Since the birthing of her children she had taken every and all excuses to leave them at home with their father and get back to her duties, partly because she didn't want to get demoted and partly because she wanted to get back into shape. Her stomach was beginning to tighten up already but still... Her body would never be the same, she knew this much. The elasticity was gone and she could really notice it when she perched on her haunches and poked ether stomach. It was droopy and kind of saggy rather then tight and firm like it once had. It didn't help that eating weed and an endless supply of food brought to her by Nova in her pregnancy had added a bit more weight then her pups had. Plus she had these weird... Teets. Ugh such ugly things all swollen and droopy. Usually they were flat to her underside and covered by the sleek black fur but now. So gross. Yup bodies were gross... 

And so she would leave them again, slithering away from her den, mate and newly speaking children whom she was growing to hate more and more, setting off towards the boarder before cutting quickly right. She had worn a well travels death by now along the boarder, one she at least was grateful for so she didn't have to trudge through the deep snow. Long legs gobbled up the ground as slowly she found her old rhythm of beta rather then mom. She didn't like being a mom... Except to Mercy... But the child... Dione wasn't sure if she would ever see the girl again after their last spat. Did it matter? Dione was confused about it all, an emotion the green woman did not like or appreciate as worry blossomed in her chest. She had to know... She would slow and then halt in her trench before tipping her head back and howling, calling for Mercy. She probably should have stopped by her second den and eaten some herb before this but eh. What happened happened right? 

The howl that called for her was one that she hadn't heard in quite some time. The girl paused, head lifting as her ears turned to pick up the last notes. She wasn't sure where here and Dione stood, the last time they had spoken seemed to be a life time ago. She was a year now, and she could no longer act like a child. Dione had brought her in when no one else had bothered to, had showed her a home and given her a place to live. How could she have been so mean to her? She understood a bit more now, and the fact that the green woman didn't just decide to have pups. Accidents happened, so she had been told. Sighing, she pulled herself to her paws and ambled towards the small woman. It had been too long since they had spoken, it was about time that Mercy worked on setting things straight. Coming up to Dione on her left, Mercy let out a soft bark to alert the other at her approach. Pausing several feet away from her, the girl offered up a shy smile. Was there still anger held between them? "Hey..." she said softly, hardly above a whisper as her elongated tail swung slowly behind her. Crappy starter line, but at least it was something. Walk "Talk" Think

Who would come? She had called for Mercy but would Valentine pop his head in? How long had it been since she had seen any of them? It felt like a lifetime ago. But she wasn't left waiting long, the scent hit her before the sight of the girl did and even then black marks seemed to appear out of nowhere in the snow followed by a soft alerting bark. Dione would blink slowly, turning her gaze to face her once proclaimed daughter before a soft smile would slowly slither its way across her lips. She had missed the girl. Mercy would return the smile, moving slowly before speaking softly, tentatively testing the waters of their relationship. Dione would lift herself, looking to move forward and attempting to reach out and touch her nose to the girl's cheek. "Hey yourself. You've grown... If thats even possible." She would say, a grin splitting across her features as she took a step back to regard the girl carefully. Yeah, shit she was tall...

The woman came up to her, and she bent down to allow the soft touch on her cheek. A soft sigh brushed out of her lungs and she nuzzled the small green woman back. She had missed Dione, no matter how much she didn't want to admit it. Mercy couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, picking up her front left paw and trying to place it between her horns. "And you've shrunk, if that's even possible," the girl said softly. Sitting on her rump she curled her tail around her flank. She was for sure a tall girl, there was no doubt about it. Purple eyes scanned the woman, sadness clouding her gaze. Where did they stand? Were they going to be able to cross this bridge that had been built? "So... how have you been?" she asked, a bit nervous as she drew her paws in little circles. Speech

Mercy would bend down allowing Dione to touch her cheek tenderly as she sighed and allowed some tension to flee her body. Mercy's paw would lift and fall between Dione's horns, exclaiming that Dione had shrunk at which the green midget would chuckle, pulling back in an attempt to escape Mercy's paw. "Naw I think you just got bigger and dwarfed me..." Dione would say with a chuckle, lifting a tiny black stockinged leg to swat in her direction playfully. Mercy would sit slowly, eyes downcast as she looked at her paws that traced lazy circles through the dirt. She was worried... For good reason. Dione would look away for a moment before Mercy's words would draw her back. How had things been? "Well.. Got pregnant, something I swore I would never let happen, was violently ill the entire time, lost contact with my first daughter, was a chicken about telling my alpha and consequently lost my job... Honestly kinda crappy..." Dione would say with a heavy sigh, looking off at the distance for a moment before turning her gaze back to Mercy and smiling slightly. "How about you? You seem... Different..." Dione would say, allowing ruby gaze to travel up and down the girl for a moment. More sure of herself, independent... Dione didn't really like independence...

Jesting was quickly put aside, even though the woman bantered back with her. A smile lay like a phantom on her lips, only lasting for a few moments before the topic was changed to that of a dire one. The girl blew out a soft sigh at her words, nodding slowly. It was surprising to her that Valentine had demoted her though, he was a kind and forgiving alpha. Then again she wasn't totally sure about the whole leading a pack thing, so there was that... Purple eyes pulled up from her paws as she watched Dione look her over, telling her that she had changed. Well yes, she had changed a lot since they first spoke. "I'm stronger," she said simply, trying to meet and hold the smaller woman's gaze. She had not only bulked up, but her frame had grown more slender and womanly as she reached her first year. But signs of a fighter were already apparent on her form, scars dusting across her face. Some blended with her pale coat, but others were still pink and risen. She may be young, but there was no denying that she would make a great fighter. She was no longer the scared little girl that Dione had found seasons ago, she had found herself, had found her purpose.

Memories of Dione stalking out of the meeting crossed Mercy's mind, her spine tingling at the thought. "You're leaving, aren't you?" she asked softly, ears pulling back against her skull. Her purple eyes blinked several times to try to keep back the tears that threatened to fall. Even though Dione hadn't answered her, she knew what the green woman would say. There had been a shift in her as well, she had grown more distant from other pack members and often wandered away from Imperium. Dione was like her mother, and she didn't want to see her go. But... if she was going to leave, she would be staying. She enjoyed being a part of this pack, and felt like she was making friends. Valentine trusted her, and she liked to train with him. He didn't cut corners, and wasn't afraid to really fight with her. But to say goodbye to another family member... She didn't know if she could handle it.

Mercy would listen, the gravity of the situation weighing down on both their shoulders. Dione could not met the girls eyes, a mixture of guilt, envy and hatred coursing through her. Mercy could not only live here but she could thrive here. It would seem to the green woman that Mercy had already left Dione in the rear view and really the tiny woman wasn't too surprised nor hurt by this realization. Mercy would state that she was stronger and Dione would smile softly. "I'm proud of you..." Dione would murmur softly, smiling slightly before looking away. Slowly she would begin to unhook the chains that had tied them together. She had Valentine now... Mercy's next question was a bit unexpected. Had she been that obvious? Probably... "Yes..." Dione would say softly before looking back to Mercy, gaze hardening as she steeled herself for this. "We hadn't made a decision yet but I think yes... This pack isn't what Valentine promised it would be. It isn't what he promised me. You know the rank her gave me was to collect slaves, keep them and to poison wolves when he needed me to? That's my speciality Mercy... I'm not a nice wolf because that's the shit I enjoy doing. But since I have been here nothing..." Nothing... She would sigh, eyes narrowing as she looked inwards towards the interior of the pack. "I don't fight. If I do its to kill and it's not fair. I don't play fair because fair might mean scars." Dione would say, turning to eye Mercy's form, landing on the biggest pinkest scar and smiling. They looked good on Mercy, made her look tough.

"I don't do well doing nothing and that's all there is to do here. But even more unforgivably... Is Valentine trying to take my children from me, telling the pack to train them, trying to lure them away from the den so he can see them without me. Or the fact that he turns a blind eye to the mocking my whole family receives every time we try to make an appearance in the pack. I can't have my children growing up thinking that they are freaks just because they are a different colour. They couldn't pick it anymore then I could pick it." Her words were beginning to hiss from between teeth now but her eyes would close and she would sigh. She hated this place. It was no way to live and it was no place to raise her children. "I know you won't come with me. I understand and respect that. But I want you to know you will always be welcome to visit, and if you ever need anything I will always be here for you." Not Valentine, not this fucking pack but Mercy. With that said she prepared for rage, accusations... Just as Dione had received when she had told Mercy that she was pregnant. She was a child she wouldn't understand after all.

When Dione said that she was proud of her, the girl sniffled as a single tear rolled down the left side of her face. She had never had anyone tell her that before, not someone who meant so much to her as this green woman did. And when she answered her question with a yes, her lip quivered. So she had been right... she had noticed that Dione had been pulling back further and further. She listened to her words with a stiff nod, not being able to hold back the tears anymore. They poured down her face as she shuffled forward, pushing her face into Dione's scruff as she wept. She didn't want to say good bye, but she knew that Mercy couldn't live here. She went on to say that she was always here for her, always there. Mercy sobbed, her body shaking as she further pushed her face into the woman. She inhaled her scent, committing it to memory. "I-I love you Dione," she said, pulling back to try and meet her ruby gaze. She wasn't angry, maybe somewhere deep down, but all she felt right now was sadness and regret. She regretted the time that they spent separated, that she had been angry at her. She didn't want to let go, to lose yet another part of her family. "I'll come visit, I swear. I... I really do love you."

Mercy's emotions would come flowing out and all at once Dione's cold exterior would melt and crack, chipped and chiseled away by the sorrow that poured from her eyes. Mercy would step forward and press her face into Dione's scruff as she professed her love to Dione. Neck would arch and curl around the tall girl as she sighed. She hated doing this to her... "I love you too my sweet..." Dione would murmur, licking the back of the girls neck tenderly until she pulled back and looking at Dione. Mercy would promise to come visit and Dione would smile sadly, reaching forward in an attempt to lap the tears from Mercy's eyes. "And I'll visit you for as long as Valentine lets me. I'll be back as soon as we settle into our new home." Dione would promise, a soft smile drifting over her lips. "I want to make a home for my children where they can grow up to be as amazing as you. I would love for you to be in their lives, for them to know their big sister..." Dione would offer hopefully. Would Mercy agree to meeting them before Dione left??

Her tears would be licked away and she would smile softly, nuzzling the woman's cheek. She promised to come back and tell them where they had settled. She nodded eagerly, and her smile grew when Dione called her an older sister -- that she wanted her to be part of her little ones lives. She had yet to even meet the little whelps, and she would love to see them before Dione dragged them all away. "I would love that, Dione," she said softly, trying to bite her lip to stop the flow of tears. She didn't want to be a rambling mess anymore, and she knew that she couldn't stop the woman from leaving. The little green lady had made up her mind, and nothing Mercy could say to stop that. But to have little siblings, to have them know that they could come to her for anything, well that would make her feel a lot better. "Maybe you can even leave one here with me," she teased, trying to lighten the heavy mood that had fallen over her.

She was abandoning this child... What kind of mother was she...? No. She couldn't think of it like that. Mercy would be safe and happy here, she would have good training and a good mentor. At least Dione liked to think that Valentine might know what he's doing... Mercy would happily agree to meeting her children and a grin would spread across Dione's face. Mercy would joke about leaving one and Dione would quirk a brow throughtfully. "I don't want my children here with that new woman or the skull faced guy... But I would love for you to help train them to fight. Also. My daughter found a brown and white child left on the boarder here, I think abandoned. Ganja wanted to keep him because I need another child biting at my ankles like I need a hole in the head... Anyways. I told him we would stick around for a week, see if his parents returned then he could either come with us or stay here. He would do well with you if you were looking to take an apprentice under your wing. That is if he decides to stay. I honestly don't know if his parents will be back..." Dione would say, brow furrowing as she considered this. What kind of parents left their child abandoned...