The gift of a thistle.

Quicksilver and the frostchild travelled through night, and when the morning sun rose it burned away the fog that blanketed the land. He veered toward Vanderfell's Western border where he hoped to cross the path of a pack-mate on patrol, and by luck found @Hieronymous to whom he vowed to return as soon as he could. From there, he and Haruki passed through the evergreen forest that separated the mountain region from tundra, and snow began to flurry as the druid set his sights on proud Tsukiishi where his snowflower made her home.

“Right there,” he told the boy as he gestured toward the frozen spires up ahead, who was likely exhausted, “not far now. You doing okay?” His paws, damp from melted snow, felt as though they might freeze. He continued on, however, so eager he was to see the look on Reiko's face when she realised who shared his company.


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^^Quicksilver, who was a stranger-turned-friend, was more than happy to get Haruki going to his mother, and even lead the way there - so Haruki would not somehow get even more lost along the way. There were a few times in which bites and pieces of the forest reminded him of their previous home, and Haruki would stop to take the view in, before continuing.

They crossed from the mountains into the tundra, and Haruki drank up the view, here, too. It was much different from the Vale - which had been the entire reason he spent so much time in the Temperate. And there, ahead, was a mountain, to which was supposed to be his home. The view alone was gorgeous, but also quite intimidating.

“I-it’s massive.” Haruki breathed softly, shifting in position to test his paw pads, since they’d just made a long trip. “I’m doing okay, thank you. I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay your kindness.”

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Their pause was a brief one, just long enough to catch their breaths. Quicksilver blinked up through the soft snow flurry and toward Reiko's frozen mountains, wondering if she or her guards had noticed their approach by now. “Good,” he said gently, content to hear that his young ward was still doing fine, and canted a silver lobe in his direction at his unexpected comment regarding... repaying him? The druid looked over a shoulder at the boy, and smiled shyly; “no need for repayment. Your mother is... a dear friend of mine. I know she missed you, and she never stopped looking for you.”

No need to burden the youth with a bombshell of his uncertain involvement with the pallid Empress, considering how Quicksilver himself still did not know what to make of it. He thought long and hard about what she meant to him and how he wished to belong at her side, but he could not quite shake the trauma of all that'd occurred to bring them to where they were now. Treading carefully would be his best course of action, he felt, and so he would continue to do so until some higher power showed him the way.

“Let's get moving again,” was the silverwhite's encouragement to Haruki, and he canted his muzzle to send forth an excited summons for @Reiko before he pressed on through the snow toward her domain.


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^^Home was literally just ahead. After so many months of searching, it was finally in view. It seemed almost surreal that he’d finally found his way home, that Haruki’s heart felt like it might explode. He stared up at them longingly for a moment. “I feel so bad for taking so long to find them..” Haruki breathed, glancing back to Quicksilver, “what if she’s angry with me?”

Quicksilver made no mention of Reiko being angry, but the boy was a boy, coming home after many months of missing his curfew. At least, that’s what it felt like and Haruki glanced at the mountain as Quicksilver summoned his mother from the frozen mountain. “Are we allowed to be here? That mountain looks like it might belong to a pack..?” Oh, boy, if you only knew.

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Sorry it's a little long!

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Grounded, thats how it felt as she was caged within the borders of Tsukiishi. No longer free to roam around as she once did before and one too many times did she cause stress amongst the packmates who relied on her to be here. Though she longed to still roam the north, to try and leave breadcrumbs for her son to find them - to leave gifts for Quicksilver still, it was simply not possible any more unless she wanted to strain the pack further than it already was.

And Quicksilver... well. After their farewells in Vanderfell, things were more confusing than ever. His words still brought warmth to her face, but it twisted her thoughts as it mingled with what had happened before. How he refused to pick one of the two women who yearned for his affections to be returned. As much as she wanted clarification, the Empress did her best to not linger on it should it affect her negatively again.

Picking through the caches to see what had spoiled and what was still good - the colder weather approaching meant that their storages would remain edible longer as there would be no warmer days for a while to thaw the ground. There were only a couple of things that had gone bad and in a moment plush ears tilted toward a call that beckoned her. Was that Quicksilver?

Her heart drummed immediately at the familiarity of his voice calling out for her to come and greet him at the border for whatever reason. With a quick once over to make sure she was presentable, Reiko would waste no time to greet him... and whoever else was seen at his side. As pale eyes caught sight of the silver druid, her tail swayed in a pleasant greeting only for it to slow to an eventual stop as she studied his companion...

Was that?

The muscle in her chest beat feverishly, deafeningly to a new rhythm that wasn't for Quicksilver this time but something else... someone else. “Haruki?” Was this a dream? No borders or amount of yelling would hold her back now as she ran out to greet them, toes barely touching the ground as she flew toward her missing prince - a part of her expected him to fade with the arrival of the morning sun rising to wake her in the den. A cruel joke of the mind that would vanish like smoke as soon as she'd reach out to touch him.

And when he didn't, tears would flow freely from azure eyes as she cried out with joyous, excited whines. Kissing, brushing the fur of her beautiful son with tongue, nose and paws as she feverishly groomed him as she once did when he was younger.

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“It does,” the druid chirped at the yearling's innocent query, feeling as though he could relate to his anxiety, “Shiroshika - it belongs to your mother. She is Empress here, and you -” he canted his narrow muzzle to eye his pale ward with a smile, “need not worry.”

Movement up ahead drew his powder blue stare forward once more, and his sterling ears pricked forward in recognition of the snowflower they sought. His feathered tail lashed the chill air at his rear and he veered aside to fully reveal her long-lost son.

Before anyone could say anything, Reiko was tearing across the snow to meet them. She whimpered and whined and launched herself for the boy, grasping for him with her paws to lick and nudge and nose as though he were still a child. Quicksilver could do nothing but stand back and observe, figuring that no matter Haruki's age he would always be Reiko's baby


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^^The intimidating mountain before them belonged to a pack known as Shiroshika, which was led by none other than his very own mother! Haruki gave a gentle glance between Quicksilver and the mountain that was his home. It hadn’t taken long for his mother to make her appearance, as she glided down the mountain like the gentle spirit that she was. She seemed so happy to see Quicksilver, which seemed to change course completely when she saw him. It was like witnessing two different levels of bliss, all at the same time.

There was no anger in her emotion, but instead, what Haruki felt was a tremendous amount of joy and relief. Quicksilver had moved aside, exposing Haruki to the fullest as the lost prince smiled sheepishly as he reunited with his mother; rushing forward to dive into her affections, returning them with his own kisses, nuzzles, and gentle whines.

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How could she mad at her little boy for being away? There were times where she was uncertain Haruki was even in these strange new lands at all, and now not only were her motherly instincts correct on him being somewhere, but he was now here, now! They exchanged affectionate greetings, and she all the while did her best to look over him all the while during their frantic movements.

He had grown to be such a handsome young man, not unlike his beautiful sister. Now more than ever he resembled that man, those stormy blue eyes and stern features, though softened now, she could see where his scowl would rest on his youthful face. But no matter how he looked, Haruki was hers, not his.

Pausing only for a moment to cast a luminescent gaze over to Quicksilver who remained behind during it all, leaning her head against the back of her son's as though she would not let go of him, ever again. Of course Quicksilver would be the one to bring Haruki back... she smiled at him and say softly. “Thank you.”

“You must tell me all about your time away.” Quickly returning her attention to the boy in her arms. Butting her head against his affectionately. “Surely you must be tired and hungry... we have plenty of food. Come —” Shooting another glance over Haruki's shoulder to his guide. “Both of you, please.”

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To linger felt wrong - as though he were intruding on a reunion meant only for Reiko and Haruki. Quicksilver hovered, uncertain, and considered slipping away unseen and seek a safe place to rest within the Everfrost. There he could rest for a few hours before beginning his trip back to Vanderfell and leave them in peace, yet something rooted him there. He supposed to try sneak off would be foolish considering how open the territory was there, but... he was part of this, somehow. He had found the boy and returned him to his mother, a she-wolf who'd have scoured the continent in search of him

His she-wolf. At least, the one he wanted to make his own.

The snowflower turned her head to seek him, and Quicksilver straightened a little. His own tail wagged softly behind him and he smiled, warmth and encouragement in his pale eyes, and an ear pricked at her gratitude. Quicksilver said nothing in response of it and merely dipped his muzzle in acknowledgement though her invitation of hospitality had him lift his head. Shiroshika was an ally to Vanderfell, after all - it would not be so wrong to settle among them for a time, would it?

So he trailed the Empress and her Prince quietly, keen to follow them to wherever they would lead him.


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