It felt good to be home, within the safety of the trees, and yet he felt distinctly like he had betrayed his home by leaving. Nord knew that he was meant to be here, not up on the mountain, nor with his old mentor. There was nothing left for him but the future, as the past had been destroyed. It saddened him to know that there was nothing to return to should he ever want to. He still held on to some small hope that he had missed the wolves on the mountain, that perhaps the pack there still reigned. But it was a childish hope. Nord had seen the devastation caused by the avalanche and he knew, deep inside him, that there had been nothing left. It was then that he had prayed to the spirits in the sky, something he had abandoned long ago, prayed for their safe journey to the afterlife. And perhaps that had given him some closure.

But now, now things had changed. Home was here and yet he still felt out of place. Perhaps he had been away for too long. A loud bark behind him startled him, and he jumped, whirling around with blue eyes wide and surprised. Those blue eyes fell upon a sight that made him feel more at home than the trees ever could. Nord smiled, his tail wagging enthusiastically despite the angry tone of her voice. Her questioning made him chuckle slightly, but there was guilt in his eyes. "I went home- well, back to where I was born." He said, hesitating slightly in his speech, wondering if he should tell her.

He figured, however, that she deserved to know- they were friends, after all, or at least he thought so. "Many years ago, I left my home after an avalanche decimated our pack. We lived on a high mountain. I returned thinking that I may find some survivors, but..." Nord trailed off with a shrug, figuring that she would be able to piece the rest together. It wasn't hard to guess what he had found on that mountain. "After the avalanche I found solace in a wolf who taught me everything I know. When I returned to him, I found him sick and near-death. Even my skills in healing could not save him, he was too old. So I buried him beneath the old oak where we used to speak."

Nord glanced at her as he finished filling her in. She had asked, after all. And his feelings for her hadn't faded in the moons since they had last seen each other. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Celeste. It was an impromptu trip." He said with a small sigh. He wasn't sure exactly what had driven him to go searching, perhaps the spirits in the sky had told him to do so in a dream. He had abandoned those beliefs long ago but something about visiting his old homes had brought them back. It was as if it had been a pilgrimage, a religious journey. At least it had offered him a sense of closure. "And you, Celeste? What have you been up to?"

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