Sweet oblivion melted away, leaving consciousness in its wake. Again. This was happening again. Was she destined to return to the land of the living every year? It wasn't as though she didn't enjoy seeing her children, but... she had another life now. The sole protector of the mountain range where she was born. There were things to do there. Creatures to kill. Her territory to protect and keep. The gods seemed to want her here for whatever reason. She would find out what that reason was. A feast had been laid out and the smells wafted into the woman's dusty blue nares. An odd thing, considering she was dead. As she looked around the hall, she noted various ethereal creatures moving about, tending to the meal. They chattered, welcoming her to eat her fill. After looking at the feast, the ash and onyx fae ate sparingly out of thanks and obligation. As she ate, Resin noted more solid forms milling about. The wolves of The Hallows had no idea that they were playing host to the dead. A lone golden eye fell upon a strong, mottled form. Her son, Rudyard. Leaving her meal the fae moved towards him, taking in his healed wounds. My... how he'd grown! A pang of wistfulness hit the old wolf and she reached out to touch the boy. The man. Her paw passed right through him, of course. She had the need to let him know that she was here and thinking of him, however. Looking about, Resin eyed the fireplace. The fireplace that should always remain lit. Moving to it, the specter blew at the flames until they sputtered and flickered out of existence. Resin watched, making sure Rudyard would see the fire extinguished, then she gently blew life into the flames once more. Would he understand? "Resin"

Rudyard had in truth been watching the flames already.  There were so many things to ponder lately, he was already an uncle and soon would become a father.  The magical autumns were pleasant, the feast had been strange but enjoyable, and he’d visited statues with talking familiars.  

This was again things that were wrong in the fact it was abnormal in the same way the long night had been.  The talking familiars reminded him of the firefly fellow even if they did have different personalities and apparently motives.  There was another thing, one he had no idea how close to the mark he was hitting.  During his wedding how he had wished Resin had been alive to be there with the rest of his family.  Art had to feel the same at his wedding and the birth of his children.  Rudyard wished mom could also see how he had grown, and that he would also soon be a dad.  His children would never get to know her but Rudyard would be sure to tell them all about her.

These thoughts came and went as despite everything else going on there was nothing that could keep his main thought flowing back to the fact he would still be a father.  A very protective father with all that was happening.

Suddenly, the fire died out.  Rudy blinked, an intentional harder blink as if to clear something from his eyes.  There was nothing to see that should have disrupted the fire.  Rudy was about to walk towards it when the fire lit again.  As sure as hearing a ghost story and then something weird happening, Rudyard's mind jumps straight away to a ghost.  Here, with past experiences, it wasn’t a far-fetched idea.  Was it hope or possible truth that made Rudyard imagine Resin?  Protection for those he loved here and a desire of hope for it to be his mom warred within.

The fire lit up again.  One could try and say wind had put the fire out, a wind that he hadn’t felt nor should be here.  That wouldn’t explain the fire lighting up again.  “Mom?” Hope sparked in him more as surely as the fire.  Hesitation was there though as just as assuredly he could be wrong.  Something or someone had to be here and he wanted it to be mom but could he know for sure?  His head swiveled about the place wondering how strange it would sound if anyone listened or took note of it but the hope demanded he say something.  

“Mom?  I want you to know.  I’m going to be a dad.”  It was the most important thing he could say just in case it was her. “I’m going to have pups with Fern. Art just had pups.” The last time mom had been visible, they could see her and hear her.  If she was here why was it different?  Hope and fear of disappointment kept up, ears and eyes alert hoping for more signs that it was her.

"Rudyard Carpathius"

Such a smart boy. The invisible specter watched as the mottled man blinked, clearly startled. Then he spoke aloud to her and Resin actually smiled. As Rudyard spoke to the fire, telling her a very big secret, the ash and obsidian woman's singular golden eyes widened. She then chuckled lightly and reached out to touch the cheek of her grown son, but her paw went right through him. It was a little frustrating. Artorias had children as well. She was a grandmother. The liquid gold that had infected Resin during her previous visit to the living plain was still in effect. Tears filled the old fae's lone eye and spattered on the stone floor, gleaming brightly in the flickering firelight. Would they be visible to her son as well? If not, Resin stepped forward and blew at the flames again, sending them drastically close to going out. An idea came to her. Stepping forward, the old wolf placed one of her wide paws into the ashes and pulled the line outward onto the stones. She pressed her paw into the ashes before the fireplace and watched as the imprint remained. He would know. She knew that he would know. But would he know how proud she was of him? Of them all? "Speech"

Rudyard hadn’t heard of ghosts walking around for everyone to see as they had done last year so if they were back then none of them were showing themselves.  Well, it's possible Rudyard and Fern just hadn’t heard of it but the two had spent the season roaming with no sights nor stories of it.  There was a feast and no one had mentioned seeing a ghost.   Not seeing didn’t mean they weren’t there.

There was no other explanation Rudyard could come up with for what was happening.  Really, it was pretty simple.  If all other options were out it had to be a ghost.   That it was mom was still a guess but she had more reason than most to come here. Rudy’s eyes shifted down as something caught his attention.  A glimmering wet spot on the floor, then another fell down above it.  This was no evil spirit for sure.

The flames danced, dying down and almost fading but then coming back to life, stubborn and coming back to like.  Like a Carpathius.  Rudy grinned at his own inner comparison.  Hey, it sounded good and appropriate in front of the ghost of his mom.  Rudy couldn’t prove it but he’d always followed instincts, trusting what his heart knew even if nothing else could prove it.

The ashes were moving, Rudy watched with keen focus and curiosity about what would come.  A pawprint appeared on it, a print of the right size.  Some memories can’t be forgotten and a little thing such as the size of a paw mark was one of those. Rudy’s grin grew in confidence.  “I don’t believe you knew but, Fern is Meadow’s daughter.  Anyway, Mom, I’d love you to stay here and spend time with us but we’re ok.  If you want to go rest or, whatever normally happens after death, we’re ok.  Just, rest in the knowledge we love you and you helped us grow up to who we are.”

Mom wasn’t the sort to want her kids needing her.  He’d share the fact he loved her but also she didn’t need to worry about them.  They could care for themselves and continue the Carpathius bloodline.  Let mom really rest in peace.

"Rudyard"

He understood and it showed in the expression on his face. Rudyard looked at her pawmark and he knew. He explained to her just who Fern was and it felt as though Resin had taken an arrow to the chest. Her sister's daughter had found love with her own adopted son. They would have one another until the end of their days. Rudyard would keep her safe and, if Fern was anything like Meadow, she would keep him safe as well. Soft, her sister was, but she loved her family fiercely. Rudyard continued to speak, assuring the dead woman that they were all okay. He told her that it was fine for her to go and rest if she wanted and the silent specter chuckled. She had been resting, patrolling her mountain home, yet she was pulled back here again for some reason. Perhaps to hear the news and assure her son that she approved of his choices. Resin knew that they would be okay without her. She had raised her boys to be strong and smart and to protect their sisters. Yes, their sisters were strong in their own ways, but Artorias and Rudyard... they were like their mother. Strong. Protective. Reliable. They would be okay. There wasn't a doubt in her mind. One paw rose to wipe the golden tears from her eye. Looking back down at her pawprint, Resin made another mark, the rough outline of a gold streaked heart around her own paw. The bottom edge streaked out, pointing towards her boy. She loved him dearly and this was her way of telling him so. "Speech"