keeping promises as if my life depended on it

That one golden eye with its gentle sparkle met Artorias' gaze as the navy and obsidian Aegis stared back at her. What felt like a lifetime passed between them as they stood a world apart. It was as if she were seeing a long-lost brother for the first in a century. Everything reeled and somersaulted in her mind as she couldn't forgive herself for ever leaving. This was home. Even as Artorias rushed forward and embraced her with his arms, she buried her face into his fluffy chest. A hidden smile broke out on her lips as she inhaled his familiar scent. As grateful as she was to have been allowed to leave, she was glad for a reason to return.

Another lifetime passed before he pulled away and Audra looked up to him with that beaming smile. His exclamation of astonishment was warranted and at the moment, she could only release a sigh of relief and sorrow. Life had indeed been a whirlwind of excitement and tragedy since their last meeting. "I was not expecting snow so early," she agreed in her quiet tone as she hurried inside the castle with Artorias. Following his long strides through the great hall and into the kitchen, she settled near the fire. Closing her eye as she took a long breath, preparing herself to once again doling out serious news to Artorias, she gave a light shake of her head.

"M-Menagerie has fallen," the words came as a whisper as she finally opened her eye and looked at Artorias. "There w-was a festival being held. Everything w-was going rather well until s-something attacked," Audra had to grit her teeth for a moment while she shoved the emotions back down inside. "In th-the middle of the night, Wren a-and several others were d-drug to the outskirts a-and m-murdered," the words were hard to voice as she exhaled loudly. "I-I left for Auster the f-following day," it was hard to hold back the stutter as she turned her chin to stare at the fire beside her. Wren, Torben, and all the others... How could it all have happened?

A U D R A