fire or ice?

Having been gone nearly a whole season was bound to have it's downfalls despite the many upsides it had. A mission for Sirius was something he'd never turn down, but leaving without telling Deathbelle was something he should have thought a little bit more about first. He never thought he'd be gone as long as he was though either, two weeks at most. He felt like he owed it to Sirius to keep searching though, to find some kind of trace, but he had no luck. Malalia or her home pack were no where to be found.

After a long rest and a good meal, he was quick to seek out the empress and grovel. She would certainly be angry that he left without saying goodbye, and perhaps she'd already moved on. It pained him to be without her, especially after having spent so much time with her while he healed in her den. He was terrible at goodbyes, but now he believed he was stupid for not saying something. Hindsight was fifty-fifty, he supposed.

Readied with a bouquet of flowers, various pinks and purples from the summer blooms, he trotted through the Armada territory and into Ashens, towards the empress' den. There was no garuntee she'd be there at this time of day, but he could hope she'd at least be near enough to hear him call if not.

"Empress?" He called when he approached her den, words muffled through the flowers. He was nervous, anticipating the worst. Would someone else come answer the door?