ooc:
Betrayal. How many times would she be pained by this word until the Ancestors were satisfied? Was this her punishment for leaving her family? To eyes of the Collective, was this indeed her betrayal? Perhaps in the group eye, yes, this was her crime for leaving them to their own devices whilst she walked along her own path led by her newfound motivations and purpose. Mayhap it was betrayal for going against her promise to them; to return with the news of what resided beyond the Collective and march alongside them again. Had she been distracted? No… never did she forget the promise she made to them, but rather…buried her head and chose to dismiss it. She chose to believe they would carry on without her. That the male standing callously before her would take the place he so desired and carry on the name of their family.
Relinquishing her farce of enduring pain to look to her brother, parting the wild veil with a harmless brush of a heavy paw, she saw not that present she had made herself believe. It was not the proud reflection she looked upon, but one cracked and angry, marred with disgust for what he felt he was robbed of. She said nothing in immediate retort to his lashings but heard him clearly, her ears twitching back periodically as they were struck with another unpleasant tone.
“X’yro, please…” ‘be calm’, she tried to reason with her brother in the hope that a soft voice would lessen his rage, but she feared that hesitant breath would be lost to the raging inferno now spewing from heated maw. Her voice became little more than a whisper as the force that drove her sarcastic tongue ebbed to naught in the face of naked, justified anger. But how could she have known how he felt then? “Brother… he is not beside me to bring insult, but as one that is concerned for my wellbeing and the pack’s future. Is this any different than how it would have been at home?” At the mention of the winter mountain keep, her tail swayed fondly. “However…” The banner wavered at its proud height then lowered to settle relaxed against her rounded end. “This is not an excuse for my greeting to you. We should not speak to each other with hardened tongues, but pleasantly as a family that has not seen the other after many seasons.”
Lowering her head, the female stepped forward til the tip of her nose butted gently against the crème tinged belly. “I cannot hope to repair the damage of our past or confess my motivations in but a few words, brother. But I can express how I have missed you. Would you allow me the honor of embracing you, brother, as we did as children? Might we share that fond memory as our gift to the other?”