Even the gods envy mortals

The familiar expanse of land he had come to recognize as a semblance of home was a sight he was eager to return to. The wintery taiga had reluctantly given way to the rebirth of spring, and it was something that had made a fairly significant push forward in his absence. Or perhaps it only seemed that starkly different because their scouting mission had taken place quite a bit further north. Short grasses and lichens carpeted the valley floor, and the echo of dripping water resonated throughout the inlet as the first indication of the thaw-out ran off the bordering cliffsides. Aresenn hadn’t been back for very long- maybe a half a day or so at best. Upon arrival, he had immediately split off to take care of a few personal matters. So by the time he finally heard Sephiran’s call, the evidence of travel had been cleansed away, and he was in far better spirits after several hours of true rest.

As he quickly closed in to where he believed the summons had come from, his mind reeled with the recount of his trip with Absinth through the winterlands. They had covered so much ground in the week they had been gone- but it was hard to divide his interest away from the girl he had grown close to. He would have to. As he was certain this was what his accomplice was looking for. Why else would he be calling for his attention?

With a steady stride, Aresenn broke through the tree line and entered the clearing. While he was certainly surprised at the assembly gathered, he didn’t falter in his pace. His attention wandered through the crowd, the majority of whom were total strangers to him outside of Elysia. He did recognize the toy next to Sephiran by her scent- as she had been another semi-permanent fixture in the Polar Sound as of late. But everyone else, entirely foreign. Allowing his amber gaze to return to Sephiran, he waited with quiet intrigue, unsure of what was expected of him.

"Aresenn Praetor"