He watched his sisters mother leave, and sat there a few moments longer, staring at the empty place where she had been. This had the potential to change things, or perhaps it would change nothing. Regardless, he had made the decision that she had the right to know. She had supported him, through thick and thin, and he would in turn try to do his best by her. Sometimes he could be a selfish asshole, but perhaps this shouldn’t be one of those times.

He moved a few steps back into the territory, and then raised his head and called for his little healer to join him. He let the howl fall to silence once more, found himself leaning back on his hunches, and tried to clear his mind as he waited for the woman that he had called.

It was rare for Seer to call for her.  Usually he just found her wherever she was.  Curiosity and slight panic pulled the small woman from her duties.  Without her pack,  she raced towards the direction of the call, spindly legs carrying her quickly over the terrain. 

She could see him in the distance.  He sat,  unmoving and her worry grew. She threw on a burst of shoes,  only skidding to a halt when she was near enough to insist him.  "What happened?  Are you okay? " the tiny fae checked him,  looking for injuries.  She'd forgotten her damn bag and would have to go back to get it if he was hurt,  but he looked whole. Io arched a brow,  green and gold eyes moving to his pensive face.  "What's going on? "

He hadn’t expected her to come racing across the territory, as through demons come to life nipped at her heels. He waited a moment for her to get close, mild amusement in his expression, and the knowledge that Io was likely to scold him for giving her such a fright. Unless, of course, his news knocked her off her stride before she could.

“I had an interesting visitor just now” he told his sister, and remembered the name the woman had imparted upon him just before she left. “Her name was Resin, and she came her to tell you that your demon of a father is dead.” He watched her a moment to see how she reacted. She had never told him her mothers name, but could she still easily believe the woman lived, and was nearby?

He supposed he shouldn’t keep anything back, she would wish to know all, and quickly. “She has gone to the Avian territory we first met, if you wish to speak to her, but she made it clear that she doesn't want to disturb your life here. What do you want to do, Io. did you want to speak to her? Alone or together?”

There was absolutely nothing wrong with him!  The healers brows drew together and she just opened her maw to give him a piece of her mind when he dropped a bombshell on her.  Iolaire sat hard, brow still furrowed, but in concern rather than irritation. "Did she seem okay?" That was the first question that came to mind. Her mother had always lived on the edge of danger and she had the scars to prove it. She'd never told Sirius the stories about her mother's ruined visage,  but perhaps she might. 

He went on to tell her that the woman who bore her was waiting and that it would be her choice whether or not she wished to meet with her. The dark wolf wrinkled her nose slightly.  Of course she wanted to meet with her.  The old Iolaire didn't understand and had hated her mother just as much as her father.  She had grown since then and understood many things about her upbringing and about the woman that gave her life. 

She bright her gaze to the face of her adopted brother.  "I don't know how to feel about this. I'm relieved that he's gone and I'm glad that she came to tell me." She gave a slight shrug.  "I just don't know how to be around her. She's a different kind of beast altogether than you and I." Iolaire fought for the words,  one paw gesturing as if trying to grasp the concept.  "She is battle. She's less wolf and more brute instinct." Again she searched his face.  "What do you think?" Sirius had never had a mothering influence, she'd heard.  Could he understand what was going through her mind?

“Is the absence of an eye old news or new?” his voice was mild, the wound had seemed old to him, and any danger it might have posed to her was past. “She seemed well enough for a wolf that looks as though they’ve been ground up by war and spat back out again” he got the impression she was a grizzled old wolf, that didn’t get fazed by much. He was looking forward to the chance to test his mettle against her, voluntary or otherwise.

“I see no reason not to go, if you don’t wish to see her again after today, you can move on, and know that at least you went, and spoke to her. If you don’t, she will leave, and there is a chance you will never see her again.” Sirius explained. It was best she knew the consequence to her decision. “If you go, from there you can make a choice of what you wish to do. If you want to offer her a place in the Armada, I extend to you the right to do so.” he loved Io, she was his sister, and his faithful friend. He might have momentarily entertained the idea of chasing off her mother and ensuring the way of things could not be changed - but at the end of the day, he would fight for her, and fight for what she wanted.

Iolaire's legs slid outward and she lay upon her stomach.  "Old, " She shared,  regarding the missing eye. "That happened shortly before we were born. A wolf had gone mad and had begun attacking the packs pups. My mother killed her,  but not before losing her eye." The small lass gave a sardonic smile.  "And in return for her sacrifice, she was raped and almost killed." Io shook her head before lowering it to her paws. "She's had a very rough life. One that I wouldn't wish on another."

She was glad to hear that her mother was mostly whole. When Sirius spoke of her appearance as being spat out by battle,  Io laughed.  "That's what she was bred for. Eldest daughter to the chieftain of a warrior clan." Iolaire could only imagine the scars that the large fae had picked up in the years that they were apart. 

Then Sirius did something that surprised her.  He offered to let her chose whether or not to extend an invitation to her mother.  "She's a hard wolf,  Sirius." Iolaire had always yearned for family. Would inviting her mother here throw a wrench in the family that she had acquired? "Truly, I would very much like to have her in my life,  but not if it will cause you hardship. My mother is a leader. She has never followed." What a mess... perhaps Resin was ready to settle down though.  Maybe she was ready to let the younger wolves of the world handle things for once. 

Her gaze rose to look the Saber toothed man in the face.  "It would mean a lot to me if you'd try to be patient with her. She's not bad by any means, she's just difficult to understand. I'll ask the same of her." It seemed as though her decision was made. "And I'd also very much like it if you'd come with me." She needed some emotional support and she trusted Sirius beyond all others.

He frowned, uncomfortable by his sisters words 'that was what she was breed for' the words were all too familiar to the tyrant. His parents had been wolves of war, and well he did not remember them he did not believe their coupling had been one of love. 'Breed for war' indeed. He let the topic move on, past it, and back to the fate of Io and her mother.

"You can extend the invitation, if she is truly a leader then she wont stay in the grunt force for long. My warriors will need a captain, and perhaps I will find one in her." He was willing to give the wolf a chance, the opportunity to work her way quickly through the ranks, if she so chose. If she wishes to work in a more solitary nature within his pack, he believed he could accommodate her.

‘I would very much like to have her in my life’ Those words meant that he would do his best to convince the woman to stay, for Io’s sake. “I’ll be at your side, then. Shall we?” he asked, voice gentle as he got back to his paws, indicating for Io to move with him towards the Avary.

She had half expected him to give her a hard time over her decision. She knew that some part of him had to be bitten by jealousy or worry at someone with such a hold over the healer coming back into her life. There was no need for him to worry though. She had made a promise. He was her family. Her mother was somewhat of a bystander. Some enigma or ghost that just existed but had no real place beside her. Yet. Things could change, but her loyalty and devotion to Sirius would not change.

He offered to go with her and suggested that they do so now. Iolaire shook her head. "Not today. Tomorrow." She needed to prepare herself. Get all of her ducks in a row, as the saying went. Right now she was just too... electric. Her brain wouldn't stop firing. Her father was dead. Her mother was still alive and was within walking distance. It was a lot to process. The dust had been swept away from old memories. Old feelings. Io needed to tamp those down before she faced her mother.

"Tomorrow," she said again and nodded once. "I have so much to do..." The woman blinked away the tornado of thoughts that were tearing through her skull and looked to her brother. "Thank you," she said softly. He was a huge support and she would most likely need to lean on him tomorrow.

-Exit-

He looked expectantly to Io, but shook her at him, and set a different date. Sirius preferred to get things over and done with, and not dwell. He was a very act first, think second sort of wolf. But, this was her family, and she had a lot to think about, he had after all dropped it all on her at once.

“Tomorrow” he agreed. He then reached over and grabbed her, pulling her in close and planting a kiss against the space between her ears. “You do what you need to, and we’ll go when your ready” he released her then, taking a step back as the giant surveyed her. No, he would not give up Io easily, and he would not let her mother take her from him… but he would give them a chance. His sister deserved happiness, and if he could help her find it, he would.