It had been a while since she had come here. She had been making semi regular trips to the mangroves to check on her father, his mate, and their young children, but she generally made a rule to stay away from the lands where Dragoste used to be. Something had just been driving her to face her demons lately and this felt no different. She watched the landscape begin to change as she left the mangroves and walked into the forest of willow trees - walking from one old home to another. Abbey was nestled into the thicker fur on her scruff, her small talons holding onto bundles of fur to keep herself stable. The little bird had ridden like this on her for so long now that Roza barely noticed. She had noticed that her companion hadn't been nearly as vocal as of late and didn't seem to fly as much as she used to. Abbey hadn't said anything about feeling poorly or sick, but it did make Roza begin to wonder what the life span of a cardinal was. It was a morbid thought that Roza didn't care to dwell on, but one that she figured she would have to face sooner rather than later. As they reached the center of the willows she felt Abbey take off from her back and she stopped to watch the tan cardinal nestle into a nearby tree. It took her a moment, but she realized that this was the tree that Abbey had nested in before they left the willow forest behind. Her blue gaze drifted down and landed on the opening to the den that she and Ganta had shared. This was where Philomena and Ulric were born. Where she raised them... or tried to. Her ears flicked back at an unexpected wave of emotion and she quickly looked away and began to walk in the oposite direction. For the most part she had truly moved on. She no longer felt that hollow emptiness that she lived with for so long after Ganta was killed. She was finished with her mourning and was trying her best to move on. But was it really possible to get over her first love? Having the man she believed to be her soul mate ripped away from her so unexpectedly? Those were the questions that haunted her as she continued to wander though her old home. Talk Abbey Others

He had traveled further than he had expected or intended to and watched as the desert receded into lush growth and wetlands. He took little note of his surroundings only interested in searching for signs of the villains he came to destroy. As his paws sank into the soft moss of the woods his thoughts came to an abrupt halt. There was a scent in the woods, something faint that still lingered after over a year of disuse, something he would never mistake in all his years. The scent of his father. He looked around in wonder. This must have been where the pack once stood, now hollow and eerie with its vacancy. He moved slowly, marking off features in the land that his father had mentioned in his various stories as if he were in another world. Well into his first year he had believed that his father romanticized the pack lands he once lived in, but seeing them for himself, he admitted there was a stunning and all-encompassing beauty to it. His mind wandered over his father’s telling’s of the wolves he had once shared a home with, and how he regretted never getting to know them well. There was one though, that he always seemed to come back to. The Queen, the alpha’s mate who had named him their beta. He froze as his eyes fell on the white form before him. Was it a ghost or was she really there? Standing in the flesh, a beloved character from the tales his father wove to put them to sleep “Roza?” He called out, his heart thumping wildly, half expecting her to vanish into thin air. He had known her name well, his father had never withheld her name from them, or her mate’s. He had told them of the spirited away princess and how he battled the elements to find her, only to fail. "Talk"  "Thought"   "You"

The longer she moved through the willows the more the memories came trickling back into her mind. She crossed the open space where they used to hold their meetings. She found the place where Ganta had called their pack together for the first time, his howl claiming this space as theirs. All of it felt like a life time ago. As she stood in the clearing she could see the memory playing out in front of her. It was like watching someone completely different sitting there next to Ganta - a mirror image of herself that somehow felt detached from who she was now. She had been so full of hope, so passionate about this pack and its members... and it was all just snatched away. Her home, her family, her mate... But even now as she dwelled on it all she could feel was a bitter longing for what she used to have. There was no hate there. The sorrow had settled itself deep in her heart long ago. She wanted it all to go back to the way it was even though it was an impossible wish. A voice called out behind her and snapped her out of her trance. Her ears popped up and her head turned to face the young man that had called for her. Her first reaction was that she definitely did not know him, but there was something strangely familiar about him. She turned to face him, her expression curious. "Yes? Do I know you?" she asked as she walked closer to him. Maybe it was simply because she was back in place where she once ruled or maybe it was because she had just spent so long walking down memory lane, but she felt herself fall back into the same stance and stride she had held herself in as an alpha. She held no power here any longer and carried no title, but she couldn't correct herself now. The longer she gazed at the stranger the more she seemed to remind her of someone. Her brows pulled together with thought, quietly adding, "You just seem familiar for some reason..." Talk Abbey Others

For a moment he was too stunned to move, his eyes wide and his jaw hanging open with wonder. It was her. He realized he was staring and broke his gaze away, his heart pounding with excitement. “Sorry.” He muttered and cleared his throat. “You don’t know me, not yet anyway, but I am Yale Beaufort’s son, Pegasus.” He explained, unable to keep the childlike wonder from his voice as he spoke to the former queen. Hope began to unfurl in his chest like a flower in bloom; She would help him on his mission, he was sure of it. What reason would she have to deny him?  Her mate had been killed, her home raided, her loyal beta abused and tortured. Vengeance must have stirred within her like a tempest, covered only by the mask of motherly peace. “I came to avenge my father.” He said suddenly emboldened, unable to keep the boyish smile from his face. In his juvenile mind she had already agreed to join him and he could clearly envision her tipping her head back an calling leagues of warriors sworn to fight for her. His smile grew as excitement ran through him. Unable to stop himself, his chest puffed out with glorious pride he asked “Will you join me?” the question sounding almost rhetorical, convinced he knew the answer. "Talk"  "Thought"   "You"

As soon as he introduced himself as Yale’s son Roza smiled and any tension in her shoulders eased. That’s why he seemed familiar. He certainly took after his father and once the connection was made in her mind the obvious similarity in their scents stood out. “Of course you are. I’m surprised I didn’t realize that on my own. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Pegasus.” Yale had always been a source of inspiration and comfort for her. She had always been amazed at the man’s loyalty to a family that had no blood relation to his own. To this day she still remembered the stories he told. She wished that she was half the story teller he was.

Her smile faultered a bit when Pegasus mentioned seeking ravenge for his father and asked for her help. If he had come to her right after Ganta’s death or right after she realized her children had been taken, she would have had far fewer reservations about the idea. Back then she had been raw, devastated, and had little to live for. Now... now was different. Her pain had simmered and she hesitated to do anything that may separate her from her children or put them in the line of fire. But... she had to hear him out for Yale’s sake. He did so much for her, his son deserved to have her at least listen.

“What do you hope to accomplish, Pegasus?” she asked with a thoughtful frown. ”I have to think of my children. I know they’re grown now... but I’ve put they’ve been put in danger so much because of me and their father as it is... I have to think of them first. But your father meant the world to me so if there is some way I can help... I will. So tell me your plan or what you hope to do.”

Never once had Pegasus anticipated that the woman would refuse to help him. She had agreed to hear his piece but the doubt in her voice had come as a surprise. She had agreed to hear his piece but suddenly he felt unsure of himself and his mission. He hesitated, trying to compose himself from the shock of her potential opposition then cleared his throat. “My father-“ His voice cracked suddenly and he found himself needing to clear his throat again before he could speak clearly. “My father was taken as a slave by the Abraxas at the fall of Dragoste.” He explained, trying to keep his composure. What if she had actually known what had happened to him and had been just as unwilling to rescue his father then as she was now to avenge him. “They tortured him, starved him, injured him they-“ He paused and felt a chill run through him as he recalled the full extent of what the wolves had done. “They raped him…” He whispered as he let his head hang, then lifted it again, slowly. “I came to fight for his honor, and crush the plague that wretched family brought upon this land. Will you help me?” He asked again with considerably less confidence. Avenging his father was one thing but to wipe an entire family from the earth was another. He had no idea how many Abraxas had nested on the continent or the sheer magnitude of what he hoped to accomplish. Even as he spoke, as apprehensive as he had become after his initial boldness, it still didn’t fully occur to him how stacked the odds were against him. "Talk"  "Thought"   "You"

Maybe it wasn't his place to say anything. In fact, his mother would probably have some strong words for him later for interfering. Or for finding out that he followed her nearly everywhere in secret to make sure she was never in danger. Sometimes he went off to do his own thing and came back to her after a while to check on her just to reduce his risk of being found out. That's what he had done today and he quietly walked over to her now, lingering behind a tree as he peeked out to watch her speak to the man that was maybe a little younger than himself. His ears were perked forward in an attempt to catch their words but the distance kept him from hearing everything. What he did hear drove him out of the shadows. He walked over to stand next to Roza, a contrast in pretty much every way in comparison to her. Size, coloring, height made him nearly oposite of her, but he certainly inherited her heart. "I'll help," he said firmly, trying to ignore the immediate objections Roza was sure to throw at him. "I'm Ulric, Roza and Ganta's son. I owe a lot to Yale for looking for my sister when I was too young to do it myself... besides the fact that they took my father from me when all they had to do was take our pack and leave." He didn't often let himself think about the wolves that caused all of this. He would much rather focus on his sister and mother and what he could do to take care of them. But now... the opportunity was in front of him and he felt obligated to step up where his mother seemed unwilling to. He understood her reasons but his sense of honor forced him to act. He glanced down at his mother for a moment before he looked back up at the man in front of them. "What's your plan? How can I help?" "Speech"

As Pegasus spoke she felt her ears flick back against her head and she had a hard time keeping her eyes on his. The guilt in her gut deepened at the idea that Yale had been though all of this in part because of her family. She knew an apology would do nothing. She was so torn between wanting to help Pegasus get the revenge and the peace he wanted and keeping her children hidden away from the eyes of the wolves that ruined their lives. The sound of her son's large paws moving against the grass pulled her gaze up from the ground before she could respond and she looked at Ulric with her mouth agape. She didn't know where he came from or how much he had overheard. She had plenty of questions rushing through her head at that moment - namely why he had been following her - but for now she had to put that aside. "Ulric! You don't know-" she began, but he cut her off and continued explaining himself to Pegasus. She frowned and stood helpless while Ulric pledged his help and began to question what he could do. "Wait!" she exclaimed, looking between them with a frown. "Wait... just wait a moment." She sighed and shook her head. "You're talking like young, hot-headed men... which is exactly what you are." Roza brought her eyes back to Pegasus with a pause. "I understand why you want revenge. I do too. But to what end? Tell me that. My mate was killed, my children were taken, my pack was destroyed. I've already lost everything. I don't want to loose what little I have left." She hesitated, looking at the face of her dear friend's son. She knew his intentions were in a good place and she couldn't bring herself to tell him no... but she needed to know that they weren't just running into the line of fire. She pulled her shoulders back and pulled in a steadying breath. "I will help. But only if you have a valid plan. We are only three wolves. Maybe four if Philomena wants to help. I'm not just looking out for me and my children, I'm looking out for you too. I can't imagine that Yale would want you to throw your life away in revenge of his." Talk Abbey Others

He had just begun to resign himself as a failure when the handsome giant of a male quite literally burst onto the scene. Pegasus felt the plush fur on his cheeks rise on end and felt his ears burn as the male boldly stated that he would join him. He opened his mouth to respond gleefully but was cut off by Roza’s frantic exclamation. The woman insisted that they have a plan causing the excitement to fade from the young prince’s features. He glanced at Ulric and felt an immediate pang of disappointment in himself. Pegasus pulled back his ears and lowered his head as if Roza had been his own mother, scolding him for getting himself into trouble. She was right, he was being hot-headed and worse he was letting his raging hormones get the best of him. He wished desperately that he’d had a well formulated and calculated plan to give them, but sadly he did not. He gave Ulric another wall-eyed glance then huffed dejectedly. “Give me time, and I’ll have a plan for both of you. Until then how will I be able to find you?” He asked, his attention shifting to Ulric. "Talk"  "Thought"   "You"

Ulric's ears flicked back and his gaze shifted to his mother as she stopped them both in their tracks with her quick scolding. If nothing else in reigned him in and when he looked back to the man across from them he could tell it had done something similar for him. He understood his mother's concerns and the last thing he wanted to do was worry her or put his family into more danger. But at the same time they had been standing still and hiding for so long that Ulric was ready to take action. He frowned a little at Pegasus' dejected attitude as he agreed to come up with a plan. Ulric knew it was for the best even if he fully agreed that they should act out their revenge for their fathers. "We'll be in the mangroves near by," he replied with a glance toward his mother to confirm this. He knew his grandfather was there with his mate and their youngest children so Roza had been spending more and more time there anyway. "We'll wait there for you." He looked back to Pegasus with a nod and tried to give him a look of encouragement. They would figure out a way to make their fathers proud... he knew it. "Speech"

She could see Pegasus deflate a bit at her firm words and in a way she felt bad for crushing his enthusiasm, but she knew it was better than letting them run off to their deaths. She had spent the time since Ganta's murder and her reunion with her children hiding them away from the world and hoping that the shadows she kept them in would prevent any more harm from finding them. That was unrealistic. She knew that. Something about her family attracted bad luck and there was little she could do about that besides making sure they were ready for whatever came their way. She was confident that Ulric and Philomena both could handle themselves now, but it still scared her to think about them going into any kind of danger. She nodded to confirm Ulric's instruction about where they would be staying even though her eyes never left Pegasus. She sighed softly and pulled a small smile onto her lips. "Thank you." She paused for a moment and smiled a little more. "You really remind me of Yale. I'll never forget how he darted off in search of Philomena the moment he heard that she was missing. I always admired his determination. Just keep yourself out of trouble so I can see you grow up to be just like him." She took a step toward him to gently nudge his chin up with her nose, adding, "And keep your head up. A battle well planned is a battle won. When you rush blindly into something is when tragedy happens... That's how I lost my Ganta." She gave him one last smile before she turned around and walked off toward the mangroves. Her smile faded as she walked into the trees, but she made sure Pegasus didn't see the weight settle onto her shoulders. - exit Roza - Talk Abbey Others

His eyes had widened as she gently raised his head, unaccustomed to being touched by anyone, even his own mother. He listened to the woman and felt a heartfelt smile creep over his lips. Never before had he so sincerely felt like his father’s son, and he felt his chest swell with pride at the thought. He could almost make out the sliver of hurt in the woman’s voice as she mentioned her mate and the pain resonated deeply within him, his features dropping as she turned to walk away. Slowly, when he was sure he could move again he turned his head to address the silvery eyed male. “I look forward to meeting you again Ulric.” He said with a smile that his father would have considered improperly intimate had he been there. “I swear on my name and upon the face of Ley that we will both have our vengeance.” He said then tipped his head in a slight bow before he turned back the way he came. There was much to do, and no time to spare, but first he would need to return to Lirium.   -Exit Pegasus- "Talk"  "Thought"   "You"