When Yuka appeared Nari was surprised. He did not approach her. Instead asked why he was summoned. It almost brought a tear to her eye. Blinking hard Narime wondered..Why can't he just be happy to see me? Couldn't the child see how close she was on the verge of collapse? Instead she hardened her heart and listened to his question. It was a good one, yes Yuka always had the best questions.

"I know I shouldn't need to ask for forgiveness from you. Instead just hear me out and listen... You were always the best at listening little one..." Oh god... she wanted so badly to simply tug the boy close and cuddle with him. To be near her family once more.

That wasn't how wolves worked though. In a pack the alpha took care of the pups while the others cared for the territory and some hunting duties. Minka was technically their new mother now, and this fact brought out a deep longing in Nari; though she wasn't sure what she was longing for.

"Shade Slayer was a good friend of mine from when I used to live in Willow Ridge pack. Both he and I had left to create our own packs in the Spring. During the summer one of his scouts had come to our borders asking for a meeting between himself and I so that we could ally our packs together." She started answering unsure if Yuka would understand everything she was saying.

"I scheduled a meeting with him but Shade never showed up. That was some time ago now." She paused for a moment. "Allying with other packs could save you and your siblings if anything bad ever happened to our pack. If we need certain healing herbs that don't grow near us, if another pack starts a fight with us, or if someone is missing; we can ask our allies for help." She explained the good things for allying a pack. "Anyway. So I decided to go to Shade's pack to find out what had happened." She looked across the den to the cave's entrance not knowing that the hurt was plainly showing on her face. "It was only supposed to take a week at most, but all the storms that hit during my journey. I got lost more than once in them too." She growled annoyed at herself for having made her young worry so much for her. "I found his pack in shambles... The pack we were supposed to ally with to help both our families... Their few members were able to tell me that Shade had been killed, and before I left the pack seemed as if it were breaking a part already. I couldn't help them or Shade's pups. He.. he was like a brother to me.. I never had any siblings but him...." She wondered if Karpos was alive right now. Shade's death hurt both him and the silver she wolf. She had really loved that man as if he were her older brother. Even if they argued sometimes she had always looked up to him. She also felt angry for Karpos as he was so young to have gone through all the hardships the dark boy had faced.

Tears rolled down her face. Nari never wanted to see her own pups looking like that. "On the way back the snow storms began to hit. I barely made it over the mountain pass to you." She finally finished letting the tears roll down her muzzle. She sniffed once but kept herself from whining or crying out loud. All she wanted now was her family again.

"Please.. I won't be stupid again... I'm young too and I still make mistakes, but I won't leave you ever without saying anything about it. You have to understand that. I may have to leave for pack work but I WILL ALWAYS come back. I never meant to be gone for that long. Please Yuka forgive me..." She didn't want him to hate her. Not when she had only been doing this for them, for the pack so that they could have a better chance at surviving.

Malia woke from her nap when she heard her mother's call and bounded towards the voice. When she had reached there it was certainly a scene to behold. The Thorben girl heard only the tail end of the story, but that was not what was worrying her. She did not care where her mother went, only that she was back. The look on her younger brother's face caused anger to roll inside of her, threatening to burst forth in a flurry of claws and teeth. The look he was giving Narime... It was not a soft one. The face that looked so much like her brother's was arrogant and cold, so unlike the gentle, boring brother Malia had once known. She liked him better the other way.

Minka had stolen Narime's rightful place as Queen of Whisper Caverns. The girl avoided her new leader like the plague any chance she got. Frequently her thoughts ventured to what if's and could have's. What if Sloane was still here? Everything could have still been normal. But reality caved in on everything, pushing the realization that nothing would ever be the same. Narime would not fight for her spot; this revelation came to her now. Her mother was too gentle and kind to fight against a packmate, a loyal one at that, in order to lead without her mate by her side. Selfish musings came to her- was she the princess of Whispr Caverns now if her parents had disappeared or backed down? How could she face the others like this? A growl emerged from the back of her throat as she thought of Asriel and the pups of other packs who thought of themselves so highly.

This was for another time, another day. Walking from the side, perpendicular to where Yuka was standing, the girl sent a fiery glare straight towards him before making a beeline for her mother. The Thorben girl pushed her head into her mother's side again, reveling in the warmth and familiarity in such an uncertain time. "Speech"

Narime had always been on a quest. For most of her life she had wanted only to please others and to prove to them what her worth was. However now as her pups surrounded her Nari wanted nothing more than to please them.

To prove to them that she was strong.

In all her life she had never felt that craving to prove herself so strong as she did now. Her gaze fell on Yuka, strong smart Yuka who dipped his head then answered her plea for forgiveness.

”I’m glad you realized that you made a mistake…but keep in mind that when Sloane returns, he will not be welcomed with open paws…unlike you have,”

Her heart wanted to snarl out that he was wrong, that Sloane was always welcomed back. She was his mate and that loyalty was what kept her anchored silently to the earthen floor. But he's right too.. Narime realized that logically most of the rest of her pack would object to his return if Sloane was not injured or scarred badly from something that might have happened to make him disappear. I'm older yet Yuka's the one teaching me... How pathetic... a sad feeling gripped her while the she wolf bent her head down slightly to lick Malia's ear. A small part of her heart was settled by Malia and Titan's continued presence. However as Yuka turned to leave she wanted nothing more than to have her youngest nestled beside her.

That craving came back again.

She wanted to prove herself, but how was she to do that now? Yuka was already gone so she couldn't ask him what he wanted her to do.

Turning to look at the two left before her Nari posed them a question while sniffing and wiping the tears from her face with a silver paw.

"How do I make you proud of me? What should I do to prove myself to you three?" she asked glancing between Malia and Titan hoping that they would answer her and not simply walk away.

Shock passed over the girl's features as her brother spoke of their father. How could he say such things? Surely their father- the great leader of Whisper Caverns- would be accepted with open arms? Maybe the other packmates wouldn't like it at first, but the siblings would make them see... But Yuka was speaking as if he believed it. Confusion passed over the girl's features as she watched him walk away, disappearing quickly as if retreating from a battle zone. What has he turned into? the amber-eyed girl wondered to herself, before turning her gaze to her mother. Was Yuka abandoning them in his own way? Malia teased him, and was probably meaner than a bigger sister might need to be, but she thought all along that Yuka understood that it was not coming from a truly mean spirit. Maybe he was more sensitive than she had ever thought beforehand- but she could never apologize for wrongs she hadn't committed.


Nevertheless, one does not turn back on family. And that was exactly what Yuka was doing, and Malia did not know if he could ever forgive that unless he returned to his old self. Looking into her mother's tear-filled eyes made everything clear to the girl. She would need to talk to Yuka sometime and make him see what he was doing, tearing their poor mother's heart to pieces and leaving them in the dust. She was a gentle spirit, a kind soul... how could he ever do something like this?


Stepping forwards, Malia embraced her mother, an action she found she was doing frequently these days after her return. "I am always proud of you, momma." the small girl replied with a smile. "But Yuka doesn't get it.. that you had to go. I don't think anyone does.... Maybe if you became leader again he would see." If Narime regained leadership of the pack from Minka, everything could go back to normal. They would be the heirs to the Whisper Caverns throne and Yuka would realize his mistakes. "Speech"