'Cause it's the only thing I wanted

Being a mother was a never-ending job, especially when you were looking after almost double digit children. Couple that with the collapse of their stable lifestyle and her mate falling ill once more—perhaps this time to never recover again—and Aliana was... not having a great time. But she kept moving, kept her calm disposition and a brave face on for her children. She knew all of this would be infinitely harder on their young hearts and minds than it ever would be on hers and they needed her to be strong for their sake. There was so much confusion, so much uncertainty to deal with, and Aliana had to be the rock in the storm for not just her family, but for all of what remained of Ashen. Walking through the aftermath of Chimera's fateful decision was difficult, to say the least, but what other choice did she have? She had to do her best for her family. They relied on her and she couldn't let them down.

Of all her children, Barghest was handling it the worst of the bunch. The girl, once proud and aloof, was now sullen and reserved. It broke Aliana's heart to see her little girl (well, not so little anymore she supposed), struggling so. Settling into a new pack and a new way of life was difficult even for adults. To a pup? Well, it might as well have been the end of the world. So Ali sought out her daughter, following her scent across the bridge from Alias Island to the nearby lake, where Estie was sitting and just watching everything around her, silent and kept to herself. Ali's heart broke again as she watched her child, approaching with soft footfalls to come sit beside her growing girl who now towered almost a full foot over her mother.

"Mind if I join you, Estie? I wanted to see how beautiful the lake was this time of year," she spoke in her dulcet tones, watching the way the sunlight danced over the rippling waters, surrounded by the fiery colors of autumn on the surrounding trees. Ali looked up with a tender smile to her daughter, aquamarine eyes soft and empathetic. "Oh, I recognize that look. Your father scowls just like that when something's bothering him. What's on your mind, my sweet girl?"

"Aliana"