The impending raid weighed heavily on her mind. Now more than ever she wished she could just ask Shaye a few questions. Although she was a bit older now, she still felt woefully unprepared for this twist of the knife. How would Shaye have dealt with this betrayal? Theo couldn't find the answers on her own. Perspective... she needed perspective. Her paws brought her to the thicket almost without direction from her brain.

Once she'd arrived, she found herself nervously pacing the edges of the land. It looked so different than she remembered, but of course it did. The thicket had been razed to the ground twice now. New spindly growth had begun to break through the soil but it would be a long, long time before it resembled anything like the place that lived on in her memories. Sighing, she tilted her head to the sky and called for her family to steel her nerves. Motif was still getting used to being part of the pack again, but Poem and Rhyme might be able to steer her mind in the right direction. If nothing else, their combined presence would soothe her nerves and bring a smile to her face. It always did.

The new motif was an anxious, quiet thing. She was afraid to love, afraid to feel that pain again. She had lost cannival. She had lost mumma. She had lost her fathers sanity. Loss, loss, loss. It seemed to surround her. Yet it was the girls nature to love, and the two halves of her were at war. She could not see her family and think she did not love them. But it hurt to see them too. She knew what it would feel like to lose them.

It made her quiet, a small presence within the pack. She was home in body, but not in spirit. Despite all her reservations, she did not turn her back on Theory when she called. She was not appraised to the going ons in the pack, but she would come. She loved Theory, who had lost Shaye with the rest of them. Who was her sister, full blooded in motifs heart if not in body.

The quiet girl would appear before the alpha du king her head shyly, and sitting quietly. She was not the only one called, through her heart twisted at the thought of all three she loved the most in one place.

"Mo," she said softly at her sister's approach. "Thank you for coming." Her response was earnest and heart-felt. Motif had been quiet and withdrawn since rejoining the pack, but Theory could hardly blame her. She'd gone through the gut-wrenching losses they'd all experienced... but she had been alone. For all of it. Theory couldn't imagine forging ahead if she had experienced all of their shared losses alone - the weight of all that grief would surely crush her. Yet here was Motif. It was a testament to her inner strength, even if she couldn't see it. Theory could use that steadfastness right now. "I'm just a little bit," she hemmed and hawed over the right word, "well, frustrated. Lost. Confused." Weren't they all? Theory turned and padded closer to Mo, sitting by her side and allowing the silence to stretch out in front of them like a comfortable blanket.

Theory is words put voice to how Motif felt, and she almost laughed, if she wasnt just a touch to miserable to do so. She hadnt laughed since her mother had died. Theory moved closer to her, and the long-tailed girl curled around her sister. It felt good to put her head against the other girl, and draw in the comfort of family. She had only refrained doing so before now by keeping herself distant from them. Now that theory was in front of her, she just wanted to bury her face in her sister fur.

"I.. I haven't been keeping up. What's wrong?" She asked softly. She had a feeling it was more then shaye that had her sister upset. Shayea death clung to Motif, but it had happened long ago now. An alpha had to out it behind her and function, for the good of the pack. Motif understood that.

Theory nodded in understanding, curling around Motif until they were two dark halves of the same moon. Whereas Poem and Motif created the perfect yin-and-yang, they were both dark like Shaye. From a distance, an onlooker might even think they were seeing double. She laid her head on her paws and blew air out in an exasperated sigh. "Winterfell has made some... interesting choices. Acere won - or lost? - a bid. I think at the same market - " Theory caught herself and looked away. Motif surely didn't want to recall her time in captivity. "Anyway. He foolishly bid away his own pack's allegiance on behalf of what seems to be an acquaintance at best. He is compelled to raid on behalf of the Hjarrandi and will come knocking at our borders soon to attempt to collect some herbs and other valuables. He has promised me he will return everything twofold, but not once has he come to show his face. I only have the words of his diplomat." Theory frowned. If he had wanted her to take his word in good faith, she would have preferred to hear the words come from his own mouth. "With the raid coming soon, I don't know how to handle the aftermath. We will learn what we can from the skirmish itself, but could I ever trust him again? Trust Winterfell?"

Theory filled her in completely, and Motif felt she held nothing back. It felt strange to be a part of her sister confidence. She was the pack Alpha, a rank that might have been hers, if life had gone a little differently. Her stomach flipped at the reminder of their mother. At the reminder of the market where she had been sold, and her time the Ashen Empure. Her ears flattened, but otherwise she showed no emotion. She didnt want Theory to treat her with kid gloves.

And had been out of the loop with news from around their world for a while, and her brow furrowed in thought. "This is the same Acere that out mum was friends and then not with? After they had a big fight?" She tried to recall the details, but she had just been a young thing, and then kidnapped. It hadnt been important enough to her world for it to stick. "That's so weird he would bid his pack away like that. I cant ever imagine you putting abaven to the highest bidder" indeed, motif felt like the whole pack would revolt if she did. How was Aces pack okay with this? "Are they the sort of pack to decide to be enemies with us if we decide we cant trust them to be friends?" She asked theory softly. What kind of allies where they?

Theory almost felt physical pain when she saw Motif's ears saddle at the mention of the market. Despite it all, she didn't cry or flinch. There was real strength there hidden beneath her pain. If only she could be stronger, more like both of her sisters. They were so different but she saw pieces of Shaye in each them. Now that they were finally all together again, Theory wanted to relish in that. Part of her was frustrated that this happy reunion was besmirched by the upcoming raid. It felt like there was a darkness on the horizon that she couldn't quite shake. When would they be able to sit back and enjoy each other's company? They'd lost so much time already. She pressed her face into Motif's fur, laughing a bit at the description of Acere. "Yeah. Shaye told me more about it during our training - he stepped out of bounds against another pack. When she ordered him to step down, he refused and she stripped him of his rank. I don't think he ever forgave her for that..." her voice grew soft towards the end. "It wasn't a misunderstanding, either. He tried to force claim an innocent bystander. In short, I don't know if he will decide to be our enemy, but perhaps it's time we found other friends we can really trust."

Theory leaned against her, and Motif shuffled to allow more room for her sister to nestle against her. She rested her chin on Theorys head. Her sister was just a smidge shorter then her, but she had forgotten that of late. Theory always stood so tall and sure, she was an Alpha with the weight of the world on her shoulder. Despite being raised as a Princess, Motif didnt envy her the responsibility. She did feel a strange, strong urge in her gut to protect Theory, who in turn protected all of them.

"I dont remember him" Motif admitted, his presence had been so short in her life, and her world had changed so many times since. She had no knowledge of his character to draw on now. "I'll support you, whatever you do. I'm not much of a fighter, but I'll fight for Abaven. I'll get pointers from Poem. I want let you down, Theo" she whispered softly.

"Thank you, Mo. That means so much," Theory said, blinking back tears. She hid the ones she couldn't stop in Motif's warm fur. They had been apart for so long but it felt like a day hadn't passed. Motif didn't quite smell like Abaven yet, but she hoped that would change soon. It certainly would as time passed. They'd be able to make up for lost time as soon as this "raid" was over. Theo was sick of waiting for it to arrive. As much as it made her sick, she just wanted the whole affair over and done with. "Poem is an incredible warrior now," Theory murmured. "We could probably both learn from her." Poem hadn't spoken ill of the man she'd bargained with, but how had he treated Motif? "You don't have to answer if you don't want to," she began, "but I'd like to know... well, if you're okay? What happened when you were gone, Mo? Did they treat you alright?" she ended on a precarious note. Her voice couldn't help but waver. Theory was half afraid of the answer but she needed to know. What were their neighbors to the south like?

She was surprised at Theory’s tears, and she pulled her sister closer, surprised to be comforting the Alpha, but enjoying being close to her, and the feeling that maybe, just a little, her presence helped. “She is” Motif agreed, but then Poem had always been the better fighter of the two of them. “Did you know Noir attacked me once? I put bugs in his bed and he found out, and he was going to hurt me, and Poem leaped in and kicked his ass.” The memory had become a fond one, another reminder of how far Poem would go to watch over her. She was glad to have both Theory and Poem in her life. What other family did she need? She tried not to think of their mother, who had passed, or Rhyme, who she had not reconnected with.

“He tried to teach me, but I was too scared to learn. The Empress’s daughter was mean to me, but the Empress stepped in when she found out. Everyone over there felt cold and distant, and I knew I didn’t belong. I hated it. When I saw Poem, when she came for me… I thought the volcano had killed everyone. I had thought you were all dead, and I was too miserable to do anything in that pack.”

She chuckled at Motif's childhood memory of Poem chasing down Noir, but there was a pit in her stomach. Her wayward brother had done much worse than that before he'd taken the opportunity to flee during the eruption. He was a gutless coward. Theory had thought that he'd reformed after being watched so closely by Odysseus and Rhyme but his disappearance proved otherwise. Noir would sooner flee than face the consequences of his actions. Theo held her tongue. There was no need to ruin Motif's idyllic memory with talk of the more recent past. When she spoke of her time in captivity Theory felt a deep ache in her heart. "Oh, Mo... that sounds so lonely," she murmured. They sounded like callous yet just wolves - but there was no ignoring that they willingly harbored slaves.

Theo could not abide by that within her own pack but she could not control all of Boreas. More wolves than Motif and Poem had worn and will wear shackles. The injustice of it all turned her stomach, but she was no fool. She wouldn't put her own pack and family in jeopardy to break all of those chains. The best she could do was make sure her own lands were just and fair. "I'm so sorry you didn't know the truth. We walked through fire when the thicket was ablaze and we did it again during the eruption. I promise you, we're strong. Everyone here has an incredible will to live. Most especially you." Motif had been through so much and still she was here, walking and talking. Theory wanted to see her grow and flourish once again.

Motif blinked back tears, not wanting to relive how she had felt in Ashen. She had thought her family dead, and this was all she would have now. A life of loneliness among wolves who lived off strength. She couldn’t relate to them, and nor had she wanted to. All she cared about was the loss of her world, and the desire that she had seen the end by their side.

Now she knew the truth of course, she had known it when Poem appeared at the Ashen borders, and she understood she was not alone. Seeing Poem then… it had been unbelievable, her heart still skipped a beat at the memory. Her sister was alive, and had come for her.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there” Motif whispered. She had run off to find Canni, and found slavers instead. She had been a piece of what had broken their family apart.

"In some twisted way, maybe you were kept safe. Away from the eruption. And it doesn't matter now, you're home," she murmured. Theory smiled encouragingly at Motif. "We're all together again. Nothing will change that." She'd walk through hell and back again to make sure that Motif never lived another moment in fear. As long as Abaven stood, she would ensure that its wolves would be safe. This was a place of growth (and regrowth). That was what she envisioned. It was something that she hoped would make Shaye proud. The next time they met in her dreams, she'd have plenty to tell her.