Armed with demands

On the back of the raid (which while officially a success, still felt like a massive failure) Aryn had decided she needed further training. Recluse had graciously allowed her the freedom of a short trip outside pack lands, fulfilling a request Aryn had personally made in the hopes of being able to advance her skills. Hearing that Recluse would allow this of her had made the Valentine woman feel slightly better about where she stood within her pack - until it became clear that the potoo bird would once again be instructed to accompany her. She felt betrayed; Aryn had been a perfect member of Habari up until the Long Night, and only while out of control of her facilities had she fled. Once she'd recovered she had returned of her own free will and had worked her butt off to benefit her pack. At what point did the past stay in the past? Would Recluse ever allow her to move forward from here?

With the stupid supervising bird overhead, Aryn stomped angrily across a multitude of territories west. She said nothing to the bird in question, not even when the multi-day journey had her near insane with boredom and loneliness. By the time she made it to Aerie's territories, Aryn had lost every ounce of hesitation to approach. She'd gone over the conversation a hundred times over in her head, had imagined every possible reaction including the worst case scenarios. Armed with hours of theoretical conversational practice, she approached the oddly shaped lake.

Weirdly enough, the scent border had faded. A bustle in the distance still spoke to wolves living in the area, so why would they no longer maintain their borders? This was not something she'd expected nor rehearsed. Idling uncomfortably on the abandoned perimeter, she contemplated her next move. Did she howl for him? What if he wasn't here anymore? Did she just walk on in, and would that come back to bite her if this land was no longer Aerie owned? Acknowledging the potoo for the first time in the journey, she tipped her head up to the supervising bird and shrugged. Unsure how to proceed, she simply sat, watched, and waited. Someone would come to greet her, right?