Welcome to Gaia! ::

As the palest of Vidar's sons came upon the den, he would find that it was not his father that was awaiting him but, instead, someone he had not seen in a very, very long time.

The goddess was not ashamed of who she was or her presence among the Stormborn and, besides that, didn't have the energy to hold a glamour over herself. Even trying to do so was likely going to drain energy she sorely needed to heal herself instead. Thus, she sat, calm and still a little worse for wear, at the mouth of the den. Little of her was clearly visible lest one got close; her wings were tucked neatly against her side and her feathered tails splayed behind her, all doused in the shadows inside the mouth of the entrance.

As he neared her, however, she leaned forward so her brilliant eyes, his eyes, caught the light. The gem that protruded from her forehead gleamed with the shift in her posture and a smile spread itself visibly within her fiery mask.

"Aldan," she said gently, unable to contain the warmth in her tone as he came toward her, "I was wondering when you would be home."

"That," she said around an awkward expression of amusement, "is.. a rather long story. The short of it is that your brothers convinced your father to come find me when I was knocking upon Death's door. Lucky for me, Death has been quite busy lately."

Her joke made her smile even though she knew her sons (and lover) had been quite worried for her. Immortals did have an odd view on the world; even if she'd died, she likely would have just been born again. Of course, she was glad she hadn't - a rebirth would have meant never meeting Aldan or Kafele or her other children. As she watched him draw nearer, she knew it would have been a shame to leave him behind without at least one last chance to speak with her.

"You look tired, my heart," she said gently, settling in at last and lowering herself to her belly. Though she looked and felt better, she still felt the weariness in her bones. "Is everything alright?"

Despite the conversation and the rather serious nature of what he was saying and asking, Na'ira still felt her heart full to bursting. All of her children were so similar and yet, somehow, still very different; she wanted to wrap him in her wings and hold him close to her so that he might rest but he seemed dumbfounded in a way that made her think he might need more solitude than either of the other boys. War and battle were often memories that required someone to work through them alone.

"Don't trouble yourself too much," she said gently, "I'm here and well. The reason I had to leave you with your father is the same thing that nearly got me killed; in hindsight, at least now I know I was right. You're all safe and strong, Vidar has done well by you all."

She smiled but sighed, knowing that he was telling her only a little bit of what had happened. It was fair enough, she supposed, she'd done nothing to earn his trust or his confidence. She lowered herself to her belly and tucked her wings against her sides, finding that her leg still ached with too much pressure; she would not be leaving just yet.

"But you should know that war is hard to plan, Aldan. Small or large, something almost always goes awry. Even your proud vikings here have to learn that eventually, best that you were taught that lesson in the beginning, I think."

"I have missed you more," she whispered, leaning back against the weight of him as he nuzzled against her thick, ruby fur. It made the smile on her face widen and her eyes lull; there was no better peace to be found than being with her children. She was lucky she had survived long enough to come home to them.

As he settled next to her body, she shifted her wings and let one drape across him, covering his cool tones with the warm, fiery tufts of her feathers. He was bigger now, stronger, but it did not change that he was still her cub. Brave and strong as he might be, he was still nothing compared to her immortal prowess and she would be protective and worried until time took him and his siblings from her. That was always the worst part of families made with mortals, they could not stay with her forever.

"For some time yet, I think. Your brother has done a good job helping me get back on my feet but it is safe here, hidden in the caves beneath the storm. I'm not strong enough to face what kind of fury might await me out there."

It was a blunt answer but her smile never faltered; life and duty simply were to her.

"So do not fret over me just yet, hm?"

Na'ira smiled, for the words he spoke were ones she knew to be true. Her blood was strong but there were reasons she had spent that night so long ago with his father, the charming Captain of the Viking horde.

"Your father is a great lion, Aldan," she said gently, letting her head lower down to her paws so that she could rest next to him. She was tired even for all that she looked better. "He has done the best job in raising you in my absence that I could have ever hoped for. I know one day, with all of his guidance, you'll do great things."

Then, with a smile, she bumped her head softly against his shoulder.

"For now just lay here a while and let me pretend that you aren't too big to cuddle with your mother, hm?"

Because one day he would be but today was not that day.