blue gaze taking in surroundings, river ahead. pausing to inhale, sands hot under their feet, scales gratefully soaking up such heat. it had been long since they had visited, remembering moonlit occasions with a certain dark-furred feline, their face growing sad. what had become of him? what had become of kydobi? would he be happy to see them? heart trembling in their chest, the dragon looked upon the spiked border, recalling when jervis had instated the gory display, when his reign had come to an end and kydobi had fallen in battle. shaking their head, they headed towards the crimson nile, wondering what all had changed since they had given up their allegiance to the group and left with their newly laid eggs so long ago. hells, what a time that was. had peace come to the group in their absence? who led it now? they dared not lay their eyes upon the dark head upon one spike. it just had to be a likeness ... right?

tearing their gaze away, the dragon took a deep breath, padding back along the spiked border, trying to draw in scents of a recently passed patrol, trying to find some hope. exhaling, they came to a suitable spot, lifting their head to appear proper. "pittians! i'm here to speak with your ardent!", they announced their arrival, wondering who all would come to their call, friend or foe, and who would try to attack them. closing their eyes, they shivered, chasing away the ill omen in their chest. they needed to do this, they needed to know what all had happened since they had left after jervis' death and kydobi's resurrection. please, oh please, let him be okay! they prayed.

pale shape upon sands too hot to stand too long, the jungle long burnt and decayed, offering little shelter from the heat. once sick before, the dragon reveled in the heat of the sun. perhaps, they would be denning in the nursery this winter, if the ice floes reached in towards the water that encircled their tree. shaking their head, they chased thoughts of their new home away, gaze taking in kold. had they and kydobi talked about the borders? was he going to take them down? they couldn't remember, it had been too long since they'd seen him, harsh their separation. blue eyes holding a tint of sadness, they gazed down at the floppy eared pup, dipping their head the slightest in greeting. "i'm bai shi, my dear. what a pretty snake you have there.", they murmured softly, nodding to her rosy boa. chuckling slightly as they felt wuyi's paw upon their own, they bent their head to gently puff a breath over xem in comfort, "it's alright wuyi.", they murmured gently, knowing that xe may bristle at being soothed, but these spiked heads set a pit of unease in their stomach, eyes fixated on the dark furred one. it had to be some practical joke, right? shaking their head, they waited, tail curling and flicking behind them, reminded of the losses of juyi and sephiroth.

head snapping up as a vulpine scent reached them, the dragon's blue gaze took in gael, their heart trembling in their chest as they looked upon him, voice breaking as all sorts of ill omens overcame them, tongue fat and too thick to speak, "gae ... gael. ahem. erm, are you standing in for kydobi?", they didn't want to hear his words after that fact. they didn't want to entertain the threat looming that he was gone. he just must be too busy, or didn't want to see them. things weren't the same, after all. they had ended on a rough note, one that they wished that they could have fixed. eyes darting to the skulls, they turned their gaze back to him, infinite sadness there. they had been more than fond of kydobi, he had meant far more than they had been willing to let anyone know. taking a deep breath, they pushed past the tears wanting to well up, "gael. is aine well? i'm sorry i left how i did, and when i did. i come now, bearing news. i have made my own group, a group called alithís evgenis. i'm here to find out what has all happened since i disappeared, and to invite you and yours to a bonfire we are hosting. at least, to try and settle any animosity left between others. i would also like to speak to you of a potential trade route.", they spoke, trying to stomach the sickness in their gut. they needed to start setting up a trade route for their merchants, if there were such things, perhaps the merchants could pass news about the groups, aside from bringing in new foods and supplies from foreign territories.

AINE NÍ BROIN
FLESHWEAVER
FAE DRUID
INFORMATION

sweet the child that came, aine's scent making them turn their head, taking in the deer fox before them, blue eyes warm as they looked upon her for the first time in a long time, "greetings, aine", they murmured, pleased as ever to know she was alright. after the attack ramona had suffered so long ago ... they had feared what might befall those in the group, especially the smaller members. not that she didn't have the power, they could feel it around her in some way, they'd been there to experience moments of it. exhaling softly, their breath was severed in their throat, her words ringing in their ears, eyes going wide. that meant a lot of things, surely it couldn't mean that kydobi had died? surely he had stepped down? leading was a tiresome and long painful thing, it drove some mad at times. taking a breath, they tried to console the thoughts rushing about their mind, the thought of their beloved and lost lover taking up every nook and cranny of their mind, breath caught in their lungs, unable to get it past the lump of emotions there. he had to be okay, right? bowing their head to hide the display of emotions on their face, they fought to keep their mind from spiraling, panicking inside of their heart, inside of their mind. was their curse that apparent? were they destined to lose everything that they had claim upon at one point or another?

breath finally rushing through their lungs and throat, it came out as a strangled keen they tried to muffle, silvery tears rimming their eyes, eyes sliding shut tightly, talons digging into the sand as they tried to control the crushing restriction within their chest, their body trembling as her words came like a blunt weapon. gasping slightly, they bit down upon their tongue, unaware of the silver ichor rolling between their teeth, numb to that pain, their shoulders hunched as they tried to restrict the damage that raced through their nerves, their heart squeezing so painfully in their chest but it was nothing, nothing against the void cracking and ripping into existence in their chest. it shouldn't hurt this badly, not after the way that they had split ways. what they would give to go back and fix that ... oh what they would give. body locked in silence as grief wracked them, the dragon forced their mind away from the spiral of pain and wonderments of 'what if's, the pain lancing their heart like nothing else.

finally after what felt like centuries, they raised their head, silver tears shining against golden scales, cream mane laying heavy and dense about their head and neck, their eyes dark with grief they dared not let consume them at this time. they had to find out, one way or another, and what better place than what had been home in a world where home was nowhere to be found. blinking back what tears they could, voice shattered and rough, they spoke, lips heavy with agony, their pain forever burrowed into their heart, "it's alright, aine. thank you for telling me ... i would rather find out here, where i knew he lived happily with everyone. it means a lot to me, to find out now. thank you, my dear.", they hadn't been close, but gods help them, their heart ached for her. they remembered scenting her around kydobi often enough, to know that the two had been close. false hopes and false idols in their chest, they watched kold approach aine, their gaze following the movements, mulling for words. "does ... he have a grave?", they were an adult, they shouldn't fall to pieces like this ... shaking their head softly, they breathed out slowly, "i'm glad you're here, aine. i have a small gift for you. i don't know what you could do with it, but please ... for all the times i was not here for the group to protect everyone as i should have, to try and make up for it.", they spoke quietly, before they exhaled, focusing their mind for some time.

bowing their head to the ground with a shake of their head, they lowered a bag from around one of their antlers, previously hidden in their mane. the contents within would hold some of the herbs that grew along alithis' coastal cliffs, some herbs from the tree of their den. they hoped that even this small bundle, so fragrant, would be of some use to the younger one before them. she had always been skilled in the arts of healing, and they knew that well, sometimes herbs were the best gift. "i do not know if you can use it for anything, but within the bag lays a vial of whale fat. we use it to light our lanterns in our territory. should you be able to visit, we may have more things to gift to you and yours.", they murmured quietly, the hollowness in their chest aching with a ferocity like nothing they'd known before.