Spirits of the Past [Pack Meeting!]

Yes, a lot had happened in the last few months. She had failed to protect herself and her child, and as a result they'd been ripped away from their home. Failure was the word that kept her up at night. But through it all, she had kept Aramis close. Protected him any way she could, and watched as he was forced to become a man before he'd even seen the end of his first year. Under the circumstances, she couldn't have been more proud of him. And she couldn't have been more relieved when at last her love had come to rescue them.

But, even so. It was hard to feel pride or relief beneath the crushing weight her failure had placed on her chest. Regulus had given her lessons in fighting for a reason. And more than that, the entire situation was her fault. She should have stayed within Celestial and its protective wall. She never would have dreamed that she and Aramis would run into such trouble a mere mile away from home.

She had been through a lot. It had sent her back to earlier days, feeling so small and weak and dependent. Back then, she'd leaned on her brother for support, even for survival. This time, she'd had to lean on her son. Her own son, who should have had his mother to lean on. But instead he'd had to step up and be strong enough for both of them. Another failure, in her book.

The little woman barely strayed an inch from her love's side as they crossed the border and entered Celestial once more. The weight on her chest lifted, minutely. She was home. Her child was home. They were safe. "How... how is she?" Solveiga whispered, her voice once again soft and timid, as it had been when she and Regulus first met. Her question, of course, was about their daughter. Aurielle, who was now leading the pack. How had her children matured so quickly? She couldn't wait to see her, embrace her. All they had to do was cross the territory to the place where the meeting was being held. Reunion, so close she could almost taste it. Maybe things would be okay after all.