The Sentinels rabbits playing with polar bears

She had fallen back to her old habits, spending much of her time on the social fringes of Donnelaith. It had perhaps been a mistake to build her den at the forest's heart, for it saw many passers by and it exhausted her to hear the metronome of voices, even if she could not make out the words and did not engage.

Emaleth was never meant to lead, for her nature was not suited to it. Still, she was ambitious, and the thought that she may never amount to anything great like her father was a poisonous weight in her belly.

Whispers of a leftover dream lingered at the edge of her mind, for she could not grasp the memory. But she felt a restlessness, and emerged from her den, mismatched eyes blinking against the dappled sunlight.

the days were growing cooler, and the wind was crisp. deirdre's first winter would be without constantine and aria both, and it seemed osprey and dante would be going, with their children, on some grand adventure. deirdre would miss them all, but knew she had all she required here. her dreams in her comatose state were not at all foreboding, but simple and sweet.

there was no anger in her heart for any reason. larkspur had left in the dead of night without word to her, but deirdre did not resent her for it; she hadn't any idea that starbuck and the honeychild had heard her screams, but even then her heart was warm and devoted to those she loved! who had wronged who? deirdre's unconditional love for all triumphed, in the end. it had been skellige who had saved her, and how could she despise him, her king of thorns?

deirdre moved toward the den of emaleth. she need not see her to know she was still present within donnelaith, and she was not troubled by her sisters nature. the pale, ethereal witch simply required her presence, her need of emaleth's quietude great. and as she arrived, she caught sight of her sisters unique eyes held ocean and forest both--a radiant smile came across her features, then, and deirdre at once felt at peace.

It was the way with them, that they could sense the other's need without truly being aware of it; it was common that the siblings would cross paths and fall in step, just as one or both required it. Her restlessness did not fade upon Deirdre's arrival, but Emaleth was glad to see her nonetheless. She brushed her muzzle along her sister's cheek, then stood back. "I was coming to find you," she said, only realizing the truth of it as the words fell from her lips.

and i, you, deirdre admitted in a quiet, warm breath. i am so glad that you have come home, deirdre moved to meet her sisters embrace, her heart full. despite all that had transpired, she was for the time weightless with her joy in sharing the company of her sister once again. it had been too long, and twas a liberating thing. emaleth was a part of her soul, and she felt completed to have her so near.

"i am glad, too," she returned sincerely, "but i am restless." emaleth could feel change in the winds, a shift in the tone of the whispering trees. frisson. her mismatched eyes turned to deirdre, considering, and a beam of sunlight lit her sister from behind-- the illuminated hairs of her head creating a golden halo around the pale wraith. "you shall be a queen," the dark witch said with conviction, "but what shall i be?"

the pale flower listened to her sister as she spoke of restlessness, and deirdre knew it to be so, even before it had been spoken! the sun that surrounded her flooded upon her sister, and the dark emaleth absorbed it. emaleth was her burning sun; she cast illumination upon many things, and was her center. she burned, both when she hurt and when she did not. who would be her sisters icarus, deirdre wondered briefly for a moment? look inside yourself, emaleth, deirdre encouraged. for her sister had an eye for this! the sun within her sister cast rays upon the questions asked, revealing from the shadows their answers! and you tell me, what is it you would be when i come to rule?

it was true that emaleth burned her every emotion, though it lay dormant beneath her reserved exterior-- even from deirdre she hid the flames as best she could, even knowing their bond made it near impossible to truly hide anything from the other. in their youth, emaleth had been the leader of the pair, until their small world had opened. with it, deirdre's fear and uncertainty had dissipated; she had not needed emaleth's protection or comfort any longer, at least not in the same way. and she had changed, too! for the amount of wolves in the forest overwhelmed her, for there were too many and too fluid for the dark witch to know deeply and reach in small number.

she was destined for great things, as was deirdre-- this was foretold by the druid of donnelaith himself-- and yet emaleth could not see how it could be so! how could a wolf who could not relate to her own kind become anything great? was greatness not tied to one's standing in the hierarchy? she would be second to deirdre, but unless the rest held respect for her, it would be in name only.

"i will protect you and the forest as i always have," she said after a long moment had passed between them. "not with body, but with spirit." still, emaleth was troubled, for this did not seem so great a destiny.