[private] but they just can't prove it

[Aela]

Aela stands, scowling at Wherewolf.

She watches him lift his wings (and the heaviness of them almost tires her). She watches as he tries to move the limp, nearly-useless appendages through her narrowed blue eyes. There is healing there, knitting the golden skin skin back to the muscles and tendons necessary for flying. Aela considers pressing sorrow into him, grief and desolation so dark that Wherewolf might not want to heal himself.

But she can be kind, when she wishes.

She can be understanding, so long as she keeps dowsing herself in calm.

Taiga, he shouts over the open plans, and it tries her temper. There is a moment where vengeance makes her gaze brilliant, but Aela buries it. She has to. This plan will fail if there are no members in Taiga, and not for the first time since the South was sunk, the former Pampas mare curses this world for being upside-down.

Any other time and she would have lit Wherewolf’s iridescent hide on fire.

”Perhaps you have a better idea?” Aela begins to seethe and the flames do flicker then, a few fires sparking to life amidst the dry grasses of the Ruins. ”The West is ruled by dragons, if you’d like to throw your lot there. Mazikeen isn’t likely to take kindly to anyone associated with the Pampas, especially one who aided in stealing her daughter.” She gives her brother a particularly wicked smile at that, reminding the pegasus of the part he played in abducting their niece.

”Islandres was considered, but seeing as that is a particular haunt of Gale’s, I’ve no plans on going anywhere near there.” Her stare is cold and hard; the girl behind her is forgotten. ”Do you want to find your son?” Aela asks him plainly, all her patience spent. ”We might even be able to find that mother of yours, but all of that help will be in Taiga.”

”Take it or leave it.”

@Wherewolf remember when you used to get rose lilli words? now you get vodka aela words