Something more than just knowing better.

The guilt of walking from Shadow and Noctisardor Bypass was something that would weigh heavily on her for the rest of her life. But she did not believe her decision to uproot herself was a bad one, not like the way she felt following the departure from Swiftcurrent Creek. Truly, her heart had longed to love Shadow as wholly as he'd wished her to - but he'd changed. He was different. His heritage and real personality had been hidden from her in the beginning, revealed only when they'd made their home together. A part of her wished she'd turned away then, but the good in her had wanted only to give him a chance. Paarthurnax had done so, and Shadow had blown it.

And yet she loved him still. He would be the father of her first litter, after all, having given her the greatest gift that had once been what her dreams were made of.

She exhaled a sigh, and shook her head in a poor attempt to rid her troubled mind of its thoughts. "Crëyr," Paar started, her voice heavy, "you accepted and believed in me from the very start. You stood by me with my rise to Alphess when others did not deem me suitable. I don't know that I could have survived as long as I did without your support." She would miss her fiercely, that much Paarthurnax knew. But there were new friends to be made on both of their parts, and they would only be a few days' travel apart. "Swiftcurrent was where Shadow and I met. It was our home throughout the early stage of our relationship. Disagreement between he and our leaders was what drive the Alpha to exile him... and although it felt like the right thing to do in the beginning, I have always felt some regret for leaving it. I'm still settling, but I'm not unhappy there. We will thrive there, in time."