The harsh realities of life had been something Sleekwing was forced to understand early on in his life. When the sky had fallen and Moladion had burned, he had chosen to remain at this mother's side, traipsing through a world that involved only her, his brother, and himself. There had been many times he'd wanted nothing more than to go off in search of his father, but he couldn't. He refused to leave his mother to fend for herself - for Swallowbane was far from a warrior type. They had lost so much in knowing that Boneclaw and Thunderbone had perished with Solevion, unwilling to leave their homes when all else was lost. And yet, they had persevered and survived, ultimately returning to Moladion some years later and being reunited with Alcide. Despite all the horror in their lives, they had been brought back together as a family. Such was the way of life, the greatest darkness in life coming before the dawn.

Sleekwing saw the way his words affected Natu, but he did not sugar coat things for her. The honesty that they had always shared was something he valued about their friendship, and he would not sacrifice that to soften the realities of all that had happened. He knew that she was aware of the complexities her leaving had created - for herself, for Daenerys, even for him. She would not have brought the topic up if she hadn't. Midway through the words he spoke he gave pause as she whispered against the soft torrent of the creek. She was right, that there was much to fix, but already it seemed that the mending had begun. Why else would she be here, asking these questions? Sleekwing breathed deeply as he listened to her words, allowing her to finish before he continued. With her crystalline blue eyes locked on his he speaks with the utmost sincerity and seriousness, for while it was a delicate subject they spoke of it was also something that could not be tip toed around. That was never the way of their friendship, anyways.

As he comes to the conclusion of his thoughts and notions on the topic, both wolves seem to soften slightly. The barest hints of a grin pull at one side of his lips as she tells him that the decision will not be made lightly. He nods at her words, hardly having expected any level of choice to be made this day. She had children and, however absent, a mate. She'd taken a place within Taviora's ranks. Even if the last year of her life had been a series of leaving one thing for another, nothing about coming home would be easy. But his brows pulled together as she apologized and spoke of her propensity for harming others and he cannot help but interrupt her with slight shake of his head. He lifted a single paw and touched her shoulder, wanting to reassure her in these moments. "Natu, it's okay. We're friends, aren't we? And what else are friends for than to offer an ear or a shoulder when it is required? Even if you don't choose to return to Spirane, I'm only a howl away...Taviora is not so far." Of late she had come so often to the borders of her former home, but he wanted her to know that he was more than happy to come to her should the occasion call for it.

A true smile peels at his lips then as he lets his paw fall away and she continues, asking if he would teach her to fight. He cannot help the way a single brow arches, curious at this request. Even so, he nods in affirmation, willing as ever to help a friend in need. "It would be my pleasure," he says as their conversation switches gears once more, without ever losing the earnestness of their interactions. It is then that he finally turns away from her, extricating himself from the creek and bracing his body before shaking the remaining water from his pelt. Cobalt eyes turn back towards her, curious if she'd meant to take a lesson today or if she desired to return home to share her happy news with her children. He lingered where he was, waiting for Natu's next movements to signal one thing or another.