Meryl

Meryl had thought a lot about his kids. They were growing up very fast and he missed a whole year of their childhood, their lives. He felt he had failed them somewhat in his disappearance, leaving their mother to care for them on her own and eventually him finding his way back to find Ame over half grown and Yuki finding Spirane to her liking and staying there after the temporary fall of Diveen. He missed all of that and perhaps it was okay but the regret he felt for missing a year or his children’s life because he had to find and kill Andras… well he didn’t need to do that. That path didn’t have to be taken, but it did. He didn’t regret it, getting revenge for the death of his mother, paying that bastard back for hurting him as he had before. He would happily do it all over again, but no one could know, not even Yin that he had killed the Demon Lord of Iromar… His father. Not many knew that he was his father. Just Yin and Daenerys and that was mostly because they had found him beaten by him that one day. He still didn’t want to believe it but how else could he have known any of it when he didn’t know half of it himself.

It was winter again too. That time of year when many couples were happily preparing dens and thinking about if they would want children and, while Meryl certainly wanted a second chance of properly being a father, but he wanted to first be a one to the children he already had. Both of them deserved more love and affection even when he was around, being a healer, he was constantly busy. It was partly why he waited and Yin, of course, still got all the love the broken wolf could muster to give his affectionate, ever present mate. However, he wanted to see Yuki. He felt like he got a chance at redemption with Ame before he seemed to begin going out more and more, getting in touch with the wild lands of Moladion, he wasn’t sure if he should trust his son out there, but something had changed with him and Meryl taught him some healing and he knew how to hunt and deal with other animals all thanks to Yin. So, he was okay Meryl hoped, but his little daughter Yuki he still couldn’t help but worry about.

It was like something between the father and daughter resonated together. Causing his winter child to come just after a heavy snow within Diveen, The early afternoon sun was in the sky though it did little to warm the land. His mostly black fur was soaking it in as best he could but his naturally thin and curly fur didn’t do exactly the best to insulate him. The sun made the day tolerable for him, he didn’t shiver and didn’t have any issues working on anything that day however all work was forgotten when the shrill familiar cry came forth. One that was similar to his own (he never had much of a howling voice), but still much lighter than his own.

He left his apothecary quickly, leaving everything where it was. He had been hoping to see her, it had been far too long for the father to see his little girl. It was a quick run for him and so there was only a few short minutes after her howl that the small black, white and brown wolf came dashing across the snow not stopping at the sight of the girl that he had fathered. His family was everything to him. They were what rooted him to the ground and made him stable. Seeing her was like another connection forming in his brain for going back to “normal” though he would never be completely fixed at the very least falling into the scent of comfort his family gave him helped him along. He slid to a stop just barely before her before gathering up his little Yuki into a hug. It was tight, wrapping his neck around her own so happy to see she was safe and well.

”You’re… okay.” Was all he could manage relief and happiness flooding through him like a broken dam. He nearly wanted to cry. ”I am so happy you are safe, Yuki.” Yes, he loved Ame, but Yuki was his only little daughter that he would give the sun too if he could. There was always something special between a father and daughter, something that showed within nearly every relationship he had grown up with. Heyel and his daughters, Azrael and Meryl’s sisters. The relationships were just different when comparing them to a father-son one. Not that they were any less loved but something came easier to Meryl with Yuki than it had with Ame sometimes and he also only proved it more by turning out every day to take more after his mother’s roots in ways, even in his speech.

He had just been worried, even if he hadn’t expressed it. Yes, he was sure Daenerys would keep her safe, but seeing her safe was a whole different level security he needed. The tricolored wolf needed this more than ever. Scared and beaten the ‘old’ Meryl was in there and really he hadn’t changed much just became more skeptical, intolerant and edgy. But this was proof really he hadn’t changed, not really he was still the loving father he had been it was just harder sometimes with the mental baggage that came when you murdered someone.