Masque had approached her with what most would consider far too much enthusiasm for something or another the young pup babbled about. Patiently, the mother listened to her over excited daughter and tried to expertly pick out the words of importance from everything that flew from her mouth. From the shining look in Taika’s eyes it was obvious she loved her daughter, and she honestly understood the girl’s stories perfectly. Both of them had the tendency to let their imaginations run wild with them. Life lessons had taught the older to know what the reality was and have the choice to believe it or not. As she smiled down at Masque, part of her mind contemplated how to gently teach her daughter to follow her heart but still think of the world as real.

And he said he would go on the search with you, or for you. But he wanted to meet with you! Together I think you can find your prince! Masque peered up at her mother with such hopeful eyes Taika could feel her heart break and heal all at the same time. Her cold dark nose nuzzled her daughter’s creamy gold mask. Will you go met with him, Mam?

The innocence of the question stole Taika’s breath away. She knew long ago she was not as fanciful as the world tended to believe, but every so often her heart still sparked the fantasies that had created her childhood. It had always been her choice to believe in the magic of the world or to believe in the darkness that had the tendency to consume it. With Masque’s lilac colored eyes and a pelt that hailed to Taika’s long lost love, the lost gypsy could once again feel the flutters of the fairies deep in her chest. A twisting of her heartstrings and a pang in her stomach. Fleeting hope that it was true, her Prince Edrick would one day come back to her, or Eldritch would truly become her steadfast knight. She had agreed to meet with him, to which Masque all but exploded with glee, racing off to inform Eldritch Taika would go to him as soon as she had found someone to watch over the pups. To which she assumed everyone knew would be a task and a half. By the time a wolf (Tithe) had agreed to the challenge the snow and the storms had declared a different twist of fate. Her own heart sinking at the thought of prolonging the encounter, Taika had sang a song of apology into the skies. The stormy wind had the notes traveling far and wide before she sought shelter once again in the dens, protecting her children from the ice.

At last, the skies cleared and she took to the grounds. Tithe had come just before the sun started to shine to take over watch, bringing his own children to occupy Taika’s. Taika herself padded swiftly through the transformed terrain. Winds had ripped the face of the world and created new features to learn and explore. As distracted as she was by the desire to meet with Eldritch again, if only just to see him, she hesitated as the flight dashed off the formed crystals, dazzling her eyes. She whined softly at the beauty, her bleeding heart aching.

In the freelands, though still in the shelters of the forests, she called to Eldritch, her apology for the delay noted in the harmony of her clear tones. Her voice was as it always was, but they key was off and the chords just flat. The song lacked the dancer who sang them, only just holding onto the belief that beauty could still exist for her.