The Sunspire timelines? I don't know her

she'd lingered on her own until Fire had dropped her off, just long enough to know that she couldn't hunt for shit. ideal, she'd return healed and in one piece, but the fact remained that something was snapped, broken, and those types of things did not heal in the few days she'd been back in the mountain. 

she howled for @Rannoch, tongue flashing out to smooth out a tuft of hair on the side of her muzzle, limb splayed out a little awkwardly as she sat back on her haunches.

The bidding from the borders sent Rannoch into a gallop; it had been long since Cassiopeia had been seen within Sunspire's parameters. Despite his pace, he was careful in the placement of his paws—with his luck, he'd tumble down the mountainside and never get to answer her call. 

"Cassiopeia," he warbled, and approached with a wagging tail. "What happened?" he asked, whilst his eyes studied her; Rannoch noticed how awkwardly her leg splayed from underneath her. "Are you okay?" he finally asked, and met her gaze. 

The scent of the Redhawks was upon her, and Rannoch couldn't help the multitude of questions that flourished because of this fact alone.

he's there quickly, and she shifts beneath his gazea fraction, feeling guilty; it seems all she can ever do is get herself into idiotic and/or terrible situations. falling into a hole in some distant wood is no exception (though it does rank below killing her father and having her throat near torn-out by him) and surely Rannoch must think she possesses half a brain cell. 

"I was exploring, to the south, and I got stuck and hurt my ankle. A girl helped me out, let me rest near her pack."  she released a small sigh, moss-green gaze meeting his. "I tried to stay on my own a bit - I thought it'd be better if I didn't return injured, again. Stupid, I know - I'm sorry." ribs sticking out through her pelt and the new sharpness of her face spoke loads of just how well that had gone.

Rannoch's labored breathing subsided as Cassiopeia explained what had happened and by the time that she was done, he was nearly recovered from his jaunt; Rannoch breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm just glad you are okay," he admitted, and met her gaze, "And back safe. You're home now, and that's what matters." He smiled. 

Rannoch quickly shifted the topic of their conversation. "This girl that saved you—what's her name? I want to make sure that her good deed is rewarded."

"ceara." the name comes plainly, but suddenly there is something greater on her mind. perhaps it is the previous admittance of her stupidity that has it surface, but no longer can she hide from what she did. 

"I killed him. not Olive. she wanted to protect me, but I can't - you should know." suddenly, she doesn't care that she is risking her place here, she wants him to know, wants to push back her mother's shield. he knows, though, who and where she was before, and so she clarifies. "he ruined everything he touched. that is why I did it; not on a whim." she draws her head back a fraction, gaze surveying him cooly, something inside her suddenly stilled. 

"if you want me to go, I will." the offer was made plainly, though the slightest falter near the end betrayed that she was not at all as collected as she seemed about the admittance.

"Cera," Rannoch reflected. "what a lovely—" his thoughtfulness of the story's detail was cut off by Cassiopeia's confession; Rannoch suddenly felt as though he had been sucker-punched in the gut. A myriad of opinions invaded his consciousness, and he was silenced as he considered each and every one. 

When Rannoch did speak, he pushed his ears forward and kept his expression stern. "We will not speak of this again," he decided. "And I will continue to protect you as long as you defend Sunspire." 

Rannoch shook his head slowly. "I am not happy of where all of this transpired, Cassiopeia. But, we will say that he intruded, and you did what you had to protect the pack," he scowled, and a growl reverberated from the back of his throat, "Should you betray or leave Sunspire, I will not protect you anymore. Do you understand?"

she bore his words - his threat? - stoically, moss-green gaze holding a kind of calm strength that had not been there before. when he finished, even while questions burned in the fore of her mind, she merely dipped her head. "I do." ears pushed back as if to display her submission to his decree.

"Sunspire is my home." her first and only, she'd come to realize sometime during her absence. her childhood had been far too turbulent to latch onto anything quite like this. and so it was a quiet promise to stand with them.

Rannoch was relieved by Cassiopeia's willingness to admit her fidelity with Sunspire; his temper simmered suddenly. "I'm glad," he admitted as the tension in his body was freed. Rannoch leaned forward and touched his nose briefly to her cheek. "We are lucky to have you, and I am happy that you are home." He inspected her again and realized how much her injury had worn her body; she needed food and sleep. 

"Come on," he invited suddenly and turned towards Sunspire's peak. "Let's get you a nice meal, and we'll talk more about this woman that saved you."

his sternness did not last, and she wondered if there ever had been a threat in his words. she was silent as he spoke, ears sweeping back atop her head carefully. 

"thank you." came finally her simple sentiment, agreeing with a dip of her head and padding after Rannoch in relative silence.