Time is relative. When I was young, it held little to no importance at all. All that ever mattered was the moment. The present. The here and now.

But when the autumn of One's life finally falls upon them, One becomes acutely aware of time. It all seems to move faster and slower all in the same instance. So much of it is wasted on waiting. Waiting for what? Who knows, it's different for us all. Some of us are waiting for some final thrilling escapade, one last grand adventure, a lingering embrace with the one we love, or for someone- anyone- to notice we are still alive. Still existing, though slowly our souls are fading and our bodies grow frail and tattered. Days come and go with a torturesome slowness where we catch ourselves sighing with boredom and staring off into the aether with daydreams of better times long past; and yet in the night we struggle with sleep, fighting to grasp at those minutes and hours we have lost. I have lost much. Hours, minutes, memories... and many of it due to my own personal choices. Whether or not those choices were a mistake, I still cannot say. I used the best judgement I had at the time to try and do what was right.... but now all of those decisions hold no meaning to me.

What happened in the past was now in the past, and Time is slowly ticking away the very last shreds of my future. How long I have left, I do not know, but the Veil of the Reaper's shadow is slowly being cast upon me and I know now where my priorities lie. In my Legacy.

I have never claimed to be the best mother there is, nor even a good mother- though I'd like to think I was. I have raised Kings and Monsters alike, and each of my progeny has grown into a creature of their own unique skill, trade and persona. My bonds with each have been different... from Love and pride to indifference. All of my babies were independent and I had always encouraged that in them. But now, on my last leg of life I feel a Need to reconnect with the wolves that had once been pups suckling at my teats. I want to mend what bonds were strained or broken, and make stronger those that thrived.

To do this, I must track them down. I knew Zeteri to have lingered in Taviora, and perhaps she does so still. Ophelia also was raised in the tundra pack, though her current whereabouts are unknown to me. Kali and Durga and Chance have all been missing for many a-year and I do not know if I will have time enough to find them. But Kane and Stella... I know precisely where to look. Diveen. It is a bit of a mystery to me that my eldest and perhaps strongest pup would integrate into her brother's pack. Stella was never known to play well with others, particularly her siblings. But as she has grown so too she has changed, and I cannot deny I take comfort in the fact the she has at least taken steps to keep a lasting connection to at least one of her siblings. Kane on the otherpaw, is arguably the most independent and stable of my cubs. He had always known what he'd wanted from the time he was a child. He was never rough or violent or quick to anger. He was intelligent, responsible, and utterly devoted to the object of his desire. A son could not do a mother more proud.

I roused from the haphazard make-shift den that had served as one of several of my homes over the last couple of years in which I have wandered. Bones that had once been so sturdy and elegant now creak and pop.... aching with the stiffness of onset arthritis. I stretch in an attempt to ease the cramps from the aging limbs, and slowly hobble out into the open, retreating into the forests and heading towards the arrid chasm until my joints loosen and regain some measure of their former finesse. My frame has thinned out over the last couple of winters, making my long legs seem even longer, and my streamlined profile even sleeker- ghosting ribs beneath the dark coat which once shone like a raven's wing. Now, though the fur remained plush, the color had dulled somewhat, turning me a more matte black than high gloss. It takes several hours before I arrive at my destination and the midday sun is warm upon my back.

Upon approaching the border of the angels, my pace slows and I recline to my haunches to rest. A longing keening note is given from my maw, requesting audience of the alphas and permittance to enter. After all, the last time I had come here had been to rescue Dev from near certain death, and at that time everyone had come to the idea that I was already long gone.