The day was winding down in a lazy sort of manner for he lay near the entrance of his den with Astrid, his forelegs crossed and one yellow good eye watching the children play amongst themselves. It was a rare day that they bickered. He had gotten lucky on the personalities of his children - considering their mother of course, and his own waywardness. Wasn't there some saying that if a kid was a heatehn, when they grew up that they would have a demon spawn as their just comeuppance? Well, see, he wasn't that bad! The cougar mark on his left hip might say otherwise but Zaphkiel wore it with pride. Now that years had passed he could remember the aghast look upon Azrael's face and smirk to himself, proud at ruffling his dad's feathers. Vortigern had come up to him earlier and Zaph had caught himself staring at his son with a fascinated eye. The boy was growing tall rapidly, his legs skinny and paws large. He would be handsome, but then so would each of his kids. Tzadkiel would never be as big as his siblings and Astraea would be the tallest, Zaph was sure, because she kept a willowy figure. Asariel would be a beautiful girl, the kind that he would have to chase boys away because of her sweet nature. But damn, all his kids were sweet and kind. How did he get so lucky?

Beneath the canopies of the forest the floor was sparsely decorated with snow. Even though the branches were barren most of the snow caught up in the branches, falling occasionally in a shower that delighted his kids. What he wouldn't give to have his father here to get 'rained' on with snow. The idea made him grin mischievously. His thoughts drift until the moment he feels a sharpness inside of his chest. A gasp escapes, then a large inhale, and he thrusts to his feet with his nostrils flared.

Gaia.

He KNEW that feeling, that tug, and he could practically feel the cold that was not his within his bones, the hunger that was not his in his stomach. She was back and his soul was singing, crying for him to get closer to her, just to check up on her and to see her. It felt so right and so wrong. His ears fell back and he turns his head around, scanning the area of Astrid but she is off being her hunter self. Zaphkiel doesn't make a conscious decision. It just happens.

He sways forward and then the next thing he knows he is loping through the trees with ease, scattering snow and scaring away hidden rabbits. His paws sink into the drifts and leave behind disaster in his wake and he leaves Taviora behind as dusk begins to set. What was she doing out here ALONE? Was she crazy? He could feel her discomfort within him and it grated. The cold is burned away by his run but he slows near the river, ears turning as he catches the sound of small feet. She would be hungry, he can feel it, and while it was probably not wise to gift someone other than his mate food, he figured being her imprint made that an exception. So Zaphkiel pauses in his search to hunt for her and manages to catch a small fox. It was.. cute, in a way, but she was hungry and he didn't have time to chase anything else. It squealed for but a moment before he finished it off, feeling oddly bereft, and then he began to traipse down the riverbank.

The bond told him the general direction of Gaia but her scent is what seals the deal. She had climbed through the water in such cold temperatures. A growl echos in the back of his throat, rattling around the dead fox. Did she want to catch a cold and die? He follows her scent to a tree, barely spotting her small figure huddled upon itself beneath the basin and drops the fox abruptly into the snow. "Why are you sleeping THERE?" He sounds shocked, glancing around and then staring at her, his soul craving just looking at her. "You are cold and hungry. I brought you something to eat," he said in a softer voice, nosing the fox towards her and smiling slightly, his soul content to be near her once more and to know she was okay. What in the world would Astrid think??