His voice had come as a sudden comfort; she had never understood just how he had managed to do it. With just a single word, she felt sedated. Her muscles seemed to relax, as did her breathing as she rested within the confines of the den. Though he had called for her, she did not respond with words. Instead, she released a low whine of reassurance, a call to him as he entered into the darkness with she and their children. It seemed that his presence stirred them, too, for they cried out in unison as they fed, squirming about and tangling their small paws in her fur. She had been to preoccupied with her own thoughts and Sleekwing's sudden breath caught her off guard; she, too, almost jumped out of her skin though perhaps for a different reason. At least, she could not help but grin to herself in amusement when her own shock subsided - Sleekwing's, it seemed, had no intention of leaving any time soon. If only he could have seen his own face, as flabbergasted as it was.

"Perhaps we ought to give her a name worthy of such resemblance," she chimed as she, too, turned to the young girl. Though she had never been particularly known to Sleekwing's mother, even she felt a sudden pride as she looked down at her daughter. It was her son, though, that drew her attention not so long after. He squirmed in silence, his pale fur stark against the darkness of her own. It... baffled her, almost, to see such a pale child born from her. Her own mother and father had been as pure as the night and yet, she could not help but think of Heyel in those moments as she watched him closely.

"As for him," she begun, nuzzling his tiny body to the sound of his annoyance, "I should like to name him Israfel. It is an Angel's name, a namesake for the family that raised me."

Perhaps he had been a throwback to Malina's father - a different father, though. Indeed, she knew it to be impossible and yet it felt as if Heyel had been smiling down on her in those moments. Her thoughts, however, had been suddenly interrupted by Sleekwing's sudden tension. She had barely heard her name called from above and yet, she felt drawn the den's mouth as her imprint had been.

Slowly, she shuffled forward, attempting to keep her newborns fixed onto her as she did her best to at least lift her head from the darkness. It was an awkward thing to do so and yet, she felt comfortable with neither option: leaving them alone or leaving Sleekwing to whatever intruder it may be. However, things suddenly changed when she caught a glimpse of that crimson and black mask. It made her stiffen, her eyes wide for a moment and her blood cold.

"Aaliyah."

She breathed the word out, her tone hard. She turned to Sleekwing then, summoning his attention before she spoke. "Take care of the children for a moment. This is... important."

It felt wrong, in a way, to have to deal with such a thing so soon. Her body still ached from the birth, her legs tired and weary and yet, if Heyel had been smiling down on her then surely he had sent Aaliyah for some purpose. With that in mind, she retreated for a moment, nestling the children into the warmest part of the den, a place where the floor remained dry and even. She knew Sleekwing would not be comfortable with it but hopefully he could understand eventually. Aaliyah was... important. She had been gone for so long and yet, she had returned as Tobias rose to power in the north. What omen would that become?

With the children sound, though upset, she scrambled up the den's entrance, sliding out into the sunlight with a low grumble. It had become natural to conceal her weakness, her legs steadied beneath her and eyes catching Aaliyah's immediately. "You've returned. You came too late, though. Things are not the same here anymore."