Astrea had watched the child, saw the realization when she grasped that Astrea had not been talking about stars at all but her aunts and uncles. She was a quick child, and she seemed to grasp at least somewhat about the connections they each held to their elements. Questions light her eyes the further into the story she had gotten, many questions, maybe the same ones she had when she saw this dream quest... Questions she still had... When little Seraphiel finally let the tide of questions come Astrea let out a small chuckle. Did the darkness eat her grandparents? Astrea wished she knew, she had no idea what the Darkness was; just like the fact that her siblings where saw as stars whoever killed her parents where symbolically seen as a great wave of darkness. It had acted much like the ocean did when it swallowed the beach, but she knew Iridescent and Opaline where killed by a wolf of wolves. "In a way yes, my parents, your grandparents, where swallowed by darkness." She left it at that, she was not conferable with that question because she did not know who or what had killed them. "I do not know what happened with your mother's parents you will have to ask her yourself."
With that she moved on to the next thought that came from the pup. A very thoughtful one, just showing the intellect of the girl. Astrea smiled then, knowing why the girl asked. "Yes, Selini and Solaris have the same rank and role as I do in the pack, but we play different roles in that rank. What Selini does for the family is different then what Sol does. That also applies to me. Let me explain a little better." Astrea looked up then, and lifted her nose to the brightest star in the sky. "Stars are used by wolves to find the right direction when they travel. They show the right way to get to somewhere... I wish to do that, I wish to be a star guide like that bright star is the guide to the north. Sol and Selini do other things for the family." She was not sure if the child would understand what Astrea was trying to tell her. All the siblings where important and filled the different roles the family needs. She just for whatever reason was featured in what she was shown, the dream taking the time to tell her what hers was in detail where it did not the others, maybe if one of the others went on that Dream Quest their dream would feature their own role in the family and gloss over hers.
And when the conversation moved to describing elements Astrea tilted her head at little Seraphiel. Did she want Astrea's take on her own calling, her own element? Hummmm, Astrea had no idea what the child felt, or why her personality was so restless, again that was something she would give to the wind... Like Gale or Arcus... But one of Glac's children? "Well when I think of frost, I think of the cold... maybe distant, quite, maybe a little slow moving." Astrea looked at the child trying to piece the few clues she has together... She still came up with nothing, and that bothered her... maybe one of the time she left the family to search for the missing pups she would move north and see what she can find that would match the child. "It does not match you little Ray, I cannot think of what calls to you, but I will help you find out if you desire to."
And then the conversation moved to the missing two children. Astrea's greatest failure. The Star Dreamer wanted to avoid the question, she wanted to not think about the loss when she was at home, not when she was with the girl, a new try to get things right; not just for Astrea but for the whole family. But, even if she wanted to run from the question like she ran from the news of her parents death or when Volt and Glac moved the family to the beach from the volcano. But she would not, she had been through the difficult and painful journey to just run again... No she told Volt the night she returned she would not run from her problems. "No! we would never send away the children, your grandparents gave up on protecting us so they took the cowered way out, but me and my siblings will not do the same, if the Darkness comes to block out our light we will fight them!" She posed slightly, quickly drawing a breath. "We did not send them away, we lost them. Your cousins, Volt's children, little Illume and Current are lost but do not worry little Ray, I am looking for them, and will continue to look for them for as long as I have breath left in me."
She again took another breath, and then ended with. "If you ever need me, I will be there, maybe not the day you need, or at the time, because I am looking for your cousins, but wait for me. I WILL come back and then I WILL do everything in my power to fix the problem." She looked the child in the eye, telling her what Astrea should have told little Current. "I will ALWAYS be here for you little Ray, you and your sister and your cousins, you guys are everything to me and when you are hurt or sad I am hurt or sad..." She hoped that reached the child, she hoped that she understood the great empathy that Astrea had for her family, how much their pain hurt Astrea...
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