My Everythings

Philomena had finally let her emotions free. She’d managed to hold the majority of them in at the Risen Empire… managed to hold it together when she met Cloudburst, and was even able to enjoy his company a bit. But it was as she reunited with Ulric, and began traveling back into Boreas, that Philly felt a stab in her heart. The feeling was small at first, but the pain grew deeper the closer to home she got, and she was sure that her brother could sense it even though she desperately tried to put on a brave face. Philly was hurting… there was no denying it. Her father was dead, and though he had tried being selfless, what was it really for? A pack that didn’t even care about him… and now he was dead.

...was love just a lie? A weakness?

Philomena didn’t bring this up to her brother… instead she tried to smile, to tell him about her time with their uncle and the things she’d learned. Philly had thought she was happy… and she was, to a degree, but she regretted being unable to see her father before he died. Would he be proud of who she was becoming? Even if she didn’t follow his exact choices… was that alright?

“I miss all of them, really…” Philomena said quietly to Ulric. “Uncle Riker… Papa… Mama…” She vaguely remembered the place where they were though… the mangroves. They were almost to where Dragoste once stood.

But the two youths wouldn’t need to go that far to find one of the ones they were looking for.

Roza’s howl, dripping with emotion was met with an immediate response from Philly. The teen threw back her head, howling with all her strength to the female to let her know she and Ulric were there, that they were coming. Philly didn’t wait for Ric to move… she knew he’d come bounding after her for the same reason she broke into a run.

Tears were stinging Philomena’s eyes as she saw her mother. She was relieved at first, until she saw the state her mother was in. She was so skinny… so malnourished. But Philly didn’t stop. She didn’t stop until she had practically bowled into the smaller woman… the woman who was, and always would be, her mother.

“Mama!” Philly cried, still using the name she called Roza as a pup. “H-Here I am! ...and Ulric will be right behind me, I know it!” The younger wolf was already nosing her dam, trying to search for any signs of wounds that she may have. Ulric had said that they hadn’t been captured when the Empire attacked… but that didn’t mean enough to the young girl who hadn’t seen her mother since she was small. Even a single hair out of place was cause for concern, and Philly whimpered at Roza’s condition.

“Oh mama… when did you last eat? Are you hurt? Sick?” Her brows furrowed with worry, a million and one things wanting to spill from her maw far too fast for her to process them.