There was something clear on the silver northerner's mind, he wanted his life back. Ouroboros Spine was the last thing he remembered, and from the moment that his head was was banged unconscious by Kaname no new information had been recorded on his half of the brain. A vivid image of the dark Beta of the Spine was still there, holding his head underwater and taking his life away from him, and if there was something that Keith wouldn't do was letting that savage get away with it. He would pay.

The way to Ouroboros was still fresh on the northerner's mind, and the image of it's landscape was still clear as if it had only been yesterday when he last saw it, but the snow and the climate had made it difficult for the outrider to retrace his steps back home. He got there, tired but determined, and there was someone he couldn't wait to see again.

Her eyes, cold and piercing were impossible to rub off of his mind. Her voice haunted him, and he listened blissfully, but it just wasn't enough. He wanted to see her again -No- He needed to see her again, and this time he wouldn't leave her, he wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

The ridge of the mountain ring that surrounded the Ouroboros was where he stopped walking. He knew that if Kaname was in there, he wouldn't be welcomed, and the strong scent that drew the borderline suggested that he was indeed still inside, but most importantly, that she was still there. He had to wait, and he would. Cara had always been a dedicated warden and Keith hoped she would be the one to intercept him. Things would be very different if she didn't.

And then, the one thing he feared became true. A female, smaller than him in any way possible, intercepted the ice warrior in the outskirts of the Ouroboros, and boldly approached him with an air of dominance. The female was a stranger to Keith, so he supposed she wouldn't know who he was or what he had been the last time he belonged to the pack. It was safe.

"What are you doing here." the female inquired trying way too hard to intimidate the silver Northerner.

"There's someone here I need to see." Bane said after a greeting bow. He wouldn't challenge the female for her posture even though he would easily take her down in case she engaged, so his body language was relaxed and less imposing than usual. "I hope you can help me find her." he smiled, suggesting that his intentions weren't offensive even though he knew that sooner rather than later he would have to confront the brown Beta.

The scent of Cara's fur was all over the female warden, and it brought back memories of her sassy tail swishing on Keith's face that steamy day in the hot springs. How stupid had he been that day. It was what she did to him, knock him out of all senses and turn him into a man he wanted to explore more deeply.

"A friend." the northerner woofed and his tail waved behind him airily. He still needed to be cautious with his words, he didn't want to put anyone against him, not before confronting Kaname. "Her name is Cara. I'm pretty sure you know her..." he said, sniffing a bit more closely around the female but never invading her personal space.

Keith wasn't expecting the female to just take him to Cara as easily, so it wasn't a surprise when she so skeptically asked about his intentions with the frost queen. He smiled amiably and sat back on his haunches, trying to think of the best way he could possibly explain his situation.

"I just need to talk to her... I used to be part of this pack, not sure how long ago... I was attacked without reason by a male that still lives with you. I need to make sure Cara is safe." he explained, trying his best to create empathy with Alusia. "Would it be possible to call for her? It's really important." he asked kindly.

Maybe Kaname had taken away his life in the Ouroboros, but Keith wasn't going to let him get away with it so easily. He had meticulously planned his comeback, and it was time to get it started.

With a bow, the Northerner thanked Alusia's helpfulness (even though he wasn't just "some guy"), and silently awaited for Cara's arrival. He was itching to see her, there were so many things he had to ask and only she could answer, but mostly, he wanted to see her yellow eyes and feel their piercing hotness once again. He needed it.

A million things ran through his mind during the time Cara, as generously as always, took to get there. Kaname was in most of them, he wondered what was of him and if he had any chance of beating him down once and for all. There was no way Keith and that bastard could coexist in the same place, and even worse if Cara was in the middle.

All those thoughts faded when the sweet scent of the frost queen flooded the northerner's nose. She was so close. Keith looked around trying to locate her with his nostrils wide open. "Keith..." she gasped taken aback before dismissing the female warden.

"Cara..." the silver prince responded when he felt Alusia was too far to hear them. A long pause followed, one in which Keith ate the female's body with his eyes entirely. There were new scars, they looked painful, but they had healed. Everything else was just as he remembered, her striking eyes and rocking body were intact if not better. He could feel his own heart pounding in his chest, and his tail went up in a gleeful wagging.

"How long have I been away?" Keith asked, not sure which part it would be best to start with. He knew that regardless of her actual relationship with Kaname, the news he brought could be hard to digest, and he didn't want to add any unnecessary pressure just yet, but he still needed to leave things clear. Besides, although he seriously doubted it, he didn't know if Cara had had anything to do with his exile.

Her harsh words stung like a dagger to the chest. Keith felt guilty just with looking at Cara's eyes and the only thing he could think of was asking for forgiveness. And although he did have a reason not to, he would kneel if it was necessary to get Cara's forgiveness. He hadn't left her willingly, and he didn't even know he had left her until he woke up, mangled and tore to pieces in the middle of winter in a place he had promised never to go back to.

"I didn't leave you Cara, I would never do that to you..." the northerner said taking one step closer to Cara with an apologetic look on his eyes. The next thing Cara said was confusing at first, but then it all fell into place. The images of a fair wolf bleeding near the ocean under his paws was still vivid in his mind, but not as a memory. He had thought it to be a dream a long time ago, but now he understood what it meant, and he knew that he wasn't, exactly, the author of such atrocity.

"Who are you?" growled the female accusingly, and it made Keith's insides burn in pain.

"Cara, there's so much I want to explain, but there's so much I still don't know..." the man started with a worried look on his face. He didn't know where to start talking, there were so many things in his mind and at the same time everything was so unclear that he didn't know what of it was real. "You need to trust me, Cara, I would never do anything to hurt you." he started, looking intensely into Cara's golden eyes with his heart in hand. "Someone tried to get rid of me, someone dangerous, and I fear that you won't be safe in the Ouroboros as long as he is." he spoke, implying more than he'd said.