[ P ] You're not alone anymore

do not press this,
I am relentless.

Retirement had been a tedious change of pace. He had immediately regretted it. Boredom had all but sent him crawling up the walls off his Rionna cottage. So he had left. But Nalik Verlice wasn't a man that traveled for pleasure. He had seen nearly all off Rionnach, and what was now Saora, during his service to the Army. War and duty had taken him far and wide, shown him the worst of the world and those who occupied it. It left a sour taste in his mouth. Maybe thats why home was such a key place for him. His humble cottage had been his, it was his personal sanctuary where the world couldn't pry.

Returning to the outlands had never been in the books, not at this point of his life. His children were old enough now to return home and handle matters when they were called. But this time, this final time, he would do it.

Coming back to Rionnach was bitter sweet. So many memories were wrapped up in the outlands countryside. It took him back to when his kids were young. When Kenzo looked at the world with a childs innocent and wonder. When Ryker showed her sweet side, when she had one. When Asher smiled like the weight of the world wasn't on his shoulders. But that was all before. There came a day when their childhood had been stripped from their hands. It was the first time in his life he had truly been at a loss. Three sets uo teary eyes stared up at him with confusion and a hurt so deep he knew he'd never be able to heal it.

So he hadn't tried. Instead, he taught them to be stronger, to be resilient, to be better than their shattered hearts. In some ways, he had failed them, utterly. But now, each of his children stood successful and happy in their lives, all of them successful in their chosen field. So, he didn't see it as a failure. He alone had lead those three children to success, to something better.

He had taken the scenic route him, stopping through the lowlands. Like he was a masochist that couldn't resist just a little more hurt. Fall would be upon these lands soon, and then it would be winter. There was nothing less appealing to the old wolf than trudging out in the snow at his age. Avoiding most of the larger towns, he walked a solitary path that led him to mirror lake.

Another soul was there too. She walked a steady pace, her gaze fixated and unseeing, like she was moving on autopilot. But he'd know those lilac eyes anywhere. They were Merrins' eyes. He almost laughed. Almost. Maybe it was karma, penance for his sins - to be faced with a living reminder of his ex-wife. He wondered then, it Merrin was still alive, if Luciel still breathed? He had promised them something once, when it came to their bastard children. Their daughter would cross his path soon enough.

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Devastation didn't begin to cover the complete destruction of her heart. The look on Merrins face, the way she threw herself at Lenoras paws kept replying over and over again as she mindlessly made her way back to the barracks. She should be going home, but on the off chance that Atlas was there, she couldn't bear to face him, much less speak of what had just occurred. Her body was rigid with a tension that coiled so tightly around her it felt as if she was in a serpents embrace.

But it was the right thing to do. For her to keep waiting with bated breath for her parents to visit was a pipe dream at this point, but she was resolute in knowing that she needed to let Merrin know just how she felt - and she did. At least there, she would have no regrets.

... Right?

Her jaws clenched, teeth grinding together. She hardly felt the gravel beneath her paws. Almost too good at the mask she had made during her cadet training, it was only after she lifted her head did she realize there was another here. Their scent wafted towards her, cracking the mask as her eyes widened in disbelief.

Of all the wolves to cross paths with, Nalik was the last one... well, except maybe Riften. Lenora swallowed, loudly, as her weary paws slowed at a respectable distance from the retired colonel. Purple eyes watched him carefully for a few moments before she suddenly seemed to remember herself.

"Good evening, colonel," she quickly parroted the honours, hoping she hadn't taken too long to acknowledge him before he was insulted. "I hope I didn't... intrude," A quick glance around and she knew they were the only two in the vicinity. Their relationship was strained at best, and she had always taken great care in maintaining a large boundary between them. While she was on relatively good speaking terms with his children - her half-siblings - something about the man intimidated her far more than Kenzo or Ryker ever could.

However, her ears remained flat on her helm; her stature one of defeat. She couldn't muster up enough self-discipline to keep herself battle ready right now and all she wanted to do was sag into her bed.

do not press this,
I am relentless.

She looked as surprised as he felt. Nothing short of what some would believe is divine intervention, could have caused this. Some claim it to be the Fae. Nalik? He brushed it off as really shitty luck on his end. This was not the first time they had crossed paths but still, of all the wolves to run into, any of Merrins bastard children were at the bottom of the list. In her short time in the Army, they had done a pretty good job as avoiding one another, even those both Ryker and Kenzo had mentored her at one point. He had been fairly certain the girl would buckle under Rykers heavy and high handed ways.

Her greeting was one of reflex, he knew it because he had the same reflex. It didn't go unnoticed the way she hesitated, the way she just stared at him for a moment. For once, Nalik let it go. The old Colonel didn't have the energy to chastise the soldier for her misstep. Or maybe it was the defeat in her posture, one that reminded him of Ryker, all those years ago.

"intruding?" A dry ha slipped off his tongue. "We are in the middle of nowhere..." He pointed out. The odds of stumbling upon someone were slim, but not none. Apologizing for it seemed like a waste.

"What happened, soldier?" It was second nature, the deeper bass of his voice as the command rolled of his tongue. Emerald eyes were sharp, hyper vigilant of everything unfolding around him. Something had wounded her spirit. They weren't all that far from Saora, she appeared physically unharmed, she wasn't covered in dust and debris like she had gotten into a scrape. But surely at least one of his children had managed to make her a decent fighter. She was also an Imperial soldier, she shouldn't be sulking about for any Saorian to see. Peace wasn't always promised, the otherside should see no weakness. So what had happened?

He told himself he was asking strictly for business, to ensure her position as an Imperial soldier wasn't jeopardized during this so called peace he had been hearing about. Even the small towns had whispers. But one could suggest that maybe he saw Ryker in those eyes, when the ghosts of the path had been so recently revisited.

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"Intruding?" he questions rhetorically, and she couldn't help but wince. It was a stupid statement, one she should have kept to herself but instead she opened her mouth. He mentioned being in the middle of nowhere, insinuating that one couldn't intrude even if they wanted to, and she only nodded. Waiting for a reprimand of some kind, her muscles tensed, unsure if it would come in the form of a verbal lashing or physically across her skin.

But nothing came.

Lilac eyes blinked, glancing towards the higher ranking wolf with confusion. What? Her mouth remained closed, though she was completely stunned. Nalik, the Colonel with a harsh reputation within the ranks of the army with the scars and grizzled expression to prove it, didn't even lift a paw. The silver wolf subtly glanced upwards, looking to see if the moon was full tonight.

"What happened, soldier?"

Lenora froze. She now had a difficult choice - lie directly to a Colonel, which would be essentially disobeying an order, or tell him the truth and risk him also wrecking her mental health because of the topic. Her mouth dried up, making it difficult to swallow as her tongue became thick.

"I--" her heart raced, thudding against her ribs so hard she thought they may break from the assault. She stood there, stone-faced, desperately trying to decide what was the best course of action. The fact that he knew something was up already was a realization for her that he'd know if she was lying. She wasn't good enough at that, yet at least. "It was Merrin," her tone flattened, her eyes lacking the shine in them as they dropped to the ground in front of her. Lenora didn't want to get into it, to relive what had just happened and especially not to this man. But she would, if he pried hard enough, though she couldn't fathom him wanting to know. "Then after that, I broke my brothers rib." It was a really bad, horrifically bad day. But even after these confessions, she stood with her chin lifted once she collected herself and looked at the Colonel. "and yet I feel nothing for them."

do not press this,
I am relentless.

it was Merrin.

Nalik had never been one for manners, he had never cared for others feelings so he didn't fret about hurting them. But this time, when he suddenly laughed, it wasn't to mock her, just himself. Shaking his head, he looked away from Lenora, emerald eyes scanning the trees like he expected none other than Merrin to burst from the shadows. "Of course it is." His voice was low, laced with a lifelong bitterness.

Then after that, I broke my brothers rib.

That would draw his attention back to her. The girl before him was no soldier. She was a child, seemingly left alone in the world. Realization dawned on the old wolf. Had Merrin failed her second litter just as a badly as her first? She had stolen herself a second chance and she had wasted it. It was infuriating. All the turmoil she had caused him over the years, and it was all for nothing. Merrin had failed again, just as she always did.

And yet I feel nothing for them.

Lenora Argent would lift her chin then, meeting his stare with a stubbornness he recognized. It was eery, the little bits of Ryker he saw in her. It seemed Merrin was at least capable of raising strong daughters. "Good." Some might find his response startling. "Merrin has a history for letting her children down. You have a chance to do as your brothers and sister did. Be better." While he didn't sugarcoat his words the way he had with his own children, he offered her the same alternative. "As for your brother," He paused. "Never feel bad for being the better fighter." It said it matter of factly. "Being better will save your life one day."

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