzle back to the ground, coughing and miserable. Great, she thought, mental tone acidic. She knew Koros eyed her with pity but she would not acknowledge it, or him. She would not suffer this... monstrous inability for much longer. Somehow, some way it would be snuffed out and destroyed... Her steward let out his own warbling call. It was high pitched, more like the scream of a banshee than a summons worthy of a Queen or alpha or whatever title Katja now bore, but the ashen fae was grateful none the less.
A strange, hackles-raising shriek echoed across the Dancefloor where Katja patrolled. The viking paused a moment, masked face turned impassively toward the sound as it wound down. A superstitious chill crawled up her spine, and as the sound faded she turned to lose steadily toward the unfamiliar noise. It may be a portent of danger, but she would not avoid it. Better to know than run from it.
The pair of figures that came into view suddenly became clear, and Katja nearly stumbled as she missed a step when they became suddenly clear. It was impossible. Raisa.
She stopped a short distance away, ears pinned in uncharacteristic uncertainty, to regard the Xanilov silently. Silver eyes roved the familiar form, seeing the scars that spoke of hardship and suffering and she felt sick. Not only had she failed to protect Raisa herself, but... Raisa had given her the charge of protecting her children and her pack, and she had failed in the first when she lost the pups to Virgil and with Sindri and Sigmarr going missing, and she had failed Raisa. Face impassive, preparing herself for the inevitable fangs and having no intention of stopping or retaliating against the entirely justified attack, she stepped forward. "Raisa," the name rolled from her tongue on a plea. Do not be a trick of Loki, be truly here. even with the certain pain it was better to know Raisa was alive.