The same dutiful purpose that had pulled him toward the mountains he had once called home had brought him to the north. After speaking with Theta and learning that more of his family resided in the north, the curiosity and desire to reconnect with them had taken over his desires. Eventually he would go attempt to reconnect with his aunt and cousin and make sure they made it to their destination alright, but first... first he had to satisfy this drive to find the other half of his family.

When he reached the edge of the Sparse Pines, the pack scent hit him like a ton of bricks. His uncle’s scent was strong here and that was enough to tell him that he had made it to the right place. He tried to imagine what it was going to be like to see Acere again, but he couldn’t manage it. He had still been a pup the last time he saw him... Although, he had been a pup the last time he saw any of them. Casso lifted his muzzle to howl from the border for his uncle, but he would be just as pleased to see any one of his family members that might want to answer. Right now he just wanted physical proof that this trip was worth it and that he hadn’t completely lost what was left of his family.

He'd been patrolling when he heard a call for him at the border. However, he didn't recognize the voice. He altered his course to find out who it was that was calling for him, and it didn't take him very long to arrive. Crimson gaze found a dark, hulking figure standing at the edge of the pines and he didn't immediately recognize who it was. At first, he thought Dominus. He had smelled the boy in the surrounding lands but hadn't seen him since the night at the Volcano when Elias had killed Domina. But...it wasn't him. He decided to approach, the titan male keeping his crimson gaze on the hulking youth. Drawing in his scent, he could tell that he was related, but...he racked his brain, and then it dawned on him. This boy smelled very faintly like Ignis. And that's when he figured it out. "Casso?"

Never did he think he'd see this boy alive. He thought perhaps Elias had gotten a hold of him before returning to Boreas and killed him just like he had killed Domina. His heart pounded as he stood in disbelief, but he did not approach nor move a muscle. He had no idea what Casso's upbringing had been since the last time they saw each other. Whether he had chosen to follow in Elias' foot steps or not. He was apprehensive, yes. Cautious mostly. Elias had fallen off the deep end before he had killed him, and he desperately hoped Casso had chosen not to walk that path...

Minutes felt like hours while he waited anxiously for someone to answer his call. He desperately wanted to be right, to have proof that another piece of the family he remembered still existed in this world. It felt like he was clinging to any puzzle pieces he could find to put the life he had missed back together again.

“Patience.”

The single word in the familiar and distinctly feminine voice that echoed in his mind made his ears flick, but it was enough to make him sigh and settle on his haunches. He knew being impatient would do him no good, but it was hard to wait for something that he had been wanting for so long. Luckily, his uncle’s form came into view soon enough and satisfied his curiosity, easing his worries in an instant. Casso stood to meet him, his dual-toned eyes watching the recognition cross Acere’s face as the older man took in his matured, scarred appearance.

”Acere,” he replied in turn, the relief fully evident in his tone. A small grin pulled at his lips and his tail wagged slowly behind him despite the fact that his uncle seemed a bit cautious. ”I’m glad I found you. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to find any of you again.” He didn’t even know where to start. He wanted to know what had happened after they left, he wanted to tell him where he had been, he wanted to know who else was here... He craved the answers to all the questions he had wondered for so long and he struggled to find the words to ask them. ”This is your pack?” he finally asked with a curious glance over the older man’s shoulder.

His name was spoken, confirming this was indeed the child he once knew. Only he wasn't a child anymore. "I’m glad I found you. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to find any of you again.” He was still in disbelief that Casso had ended up at his doorstep. He hadn't seen him for a couple of years since Ruina fell and the entire pack had seemingly disappeared. "This is your pack?” Ace nodded, his gaze never leaving the scarred form of his lost nephew. "Yes, it's mine. Ignis and Actaea are here, too." Ignis was at least. Actaea was in and out, but this was still her home. Cloudburst would be back soon enough, too. He had so many questions about the boy's whereabouts. Wondered if he knew what had happened to Elias. How he would react if he found out that Ace had killed him. So far, it didn't seem like he knew but he wasn't sure. "It's good to see that you're alive...I wasn't sure what happened to you and the rest of the pack after it was left abandoned. Where's your mother?" While he hadn't really gotten the chance to know Zuriel, she was still part of the family.

"Speech"

There was so many things lingering on the tip of his tongue - so many that he couldn't quite untangle them. It was strange how no matter how much time he had spent thinking about what he would say to his family when he found them it didn't seem to matter now that the had actually done it. Finding them had felt like a far flung dream until he crossed paths with Dominus. After he saw his brother again it sparked that desire in his soul to seek them out. He wasn't sure what he wanted from this, but it eased some deep worry in him just to know they were alive. When his uncle informed him that Ignis and Actaea lived here as well, he couldn't keep the surprise and relief from coloring his face. It did nothing to help him figure out how to process his thoughts, but it was information that brought him some joy none of the less.

Then came the question that he wasn't looking forward to answering - the event that had sent him on his journey back to Boreas to begin with. "She... She passed away a couple seasons ago." His ears flicked at the statement, his dual tone gaze shifting away from Acere's for a moment. At the very least it was a starting place for him to explain his story to his uncle. "She decided to leave after my father started getting so unstable. She wanted to take all of her kids with her, but she only found me and Daelos in time. Aunt Baine went with her as well." He knew that leaving her other children behind had been a heavy piece of guilt that she had lived with her since they left... He wished he could tell her that they were alright.

"We were living with a band of wolves that we found. They took us in after Zuriel and Daelos helped heal one of their members that was sick. I liked it there fine, but when my mother passed I decided that I would rather come back here. Baine wanted to go back to her family with her son after her mate passed away so I figured that was as good a reason as any to make the trip back myself. Daelos stayed with the band - her children are still pretty young so I don't think she wanted to travel that far with them just yet." He paused, his expression thoughtful as he thought back over the last couple of years. He despised that he had been pulled away from his family for so long, but he couldn't bring himself to put any blame on his mother. She had been trying to protect him and keep him away from Elias' influence. He knew that. Everything she had ever done had been in some attempt to protect them.

A thought crossed his mind and he brought his gaze back to Acere's again. "Is Elias gone?" he asked even though he was already certain of the answer. He noticed that Acere hadn't listed his father in the names that were living with him here and if there was one thing he knew about his father it was that he would never live away from his family. His father had gathered them under his watchful eye the same way a bird might collect twigs and trinkets. His tone wasn't pained or accusatory or even sorrowful... It was more just looking for information than anything else. Considering the state that his father had been in before they left he could only imagine what might have happened in their absence... Now he could only hope that Acere could help him fill in the gaps.

He waited patiently to hear what he had to say about his mother. Though he hardly knew Zuriel, she was the mother of the children he had taken in after Elias abandoned them. Ignis and Actaea had grown into fine young wolves, and he was sure Casso had, too. When Casso said that she had passed away, his expression changed into one of sadness. "I'm sorry..." Then his nephew dove into what happened with them during the time they were gone. He wasn't sure if he was surprised to hear that Baine had gone with them or not...he had met the sweet albino woman before and had even taken her to Ruina. Though he had to admit he had a bit of a crush on her then, if he had known Ruina would fall the way it did, he would have spared her the heartache of it. But at least she had been with her sister. At least she had found a life. A mate. Had kids...while he didn't regret the children he had with Heloise, a brief wonder of what things might have been like with Baine crossed his mind, but he quickly tucked it away. Now wasn't the time to focus on what-ifs and what could have been...Casso was here, and Acere listened to every word of it. At least they had all been wise enough to know that Elias was unstable. That it hadn't been safe for them. He only wished he could have done something about it sooner so they didn't feel the need to run away. "It sounds like you've all been through a lot. I'm sorry things happened the way they did, that your mother passed away...but I'm glad you all managed to get away." Because as long as Elias had been alive, it wasn't safe for them. But now..."Is Elias gone?" Ace knew he'd have to answer that sooner or later. Perhaps not just with Casso but whoever else came asking. Ignis and Actaea knew about it of course. They supported his decision about it. And while he didn't hear any hint of accusation or anything from Casso, he still wasn't sure how the boy would react. Even so...he had the right to know. The king nodded, a flash of sorrow in his eyes as he began to speak. "Yes...he was dangerous. He hurt too many people so I did what I thought was the right thing to do. Not just for his sake, but for everyone else past, present, and future." He said steadily. Calmly. And he didn't even fight back... Perhaps he wouldn't have felt so bad about it if Elias had fought back. But he didn't. Though perhaps it was for the best, too. Quick and clean. His brother didn't suffer through it, and that was the last kindness Ace had given him. He was laid to rest so he couldn't hurt anyone else anymore.

Casso had fully expected to learn that his father had died or been killed in some way. Elias had a way of making enemies and hurting others so that part wasn't a surprise. What was a surprise was when Acere told him that he had been the one that had killed Elias. The surprise showed on Casso's face for a moment before he nodded quietly with understanding. There was no way he could fault Acere for what he did and truthfully he was actually happy that it had been his uncle to do it rather than an angry wolf that was seeking out Elias for revenge. He was certain that Acere would have been far more merciful than anyone else would have been. As horrible as his father had been toward the end and as much as he knew it had to be done, he didn't wish for Elias to suffer. He had still been his father, for better or worse. Part of him wished that he had been able to face Elias again, but perhaps it was for the best. It was time for him to move on and be grateful that he had wolves in his life that were a better influence than Elias had been.

"I understand," he replied simply with a small, sad smile. He wanted it to be clear that he felt no ill will toward Acere because of it. If anything, he respected his uncle more for doing what was most certainly a hard decision. Now that he had completed his task of finding his Praetor family, Casso began wondering what his next task should be. He thought about his siblings and how he wanted to see them, but at the same time he knew that Baine would be waiting to hear from him and he had already taken longer than he had intended to find them. In the end though, he felt like this is where he wanted to be. He loved his Aunt Baine, but he had spent far too much time away from his siblings and if this was where they were living then this was where he wanted to be.

"I need to go back to Baine. I promised that I would find her once I was done looking for you, but once I'm done with that... I'd like to come stay with you if that's okay." Maybe it was presumptuous of him to assume that his uncle would agree to this, but he also couldn't imagine Acere turning him away. "It shouldn't take me very long. She went to find her family's pack in the west so at least I'll know where to find her and her son."

"Speech" Thought

"I understand." He let go of the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding until Casso had spoken. He wasn't sure what kind of response he expected, but it seemed Casso understood...just like Ignis & Actaea had. For a while now he felt some form of guilt for what he'd done. Wondering what the rest of Elias' children thought on the matter, but so far, those that he'd spoken to had been okay with it and understood. Some even rejoiced and were glad to finally be rid of him. While he understood their feelings behind it all, he still felt a pang of sadness when he thought of his brother. No, he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone anymore...but he would miss the old dumb bastard. He held tight to the memories of when they were younger. When things weren't so...damaged. But he felt Elias was in a better place now. Or he hoped, at least. He didn't think he'd ever find himself thinking about Elias this way, but he supposed the older he got and the more thought he put into it, his anger had slowly dissolved and he had been able to properly grieve. He would nod back to Casso as he acknowledged the understanding. "I need to go back to Baine. I promised that I would find her once I was done looking for you, but once I'm done with that... I'd like to come stay with you if that's okay." Baine...he remembered the albino she-wolf. She was a beauty under the light of the moon, and he'd never forget the first time he met her. Or the time he mistakenly took her to Ruina...that was all over now. He was glad she was safe and had found a life. "Of course, Casso. Whenever you feel ready, you are always welcome in Winterfell." He smiled as he reached forward to touch his nephew's nose with his own. "I am sorry your brother and sister couldn't make it to see you, but perhaps you can surprise them when you return, hm? Give Baine my regards, will you?"