The fighting had been over a good long while, but the redheaded man had delayed in returning the children of his mate's sister. It had been more of an issue of being busy than a true desire to keep them to himself. Children were not his cup of tea, but with Noss's help, they managed to care for the kids and entertain them as they would have their own. If either one of them had the reproductive organs necessary to facilitate the production of squirmy little things, that's what it would have been like. And the amount of food the two of them suddenly brought in was ridiculous, especially to the tailor. Strel ate enough to sate a hunger, always too preoccupied to bother with aught else. The pups were still a handful no matter how much they were fed, though. They had managed to break one of his shelves in the closet, which was where they had decided to put them up at night on large piles of cloth. But all he knew was that there was a crash in the middle of the night, and he found Ahiga at the bottom of a broken plank and a mess of unfolded clothes.

The two of them had had more than enough, and the end of the fighting meant that soon enough they could breathe easier and with more quiet. And they would have their precious privacy back, something that Strel was sacrificing more and more to be a present figure in the kingdom. Pups gone meant that they could have their nights together again, which the redheaded tailor had been aching for. But both of them had been making sure to keep an eye on the kids, especially with there being three of them. They got into trouble, be it rough housing and knocking things over, or getting lost between trees or buildings in Lunenburg. Strel was ready to return them to their mother and adopted sister.

Noss and Strel lead the three pups, with Noss standing behind them all to make sure not a single one of the almost six month old pups ran off. As much as they were growing, and as large as they were, the two of them were still bigger, Noss especially. Ahiga kept on trying to walk beside the redheaded man, and Strel only gave him odd looks but let the pup do his own thing. Better let him play pretend or whatever it was, than let him disappear and have Ralla come play savage.

At the border, that fence he always seemed to come to, Strel raised a calling howl, asking for a member of his new found family to come. He hoped to see Ralla, as she would be the one to leap for joy at the sight of her children, returned home safe and sound. "Bet you kidlets are excited to get back home." Strel did not need to be present in AniWaya, especially with Vigilante and Savina keeping everything in check. Home was where he was needed most.

The young ones were yipping as they explored the area. They had already been here, but that was nothing to them. Everything was new, especially after being gone so long. Thankfully dead bodies were not laying around for them to see. They were far too young to see such a thing, and Strel was thankful for the absence. Noss rounded up Alaster, pulling him away from Ahiga's teeth as the two adults smelled an approaching someone. The scent was faint, but they were upwind. Straightening, Strel adjusted his clothes slightly. It was habit, as he straightened out the collar of his white shirt. Noss laid a hand on his shoulder to stop the fidgeting, and the redheaded Dauphin looked at the approaching form.

It was his sister-in-law's adopted daughter, too old to order out of the tribe lands when the war began. She was older now, too, and it was obvious in her physical growth and change. But was that because of time or because of war and death? Forcing the grim look off his face, Strel smiled at his niece. "Tired may be too slight a word." Alaster broke out of his uncle's grip and ran toward his sister. The pups rushed about her, having missed her for so long. They cried at her, bubbly voices unaware of just how much they were lucky to have missed.

"They were good, though Ahiga is going to one day build me a new shelf," he said, with a falsely stern look at the young pup. Ahiga balked momentarily before returning to his sister. "I see why I don't want any. I can just come visit and get my fill for a couple of months." Strel laughed lightly, slipping hands into his jacket pockets. "How have things been now that that Masha.. Mesha.. That man is gone?"