WC: 791 Well hi there

Soran had a lot to think about, she missed her youngest children, she hoped beyond everything that they would come and visit her soon, they were all such good wolves, Rain, Florence and Flavian (the twins that forever seemed so inseperable) and little Kiwi with her big green eyes that so matched her mother's and her inquisitive nature. She missed them so, she had come back here to find the rest of her family, and indeed she had, she had found her reddish brown granddaughter Mati, although their relationship was far from being good at the moment, they were still on rocky ground, but now the pair of them were living under the same roof at the large Manor the ebony lady hoped that they'd be able to build on the foundations they had recently laid, that they would be able to form some sort of friendship, and eventually perhaps Mati would realise how much her grandmother loved her and they could fall into a family relationship. Haven too, her red grandson, there was unease there as well, he had children to think of and after what Naniko and Conri had done in their seperate ways the dark female could not blame him for being wary of his grandmother, to him she was just another family member that would let him down or betray him, she would never do that of course, she would rather die than cause her family pain or suffering, but he barely knew her, of course he did not know that she would be that way. As for everyone else, they seemed to have scattered to the four winds, she missed them all, the obsidian Vetes woman was now simply living in hope, they had clearly left the lands, all that she could do was just keep hoping that suddenly one or all of them would appear to see her, Conri was so troubled, he had committed awful crimes, but she still loved him, after all he was still her son. And as for the twins, her middle children, she longed to see them, Khaden especially, her mirror image son had been gone so long, she just wanted a chance to be his mother, she just wanted to have a chance to show that she was worth taking the time to get to know properly.

The fae thought about this as she walked through the lands, she had risen late today, not leaving her bed until the morning was well underway, this was unusual for the dark lady who was usually a very early riser, usually just as dawn was taking hold of the lands, if not before. For all of her life she had never slept for long periods of time, needing only a handful of hours a night to function normally, with the exception of when she had been heavily pregnant, then the smallest task, no matter what it was, would cause her to flop down into sleep with exhaustion. But for some reason the fae's body had decided that it was time for a long sleep, so she had awoken later than she had planned, perhaps it was having a chat with Mati, perhaps it had taken some of the stress off of the heavy burdens on her shoulders. The ebony fae had wasted enough of the day in her own opinion, so she had readied herself quickly, deciding not to bother shifting into her Optime form, so leaving her satchel and general items that she carried around behind as well. Soon she was out of the house and wandering through the lands. Her long legs moved her quickly, muscles shifting under her dark fur as she walked, her feet barely making a sound as she walked. She was wandering when she heard a small giggle from the nearby stream, she could not see who was laughing as they were hidden from view by a copse of trees. The ebony fae was keen to meet new pack mates whenever she could, so she moved towards the sound, wondering who it was, a small smile playing on her lips. Soon the small black and white fae came into view, she was studying a leaf, she seemed deep in thought. The fae could not help but smile, she adored wolves being curious, no matter what it was about, books, music, or even, like now, with a simple leaf. The fae approached quietly, lowering her head slightly to show that she was no threat.
"Hello there, what's so interesting about that leaf?" The ebony fae asked, her tone curious, her smile warm. "I'm Soran by the way, Soran Aatte." The jet female added, she was always quick to introduce herself, it was simply polite to do so.

Fia is very cute WC: 1114

The ebony female smiled at the little fae as she introduced herself, so she was a Knight was she, on of Jazper's children, the dark lady had already bumped into him, before she had joined the pack actually, he had told her that he had had pups, two litters in fact, the dark fae had been shocked that so much could have happened in such a short space of time, his mate was Savina's sister... Ghita was her name if the female remembered correctly. So this little black and white female was their daughter, yes, she could see Jazper in her slightly, she remembered the ebony male when he had been a pup, she wondered if he knew how like him this little Fia was. The female smiled again, dipping her head in a mock bow, in greeting, raising it again she met the little fae's gaze.
"It is nice to meet you as well Fia. I take it you are Jazper's daughter?" The fae asked, deciding against telling her that she had known her father when he had been no bigger than her, after all the dark male might not want his daughter hearing any stories about him that might cause embarrasment. She watched the little fae with a careful eye, how funny it was, in other circumstances the ebony fae would have been calling this little girl her granddaughter, had things panned out differently she would have still been mated to Deuce when she had adopted the jet male that had become the Lictor of this pack. And then when he had found Ghita and had these pups they would have known her as a grandmother, just as her grandchildren saw Anu as a mother, it was strange how things worked out. She would have confessed that she would have been proud to have Jazper as a son, he seemed to have really managed to get his life in a decent order, he had a family, a pack and a good set of morals, he had become a good male, and she was glad to see it, it seemed that his little daughter was delightful as well. Which was just proved as the female spoke about the leaf with such passion the dark lady was quite taken aback, she was speaking with such a strong excitement about the leaf, it was good to see someone fascinated by the world around them, excited to see the beauty that nature laid, in some cases literally, right at their feet.

The little fae brought the leaf over towards Soran, carrying it gently within her teeth, dropping it close to the ebony lady's own feet, she lowered her head to look at it properly, green eyes scanning it's little patterned edges. It was indeed a beautiful leaf, the patterns and the mix of colours were quite stunning to gaze upon, the dark female could not help but smile as she looked at it. Every time she thought she had seen everything, nature would unfurl another frond and there would be another thing of beauty, another facet of the complex diamond that made up the lands around them. She was pleased that the little fae had pointed the leaf out to her, she might not have noticed it otherwise, the tall ebony fae stared at it for a moment, lowering her large head to sniff at it, it was indeed a lovely leaf, the little fae seemed very proud of herself for finding it as well. It made the fae long for her own grandchildren and great grandchildren, she wished she had seen them do things like this, she had missed their childhoods almost copmpletely, the ebony female was certain that they would have done things that were very like this, they would have seen the beauty in nature, they would have explored their surroundings with joy and thirsted to learn about everything and anything they could. At least they would have been this way had they taken after the ebony matriarch, or indeed their father and grandfather, her red son, he had committed atrocious crimes in the past, but when he had been young he had been so full of hope and excitement, he had been curious about everything, something that the ebony mother had cultivated and cherished in her young son, she had encouraged him never to stop asking questions, to never find his thirst for knowledge quenched, for if he did then there was a good chance that he would miss out on something spectacular, something wonderful. She wished she had been around to pass this view onto her grandchildren and great grandchildren, she was sure that they would have appreciated it, all she could do was hope that it was something that had been passed down in her genes, that he children had adopted it and found a hunger for knowledge and information from somewhere deep in their souls, in their DNA. The lithe ebony lady wished she had been around for them now, wished that she had not missed out on such valuable parts in their lives, she had so much to share with them and now she had isolated herself from them.
"It is indeed a lovely leaf, you should keep it safe." The emerald eyed lady said with a smile.

Soran smiled again as she was asked what she was doing here. She hoped that the little female did not feel that she was intruding, she hoped that she wasn't disturbing the little black and white female's thinking time, the sable female often found quiet places alone to sit and just think, usually she was lucky enough not to be disturbed, but often she would find that she would come across strangers and that she would have some very good conversations, still she did not want to disturb someone's silent thoughts, she knew how annoying it could be when someone came along when all you wanted to be was alone. Then again she didn't think that the little bi-coloured female would have given her such a warm welcome had she been intruding, she could not help but worry that she was though.
"I had just come out for a walk if I am honest, I was having a little explore of the lands, I used to live here you see, I was just refreshing my memory. What brings you out here Fia? I hope I'm not disturbing you?" The lady replied, gently lifting the leaf between her own jaws and dropping it at the feet of the little black and white girl, returning it to her so that she might keep it safe, rather than risking it being blown away.

She's quite a kind lady really XD WC: 895

Soran watched the little fae with a soft smile. She had a curiosity about her that the fae respected, it was something she had always cherished and tried to cultivate in others, it was deeply rooted in her own personality, there was something about a thirst for knowledge that was so special to the ebony lady. She held a great respect for those who wanted to learn, that was why she had gotten along so well with Zalen no doubt, she enjoyed learning new things, after all no-one could ever know everything, but it was good to try, to learn from others, one never knew when they would discover something that would prove to be valuable to them in the future. The dark female was happy in both roles of teacher and student, and would more than happily teach this little black and white girl about the lands around her if she asked. The girl seemed interested enough in them already, the chances were of course that she had already gained the knowledge she had wanted, but Soran supposed that it would never hurt to have a little more. The little female replied to her and the jet fae smiled, so she was indeed Jazper's daughter, she had indeed suspected correctly, though with a name like Knight she knew that it would have to be him, the fae had never met another with the same surname, so the only logical explanation fot his little girl had been that she shared the Lictor's blood, he had already warned her that most of the pack had found themselves related in one way or another now. She was used to this, having shared a pack with the Russo clan for several years and then when Chimera and Syemv finally merged packs she found herself surrounded by D'Angelos and De Le Poers, she was used to these things, she did not mind, she liked having families around her. She would always feel that her pack was her family, if they were bonded by blood as well it didn't matter to her, after all she had family within the pack, even if they were not on good terms at the moment. Mati was her granddaughter and Anu would always have a place in the ebony female's heart, she had done a good job of raising her grandchildren, she was the one they considered their mother, and she was the only one who had managed not to betray or hurt them in any way. In Soran's absence she had done a marvellous job of raising her grandchildren, she should be proud of herself, and Soran would always be grateful to her for doing it, when the ebony fae herself had been completely incapable of caring for them, she had stepped in, she had a good heart.

The fae watched the smaller girl place a careful paw over the leaf, yes that was a good idea, this way it would not suddenly fly off and be lost, the little black and white girl seemed to have grown quite attatched to the leaf, the jet dreamer would hate to see her lose it, no doubt she would be upset. Dark ears perked up as Fia spoke, listening intently, she seemed to have a very mature view of the lands around her, knowing that they were not merely trees and plants, but living things, full of wonder with plenty to be discovered about them. Soran found herself liking the little girl even more then, she had a very astute view of the world, she hoped that she continued that way, it was a good way to be, when one opened themselves up to learning and discovering new things they had many exciting experiences, there were so many adventures to have, and the little girl was well on the path to finding them if she left herself open the way she had.
"Oh no, you're not boring me in the slightest, I agree with you completely, the lands have so many exciting things to discover. The trees around here are simply brimming with life, not counting the animals and birds that live within here. The trees themselves are fascinating, there are so many things you can learn about them." The fae replied with a smile, happy to engage in conversation with this little female, especially if she could teach her something, she had so much knowledge to pass on, she had missed the chance to give it to her own children and grandchildren, but here she ahd a chance, to teach the littler members of the pack her knowledge, it should be passed on after all, it may as well be passed onto someone who already had a keen interest in the lands around them and a thirst to learn.
"Have you lived here all of your life then Fia? I myself lived here for a time and then I left to go... travelling, so much has changed since I have been gone, your fater for example, I remember him when he was around your age." The fae asked, adding the part about Jazper with a smile, she would not tell any embarrasing stories about him of course, but she was sure that the little fae was curious to know how she had known who's daughter she was, and how she had known her father.

I'm ever so sorry for the wait on this! It's been a busy few days.WC 944

The ebony watched the little bi-coloured fae with interest, she was indeed astute and intelligent, she seemed to have her head in the right place. The girl spoke of not taking advantage of nature and the gree eyed lady nodded, she agreed whole heartedly, without the trees, the grass and the sun there would be no life here, nothing to sustain the pack, there would be no prey, nothing could hope to survive here. One had to be grateful to nature for allowing the pack such na bounty, a wealth of lush green surroundings filled with plump slow animals. Without this they would all surely starve. The ebony lady was pleased that the little female knew to respect and be thankful for what nature had given her, it seemed her ebony father had taught her well. Duce had always had a great respect and love for nature, she adored the lands around her, it seemed that she had managed to pass this along to her adopted son, and indeed her children who bore her blood, they had all become respectful, pleasant individuals, Soran was glad to see this, she had adored Deuce's children, in another world they would have been calling her mother, she still held them in her heart with great affection, even if they did not know it, she would always be there for them, just as she would always be there for her own children. Should little Fia; who was still too young to be afraid of anything, the terrors of the world not having made themselves present to her; find herself in trouble, the tall ebony female would have no second thoughts about going to help her, to protect her, just as she would do for her own reddish brown granddaughter. The female was very loyal to those she cared about, even though she had left them all for some time in her mind her duty to them had not diminished, should any of them call on her help, she would indeed help them, no matter what it was that she had to do. The only exception to this was when Conri had asked her to kill him, that was one favour that the female could not, would not, ever have been able to perform, no matter how he begged her.
"I am glad that you think that way little one, it is for the best to have a healthy respect for nature after all, it will serve you well in later life I am sure." Soran replied, watching the little female with a small smile, using a nickname that she had reserved for her grandchildren, though Deuce's grandchildren would have bore the same nickname had she been around them more, here stood one of them, and suddenly it seemed fitting to call her little one as well.

The little female spoke again and the dark lady listened, she was not surprised to find that the little one had lived her entire life here, it seemed to be the way nowadays, the hectic travelling that she had done in her own youth seemed to be an unusual thing now. The female was glad that now wolves found themselves a stable home to grow in and raise their pups without fear of having to move. The little fae began to ask the dark female questions and a small chuckle escaped Soran's lips, she smiled at the little girl as she asked how she had known who's daughter she was and how she had known her father. These would be interesting questions to have to answer, the dark female did not know if the young girl knew that sometimes female wolves fell in love with one another and became mates, though she seemed a clever child and would no doubt understand.
"Ah, I recognised your surname, with Marino-Knight as your surname it was clear who your father would be, I have already seen your father since being back, he had told me that he was mated to someone who held the surname Marino, and as his is Knight it was rather clear as to who you belonged to." The female explained, still smiling at the little female.
"As for how I know your father, his mother and I were... great friends, we loved one another very much, we remained good friends throughout our lives, so I saw him occasionally." The female explained, deciding against getting into the more complicated story of Jazper being adopted and Soran herself being Deuce's mate and then her leaving and then coming back again, it was difficult to explain, the pair would have been sat here for hours if she had.

Soon a familiar voice came from behind the pair, the large form of Jazper in his halfling shape came into view, the female smiled as she looked him over, noting his sun shaped tattoo again. As he sat down beside here, she leant slightly, giving him a shoulder bump in greeting, had the pair of them been in Optime form then she would have given him a hug, but without arms a shoulder bump would simply have to suffice.
"No no, you're not intruding at all, we were just discussing nature, and you actually." The female replied with a smile, turning so that she could see both Jazper and Fia from where she was sat. As the little female padded over to show her father her new favourite leaf the ebony lady could not help but smile.
"You have a lovely daughter here Jazper, you have done a very good job of raising her." The female said, suddenly very much enjoying her afternoon in the sun.