He had returned after his long, arduous journey from one of the Northern islands. The ice bridge proved difficult to cross with his injury, and he stewed with the thought of being forced to leave the deer behind for that damn cougar. But there was nothing else he could do about it. To make matters worse, he had gotten caught up in a snowstorm which didn't help anything at all but force him to take shelter until it passed. His wound had gotten worse, but by some strange turn of luck, someone had found him and offered their aid to patch him up enough to where he wouldn't have to worry about it. While he didn't really want to take longer by doing that, he knew it was something that had to be done or he probably wouldn't make it back to Acapella. The last thing he wanted was to never see her again...or for her to never hear from him again. She had grown to depend on him, and it was during his return trip back to her that he realized he needed to do something. He wanted to teach her how to be self-sufficient. To be independent again in the event something happened to him. In case he didn't get the chance to return to her again... He shook his head, not wanting to really think about that but he knew it was possible. He had taken her sight, and in doing so had taken her independence and self-sufficiency. It was only right that he tried to give it back to her, right? While he couldn't undo her blindness, he could at least teach her how to do other things on her own. Tracking, hunting, doing most things anyone with sight could do. Hell, if Dragon could do it so could she, right? He wanted to speak with Dragon about it if only to get more information on how he learned how to do it. But then again, he had seen the hurdles that his former alpha had overcome and all the help he had whereas Acapella only really had him. He continued to think about it as he limped back to their temporary winter home. The hot springs were warm, providing some relief and safety from the unusually cold winter season this year. He didn't leave her completely alone. Avalon was nearby, the old woman also taking refuge in the hot springs since the winter seemed to affect her old bones a lot more this year. As he drew closer, he could smell the others in the area and he moved as fast as his injured shoulder would allow. He kept as much weight as he could off of it to avoid further injury and strain. And while he had failed to bring back a deer, the stranger he met had been kind enough to catch him a couple of fat ptarmigans so he wouldn't go home empty handed, especially after he had told them why he had been out there to begin with. With a mouthful of feathers, he approached the den he had dug out for them and stopped. He put them down before calling out for Acapella. He was so exhausted that he wasn't even sure if he could tell if she was inside, or nearby. "Acapella? I'm back." "Talk"

The springs had been a very wise choice to nestle down in for the winter. The overall territory was a lot warmer then other spots and even in a den under ground it was comfortable. She was finding she was enjoying this territory more then the rest so far. She felt safer here and it was easier to navigate. It had taken her some time to actually maneuver and become comfortable around the pools, but she eventually learned and was comfortable. Despite Greed's absence she was being cared for and attempting to do some relearning on her own. Most of it so far was tracking, fallowing trails and strengthening her sense of smell. She did however find the length of time he was gone..... worrisome. Since he had found her after her banishment they had never been apart this long and despite having others around her she felt lonesome without him around. She worried that something bad had happened to him. Worried that he wouldn't be coming back. She enjoyed the company from Dragon's family, but she missed her company with Greed. She tried to keep herself from worrying, instead working at keeping herself busy at attempting to train herself. Dragon was able to do so much despite his blindness and it was a goal of hers to learn to adapt like he has. He was inspiring and she intended to do her best. She didn't want Greed to continue to feel guilty about the raid, she had already forgiven him. She wanted to show him that she could still be independent despite what has happened in hopes that it would make him feel better. Today she had decided to take a break and was resting within the den after a short morning exercise. So when Greed had returned she was inside the den. His call had made her heart skip and soon she found herself overwhelmed with relief that he was finally home. Quickly she would get up and move from the den, straight to him. Her tail wagging and a smile on her face as she sought to press her nose into the left side of his neck. "Welcome back," she greeted warmly. "Talk" Think

To his relief, she was in the den. That made things easier, to know that he didn't have to pull his hair out while stumbling around to look for her, and knowing she was safe and sound. The feeling of relief washed over him as she appeared and pressed her nose into his neck. In return, he gently placed his head over her shoulder, his weight sagging to the ground as he sat. A grunt of pain slipped from him with the motion, but he didn't care too much about it for now. "It's good to be back," He replied, blue eyes quietly looking her over. She looked fine. Healthy, taken care of. He needed to thank the others for helping take care of her when he was gone. He took in a deep breath, taking in her scent as he kept her close. During his return journey, he had been worried about leaving her. Worried he wouldn't make it back. But here he was. He had made it. And although that experience worried the hell out of him, it wouldn't particularly keep him from going into other dangerous situations. The upcoming raid against a force outside of Boreas would be upon him soon, but he wasn't worried about that. Against other wolves, he could handle himself. Plus, there would be many other experienced warriors there, too. He pulled away for a moment to look at her scarred face. A wave of sadness washing over him. She had forgiven him. But he had yet to forgive himself. If he had never met her, he wouldn't have cared. But ever since that fateful day, ever since she came into his life, he thought about it all the time. Despite her reassurances, he simply felt like he was undeserving of her forgiveness, and that it would be a while yet until he forgave himself. "I hope I didn't take too long, I tried to get back as quickly as I could but..." He sighed. Still feeling bitter about losing the damn deer he had been tracking over the last few days. "Talk" | 'Think'