keeping promises as if my life depended on it

A lot had been going on in Boreas. More excitement than she had been expecting. After Corbie had won against Kotori for Abaven's spot, she had left with Artorias' blessing to join a different pack that had just formed - Menagerie. Audra had had hopes for the guild pack led by Wren. The other woman had promise, strength, leadership skills, and faith in others to do well. What had happened in the middle of the night during the Summer Festival had been a tragedy. While she slept soundly with her companion, Mack, others had been getting dragged away through trails of blood. The scene had been horrific and traumatizing.

Still feeling terrible for abandoning Zoey, Audra knew that she needed to head back to Hallows alone. She needed her privacy to cry for how much of a whirlwind her life had been. All the way down from northern Boreas, Audra cried. Half-leaning on Mack during their run back to Auster, she let the tears flow from her one good eye. Regret and mourning slammed into her chest with each breath. If she had just been able to make a dent in Avantika's psyche and helped her ex just a little bit more, she would have never had a reason to want to leave the Hallows.

Except, that's how life went. The petite woman had needed to make her own mistakes, live her own life, and stand up for herself. No wallowing, no being taken advantage of, no being timid and fearful. She wasn't that anymore. Audra was stronger mentally now than she ever had been. While she could have gone off to Avalon or Armada or whichever other pack she wanted to start a new life with, she had made a promise to Artorias. So she ran as fast as she could until her bones ached and every muscle was strained in her body.

Faster than the average wolf thanks to her mutations, Aura made it to the Hallows in record time. Crossing the Bifrost without a second look back at Boreas, inhaling the scent of the ocean breeze, and keeping the wildberry grove a blur of greens and reds as she made her way to the castle. Oh, she had missed it. What she was surprised to see as she exited the grove and began through the plain was a fresh coating of snow. Pressing close against Mack, Audra never thought it would snow this soon in Auster. "Maybe we can build a snowman," she whispered with a smile to Mack as they finished crossing the plains and headed up to the castle steps.

Standing outside the wall, unsure if she would be welcomed in so soon, Audra let out a howl. One that she was sure Artorias wouldn't be expecting but also one he knew well by now. A mixture of emotions welled up inside her as she shifted her weight. Happiness and excitement to return to the place where she felt comfort and safety. Anxiety about when she would first lay eyes on Avantika again. Sadness for those lost up north. Beside her, Mack would move away and head back toward the plains for something to eat. He would not be needed in the interaction to come as Audra knew the castle well enough.

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