Dún do shúil, a rún mo chroí

Aurielle appeared promptly, and he returned her hug with an affectionate gesture of his own, though as always it pulled at the wicked scars. "Aurielle," he greeted, and continued in the common language rather than the old tongue he'd only ever used for affectionate nicknames for Corbie so that she wouldn't be excluded by their use of a language she didn't know. "It has been some time, hasn't it?" He shifted to beckon Corbie forward. "I wanted you to meet someone. Aurielle, this is Corbie Silverwind, my ward and apprentice for the last year. Corbie, this is my niece, Aurielle Adravendi, alpha of Valhalla. I've been teaching Corbie all I know about herding, and she's a more than competent hunter in her own right." He gave Corbie a soft smile, pride radiating from his single remaining eye, though his words were addressed to Aurielle. "She's been all but herding the sheep on her own these past weeks, with Tam's help, and she's learned all I know about remedies for the beasts." He brushed his cheek gently along Corbie's before speaking again. "Corbie, Aurielle is an experienced alpha. She took over from my elder brother when she was a yearling and has been handling Valhalla's affairs quite well ever since." He gave Aurielle a smile every bit as soft and proud as the one he'd given Corbie. "Your grandmother would be proud, I think," he said quietly to her. He might not have seen eye to eye with his mother on pack matters and ethics, but she'd brought Celestial together after they'd been through, and that was something to be respected, and he felt she'd have been pleased with the way her eldest son's line had handled it after her death. He knew this might be the last time he spoke with Aurielle - it felt important to him that she knew.