The Sunspire obvious

Ambition to belong and make his mark on something had initially driven Rian to challenge Rannoch's claim to leadership. It was that determination that had won him a place as his brother's second—not above Cypress, of course. No one could claim to be above the eiodlon in importance to their grayscale alpha (except maybe Liffey), and Rian had never desired such. He loved them, the three of them, for their accomplishements great and small. But as the weeks wore on, and life settled into the Vale, Rian realized he was still the same, insecure, ignorant boy he had been when he proposed the idea to Cypress last winter. So he'd resigned, and committed himself to gathering information and protecting his family.

He could have never known Hydra's circumstances were so drastically different than his own; that she had, in fact, been cherrypicked and groomed for the position from childhood. But the mantle suited her in a way it never quite did for Rian, and he found a new facet of respect for her in that regard. Their responsibilities had chained  them, but that hadn't altered his opinion of her or the frequency in which he thought about her over on her distant mountain home...

So, understandably, his attention was inevitably drawn to her each time her voice cut through the chilly mountain air. But the reply did catch him a bit off-guard. How was the Vale not his responsibility? As far as he was concerned, anything Rannoch or Cypress considered important, was something he, too, placed on a higher rung. But, while her delivery came as a bit of a shock, the meaning she was trying to convey did reach his ears and he turned it over in his mind a few times as she continued. 

Where was his heart? Well, the Vale would be his first answer, but now he wasn't so sure. Without the Frostfurs, it felt hollow. Like book who's pages had burned away, leaving nothing but the bindings. His ears swept back and he swallowed, suddenly uncomfortable with the implications. He had up and left Neverwinter because of the same reasons; there was nothing left for them there. Why, then, would he return to the Vale without Cypress and Rannoch? Meanwhile, now Rannoch resided in Moonspear until gods knew when, and Hydra was also there...

He exhaled sharply when she laughed, and his eyes went wide until he remembered his final muttered comment. Oh, right. Once more he was drawn away from the thoughts twisting in his head as she mentioned wanting to see him, but clarified that it was only to pass information to him regarding Rannoch; it would have been a substantial blow to his emotions, had she not tore her gaze away immediately, as if attempting to hide something. He blinked dumbly. 

"I, well," He rumbled while flattening his ears further against his scraggly ruff. "You're my best friend, and it shouldn't have been this to bring us back together. I could have come to visit, but I just... suck at relationships, heh." He blanched and inhaled quickly, only to cough as a bit of spittle levitated off his tongue and collided with the back of his throat. "I mean friendships." Rian rasped, catching a few breaths.